Samsung’s Struggle with Dolby Integration: Is VISION 2 the Breakthrough?

September 7, 2025

Seoul, South Korea – Samsung is rapidly integrating Artificial Intelligence into its television technology, extending beyond mobile devices, tablets, and wearables to encompass its Galaxy Watch TV offerings. This move allows for interactive viewing experiences, smart home control, and voice-activated functions. However, a notable aspect of this technological push is Samsung’s apparent decision to forgo support for Dolby Vision, a premium High Dynamic Range (HDR) format that has been an industry standard for a decade.

the Core of the Innovation: Enhancing Visual Fidelity

Dolby Vision’s appeal lies in its ability to deliver images with increased depth, contrast, and a wider color gamut, allowing filmmakers to realize their creative visions more fully. Despite this, Samsung is demonstrating that compelling visual experiences can also be achieved using proprietary technologies. The company’s approach centers on enhancing HDR capabilities without relying on the Dolby standard.

Dolby is continuing its evolution of the technology with dolby Vision Mapping V.4, released in 2018, which can achieve brightness levels up to 10,000 nits-tho these levels are currently beyond the capabilities of most displays-and requires specific HDMI cable compatibility. This latest iteration aims to optimize the viewing experience for platforms like Xbox One S/X and PlayStation 5 consoles.

Dolby Vision 2: An AI-Powered Approach to HDR

Dolby Vision 2 leverages Artificial Intelligence to dynamically optimize HDR content. The Television utilizes algorithms to recognize the content being viewed and adjusts brightness and bidirectional tone mapping accordingly. A new feature called ‘Light’ specifically improves visibility in darkened scenes, ensuring details aren’t lost without compromising the original artistic intent.

Consider a complex series like “Game of Thrones,” where dimly lit scenes, such as the Battle of Winterfell, often obscured crucial details. Dolby Vision 2 aims to resolve this, delivering a clearer picture even in the darkest moments. Beyond enhanced clarity, the technology also introduces ‘True Motion,’ designed to smooth movement and enhance clarity during fast-paced content, including live sports broadcasts.

The Competitive landscape: Samsung,LG,and Hisense

Should Samsung adopt Dolby Vision 2,the implementation details remain unclear. Currently, other manufacturers like LG and Sony have embraced the format, with Hisense’s RGB Mini-LED TVs offering another point of competition. However, these Hisense models directly challenge Samsung’s own Micro RGB TV technology.

Feature	Dolby Vision 2	Samsung HDR	Hisense RGB Mini-LED
AI optimization	Yes	Yes	Limited
Brightness Potential	Up to 10,000 nits	Variable	High
Compatibility	Wide (Xbox, PlayStation, etc.)	Samsung devices	Broad

Did You Know? HDR technology expands the range of colors and contrast levels a television can display, leading to a more realistic and immersive viewing experience.

Pro Tip: Ensure your HDMI cables are compatible with the HDR formats supported by your TV and devices to unlock the full potential of your picture quality.

The Future of Television Technology

the ongoing competition between Dolby Vision and proprietary HDR solutions is driving innovation in the television industry. As AI continues to shape entertainment, we can anticipate even more smart and immersive viewing experiences. The ability to adapt picture settings in real-time-based on the content and ambient lighting-is becoming increasingly sophisticated.

The trend towards Mini-LED and Micro-LED technologies further enhances picture quality, promising remarkable brightness, contrast, and color accuracy. The demand for TVs that can seamlessly integrate with smart home ecosystems will also continue to grow, making voice control and device interoperability key features.

Frequently Asked questions About HDR and dolby Vision

• What is Dolby Vision? Dolby vision is a High Dynamic Range (HDR) format that enhances picture quality through increased brightness, contrast, and color.
• is Dolby vision better than standard HDR? Generally, Yes.Dolby vision uses dynamic metadata to optimize each scene, while standard HDR typically uses static metadata.
• Why isn’t Samsung supporting Dolby Vision? Samsung is focusing on developing its own proprietary HDR technologies that it believes offer comparable or superior performance.
• What is bidirectional tone mapping? Bidirectional tone mapping is a process used in Dolby Vision 2 to adjust the brightness and color of content to match the capabilities of your TV.
• How does AI improve HDR picture quality? AI algorithms analyze content and automatically optimize settings to create a more immersive and detailed viewing experience.
• What are the benefits of using RGB Mini-LED technology in TVs? RGB Mini-LED technology provides greater precision in controlling individual pixels,resulting in improved contrast and brightness.
• What is the difference between HDR10 and Dolby Vision? HDR10 is a common HDR format, while Dolby Vision includes dynamic metadata for scene-by-scene optimization.

Will Samsung reconsider its position on Dolby Vision as the technology continues to evolve? What impact will these technological advancements have on the future of home entertainment? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Will Samsung’s investment in VISION 2 be enough to overcome consumer preference for Dolby atmos?

The Long Road to Premium audio on Samsung Devices

For years,Samsung has lagged behind competitors like Apple and LG in delivering a truly immersive,high-fidelity audio experience. A significant part of this stems from a complex relationship – or lack thereof – with Dolby Laboratories. while Samsung’s own audio technologies are competent, the industry standard for cinematic sound, Dolby Atmos, has consistently been a draw for consumers seeking the best possible audio quality in their smartphones, tablets, and TVs. This has led to a persistent question: why hasn’t Samsung fully embraced Dolby? The answer is multifaceted, involving licensing fees, competitive strategies, and a commitment to its own ecosystem. Samsung audio quality has improved, but the Dolby question remains.

Why the Dolby Holdout? A History of Competition

samsung’s reluctance to fully integrate Dolby technologies isn’t new. It dates back to patent disputes and a desire to promote its own competing audio formats,most notably Dolby atmos option – Samsung’s own 360 audio.

Here’s a breakdown of the key factors:

Licensing costs: Dolby licenses aren’t cheap. Integrating Dolby Atmos and other technologies requires substantial ongoing payments, impacting profit margins.

Ecosystem Control: Samsung prefers to control the entire user experience, including audio. Developing and promoting its own technologies allows for greater control and differentiation.

Patent Battles: Past legal conflicts with Dolby have created a strained relationship, making collaboration less appealing.

HDR10+ vs. Dolby Vision: The rivalry extends to video formats. Samsung championed HDR10+, a royalty-free HDR standard, directly competing with dolby Vision. This competition spilled over into the audio realm.

This strategy, while understandable from a business perspective, has left Samsung devices perceived as lacking in the premium audio department, especially when compared to iPhones and LG OLED TVs which prominently feature Dolby Atmos support.

Introducing VISION 2: A potential Turning Point

Recently, Samsung unveiled VISION 2, a new audio processing technology designed to deliver a more immersive and realistic sound experience. This isn’t simply a software update; it’s a fundamental shift in Samsung’s approach to audio. VISION 2 utilizes advanced spatial audio algorithms and AI-powered sound optimization to create a wider soundstage and more accurate sound localization.

Key features of VISION 2 include:

AI-Powered Sound Enhancement: Analyzes audio content in real-time to optimize sound based on genre, habitat, and user preferences.

Spatial Audio Rendering: Creates a 3D soundscape that simulates a more realistic listening experience.

Dynamic Range Control: Enhances clarity and detail, even at low volumes.

Improved Headphone Optimization: Tailors audio output for a wider range of headphone models.

How does VISION 2 Stack Up? Initial Assessments

early reviews of devices equipped with VISION 2 are promising. while not a direct replacement for dolby Atmos, VISION 2 demonstrably improves the audio experience on Samsung devices. several tech reviewers have noted a significant increase in soundstage width, improved clarity, and more immersive spatial audio effects. However, the consensus is that it doesn’t quite reach the level of refinement and polish offered by Dolby Atmos, particularly in complex scenes with a lot of audio layering. Samsung spatial audio is getting closer, but still has ground to cover.

Here’s a comparative look:

| Feature | Dolby Atmos | Samsung VISION 2 |

|——————-|———————-|———————-|

| Spatial Audio | Highly Refined | Improving |

| Object-Based Audio| Yes | Limited |

| Ecosystem Support | Widespread | Samsung Devices Only |

| licensing | Required | Proprietary |

The Future of Audio on samsung: coexistence or Convergence?

The question now is weather Samsung will continue to push VISION 2 as a standalone solution or eventually embrace Dolby technologies. Several scenarios are possible:

1. Continued Independence: Samsung doubles down on VISION 2,investing heavily in its advancement and expanding its capabilities.
2. Partial Integration: Samsung integrates Dolby Atmos alongside VISION 2, offering users a choice of audio experiences. This is the most likely scenario, allowing Samsung to cater to a wider audience.
3. Full Dolby Adoption: Samsung fully licenses and integrates Dolby Atmos across its entire product line. This is the least likely scenario, given the company’s ancient reluctance.

Dolby Atmos on Samsung phones is still a highly requested feature, and ignoring consumer demand could prove costly. The success of VISION 2 will likely dictate Samsung’s next move. If it can consistently deliver a comparable or superior audio experience, Samsung may be able to maintain its independence. Though