Samsung, It's Time: The Unyielding Case for Dolby Vision on Your TVs

For years, a curious anomaly has persisted in the high-end television market: Samsung, a titan of display technology, steadfastly refuses to incorporate Dolby Vision into its magnificent range of TVs. While nearly every other major manufacturer has embraced the superior HDR format, Samsung remains an outlier, championing its own, less-adopted standard, HDR10+.

It’s time to say it unequivocally: enough is enough. Samsung, for the sake of your customers and the industry, it's time to put Dolby Vision on your TVs.

The core of the issue lies in the fundamental difference between HDR10 and Dolby Vision. HDR10, the baseline High Dynamic Range standard, uses static metadata – a single set of instructions for brightness and color for an entire movie or show.

While a significant improvement over standard dynamic range, it’s a one-size-fits-all approach. Dolby Vision, on the other hand, utilizes dynamic metadata, allowing for scene-by-scene, or even frame-by-frame, optimization of picture quality. This granular control means brighter highlights, deeper blacks, and more accurate, vibrant colors, revealing details that static HDR10 simply cannot.

When content is mastered in Dolby Vision, the viewing experience is often noticeably richer and more immersive.

Samsung’s alternative, HDR10+, also employs dynamic metadata, conceptually bringing it closer to Dolby Vision. However, its adoption pales in comparison. While a handful of studios and streaming services offer HDR10+ content, the vast majority of premium HDR content – from Hollywood blockbusters to popular streaming series on Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, and HBO Max – is mastered in Dolby Vision.

This means that Samsung TV owners, despite owning some of the most technologically advanced displays on the market, are often relegated to a less optimal HDR10 experience when watching much of this content, missing out on its full visual potential.

Consider the competitive landscape. LG, Sony, Panasonic, Vizio, TCL, Hisense – virtually every other significant player in the premium TV space offers Dolby Vision support across their lineups.

This isn't a niche feature; it's a mainstream expectation for high-end televisions. When a consumer walks into an electronics store and sees a Samsung QLED TV or a Neo QLED TV, they are buying into the promise of cutting-edge visual performance. To then discover that a significant portion of top-tier content cannot be viewed in its best possible format on that very screen is not just disappointing; it’s a critical oversight.

The argument often cited by Samsung for its exclusivity is that HDR10+ is an "open standard," requiring no licensing fees, unlike Dolby Vision.

While this has financial implications for manufacturers, it's a cost that virtually every other major brand has chosen to absorb, recognizing the immense value it brings to the consumer. Furthermore, the irony is not lost on many that Samsung's own high-end smartphones, such as the Galaxy S23 Ultra, are capable of recording video in Dolby Vision.

If the technology is good enough for their mobile division, why not their flagship television division?

This isn't about choosing one format over the other; it’s about offering comprehensive compatibility. Consumers shouldn't be forced to pick a side in an HDR format war. They simply want the best possible picture quality, regardless of the content source.

Samsung’s unwavering stance creates an unnecessary dilemma, potentially driving consumers towards competitors who offer a more complete package. In an era where display technologies are constantly pushing boundaries, limiting access to a widely adopted, superior HDR format feels increasingly anachronistic.

It's time for Samsung to prioritize the consumer experience above all else.

Integrating Dolby Vision into their TVs would not only eliminate a significant competitive disadvantage but would also unlock the full potential of their already impressive displays, truly delivering the premium experience their customers expect and deserve. The industry has moved on, and it's high time Samsung did too.

The call is clear: Samsung, give us Dolby Vision.