What is Dolby Vision IQ and which TV models support it?
Dolby's HDR video format has in recent years been expanded to Dolby Vision IQ. What is it and which TV models support IQ? Here is what you should know. Dolby Vision is an HDR (High Dynamic Range) video format that can deliver an expanded range of luminance (up to 10,000 nits) and color (up to Rec.2020). It is a new foundation under video after decades of SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) being the standard. Unlike the base HDR10 format, which uses the same PQ (Perceptual Quantizer) luminance curve, Dolby Vision adds dynamic metadata to optimize the picture scene-by-scene. In 2016, FlatpanelsHD published the Dolby Vision FAQ, but the format has been expanded in a number of ways since then. Dolby Vision now also works with HLG (in addition to PQ), has been expanded with a Dolby Vision gaming profile for up to 4K144, with 3D 4K support, and even with Filmmaker Mode integration. And yes, Dolby Vision IQ, which we will get back to in a moment.How Dolby Vision works
Dolby Vision must be supported by both the display and the source device to work, which today is a software implementation. In addition, you must have content in Dolby Vision format such as movies, series or games. If you loop the HDMI cable through a soundbar or receiver before reaching the TV, the soundbar or receiver must also support Dolby Vision (passthrough). If all links support Dolby Vision and you play content in Dolby Vision format, your TV will automatically switch into its Dolby Vision mode. You can typically select between a bright and dark Dolby Vision mode for bright and dark room viewing, respectively.What is Dolby Vision IQ?
In the past few years, more Dolby Vision features have been introduced. Dolby Vision IQ is not a new format but an extension of Dolby Vision that manufacturers can choose to support. IQ introduces automation to Dolby Vision, but it is still optional for the user if he/she wants to utilize this automation. If your TV supports IQ, you can select an IQ picture mode or enable IQ from the picture menu when watching Dolby Vision content. Dolby Vision IQ includes:
- Light Sense which uses Dolby Vision metadata and the TV’s ambient light sensor to optimize the picture to the current lighting conditions in your room, for example, to avoid dark shadow details being impossible to see in a bright room.
- Automatic Playback Optimization (APO), which is metadata in the signal to identify the type of content, so that the TV's settings can be adapted automatically
Dolby Vision IQ always adjusts the picture to match your viewing environment. Photo: Hisense / Dolby
Automatic Playback Optimization works if the content has embedded Level 11 (L11) metadata. According to Dolby, the L11 metadata can be:
- 0 ('Default'): A limited amount of picture post-processing is permitted. '0' is the same as standard Dolby Vision
- 1 ('Movies'): Minimizes post-processing and is recommended for movies
- 2 ('Game'): Minimizes input lag (latency) for gaming. This is a type of ALLM for Dolby Vision
- 3 ('Sport'): Enables frame rate processing for sports
- 4 ('User-Generation Content'): Enables a range of post-processing (sharpness, motion, noise reduction etc.) to compensate for consumer-level camera hardware
IQ with Precision Detail?
Another feature was added on top of Dolby Vision IQ in 2022. Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail was an optional feature that the user could enable in the picture settings while watching content in Dolby Vision. It seems to have since been folded into Dolby Vision IQ as an automatic feature. Precision Detail is meant to improve detail and granularity, especially in the darkest and brightest areas of the picture. It is not clear exactly what is going on inside the 'black box', which Dolby Vision is often called in the industry, but it appears to use, in part, some type of dynamic tone-mapping.Which TVs support Dolby Vision?
The majority of TVs today support Dolby Vision, the notable exception being Samsung, which is promoting its own premium HDR10+ format as an alternative. Fewer TV brands have Dolby Vision IQ. The list below pulls data from FlatpanelsHD's TV Database to show you all the models that support Dolby Vision or Dolby Vision IQ. The list will automatically expand as the TV Database gets updated.Dolby Vision:
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