Dolby Vision 2 will be available first on some 2026 Hisense TVs

Dolby Laboratories and Hisense have teamed up to roll out Dolby Vision 2, an advanced HDR format, to a select group of Hisense TV models starting with the 2026 lineup. The update is available as a firmware update to TVs running either Google TV or VIDAA, Hisense's own operating system. Dolby Vision 2 builds upon the original Dolby Vision, which has been adjusting brightness and color scene-by-scene for over a decade.

The new technology comes in two tiers: a standard version and a higher-end variant called Dolby Vision 2 Max. The standard version utilizes a rebuilt image engine, improving existing Dolby Vision movies and games instantly upon installation. This engine works blindly, enhancing content without any prior knowledge of it. The Content Intelligence feature, on the other hand, reads metadata attached to a title, allowing the TV to follow instructions left behind by the content's masters.

This ensures that scenes with different lighting requirements, like a thriller's murky stretches and floodlit soccer matches, are handled appropriately.

The Max tier introduces two unique features: Authentic Motion and Light Sense 2. Authentic Motion smooths out judder while avoiding the "soap opera effect" often associated with motion-processing systems. Light Sense 2 uses the TV's ambient light sensor to maintain visibility in dark scenes when the room is brightly lit. However, these features will not be available on older Dolby Vision TVs, as they require the specific MediaTek Pentonic 800 silicon for processing.

While Dolby Vision 2 content is being authored, its utilization of the additional metadata is currently limited to Canal+, Peacock, and iQIYI streaming services. Netflix and Disney+ have not yet incorporated this feature.