Select 4K Sony TVs, like this 100-inch Z9D 4K LED-LCD Ultra HDTV, will soon get a Dolby Vision firmware update.
Sony said this week that it is rolling out this month a software update to enable Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR) in select 2016 and 2017 4K Ultra HDTV models.
The update will be coming via an update to U.S. models series: Z9D, A1E, X930E, X940E. The update should be installed automatically if the television is set to auto date. Otherwise, users will need to manually ensure through the settings menu that the updates are available and either installed or activated to download and install.
Read more about the software update after the jump:
According to a statement from the company: “After the Sony TV receives the software update, devices with Dolby Vision playback (such as streaming media players and UHD Blu-ray players) that are connected to the Sony TV by HDMI will also require a software update to support Dolby Vision playback through the device. For more information on the timing of a software update for your device, please contact the player device manufacturer.”
U.S. Sony TV models slated to receive the Dolby Vision firmware update include the following:
2017 Bravia 4K Ultra HD OLED TVs
XBR-65A1E 65-inch
XBR-77A1E 77-inch
2016/17 Z9D Series 4K Ultra HD LED-LCD TVs
XBR-65Z9D 65-inch
XBR-75Z9D 75-inch
XBR-100Z9D 100-inch
2017 Bravia XBR X930E and X940E 4K LED-LCD TVs
XBR-55X930E – 55-inch
XBR-65X930E – 65-inch
XBR-75X940E – 75-inch
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Dolby Vision is a premium HDR profile based on the ST.2084 PQ platform. Unlike the baseline HDR10 profile, Dolby Vision makes use of dynamic metadata to optimize HDR picture quality on a scene-by-scene or even frame-by-frame basis.
HDR10, on the other, uses static metadata that uses post-production color grading based on one set level throughout a movie or program.
With Dolby Vision, the content will control brightness and dimming, and provides optimal tone mapping for the display.
High Dynamic Range is an enhancement that widens the contrast ratio bringing deeper blacks with greater degrees of fine detail and brighter whites with more visible fine detail and color shading. It also adds brighter specular highlights in localized points on the screen, such as bright objects like explosions and candle light.
Dolby Vision is supported in select Ultra HD Blu-ray discs from all Hollywood studios, except 20th Century Fox, so far. However, the proposed acquisition of Fox by Disney could change that.
Streaming titles are offered in Dolby Vision from Vudu, Amazon and Netflix.
Last February, Sony revealed that support for the Hybrd Log-Gamma (HLG) HDR format would be added to select 2015 and 2016 4K Ultra HDTV models to support HLG content coming in the future from over-the-air broadcasts and multichannel video service providers, like DirecTV, which launched the first live HLG broadcasts over its satellite TV platform last month. In addition to Sony, brands including LG, and Samsung (in select model series and years) are also updating their 4K Ultra HDTV models for HLG
After the Dolby Vision update, applicable Sony 4K Ultra HDTVs will be able to support content carrying: HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG HDR profiles.
By Greg Tarr
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