Dolby Vision 2 is rolling out to consumer televisions for the first time, with Hisense's 2026 UX, UR9, UR8, and U7 models serving as the launch vehicles (The Verge). The format was first announced in September 2025 and had reached "in market" status on some Hisense TVs as of Dolby's third-quarter 2026 financial results on July 30 (Dolby Investor Relations). TCL and Philips will add Dolby Vision 2 support to select TVs later in 2026 (The Verge).

Dolby Vision 2 is a dynamic HDR format built around a more powerful image engine and expanded metadata compared to the original Dolby Vision. The new format ships in two tiers: Dolby Vision 2 Max and a standard-level Dolby Vision 2. The Hisense sets rolling out now include the Max tier (The Verge).

Dolby Vision 2 Max includes three features that distinguish it from the base tier. Authentic Motion is a motion-smoothing capability. An updated ambient light sensor adjustment builds on the Dolby Vision IQ system from the original format. Pro settings allow fine-tuning of tone mapping (The Verge).

The standard Dolby Vision 2 tier is intended for less expensive mainstream TVs that lack ambient light sensors or the motion-processing hardware required for Authentic Motion. It still includes bidirectional tone mapping, local tone mapping, an intensity slider, and works with existing Dolby Vision content (The Verge).

Both tiers require special hardware. The only system-on-a-chip currently supporting Dolby Vision 2 is the MediaTek Pentonic 800 (The Verge). Hisense's first Dolby Vision 2 TVs are powered by that chip (Dolby). Older Dolby Vision TVs without the required hardware cannot be updated to Dolby Vision 2, but they can still display Dolby Vision 2 content by ignoring the extra metadata (The Verge).

A key technical change in Dolby Vision 2's image engine is its ability to proportionally increase the brightness of content to fully utilize a TV's light output. This works in the opposite direction of the original tone mapping, which primarily compressed high-brightness masters down to a display's peak capabilities. Most HDR movie masters top out between 1,000 and 4,000 nits, while modern flagship TVs, particularly MiniLED sets, can exceed those levels in peak highlights. The new engine can scale content brightness upward rather than only compressing downward (The Verge).

Dolby Vision 2 also includes an intensity control that lets users adjust the punchiness of HDR highlights based on viewing conditions, preferences, or contrast perception needs. This applies to both tiers (The Verge).

Hisense plans to support Dolby Vision 2 on its 2026 RGB MiniLED TVs, including the UX, UR9, and UR8 models, and to bring it to more MiniLED TVs over time (Dolby CES 2026). Hisense will be the first TV brand to introduce Dolby Vision 2 to its lineup (Dolby), with the feature arriving on its RGB-MiniLED TVs via an over-the-air update (Hisense).

The two-tier strategy is worth examining. By creating a base tier that requires fewer hardware capabilities, Dolby can license the Vision 2 brand across a broader range of price points while reserving the Max label for sets with ambient light sensors and dedicated motion processing. This mirrors the pattern Dolby followed with the original Dolby Vision, where the format spread from premium panels down through mid-range hardware over several product cycles. The difference here is the hard hardware gate: without the MediaTek Pentonic 800, no set gets Dolby Vision 2 in any form. That ties the format's adoption curve directly to a single SoC vendor's design wins.

The backward-compatibility approach also matters for the content ecosystem. Studios and streaming services mastering in Dolby Vision 2 can ship a single stream that older Dolby Vision TVs render with the original tone mapping, while newer sets use the expanded metadata. There is no need for parallel encoding pipelines, which reduces the friction of format transitions. Existing Dolby Vision content also benefits from the base tier's bidirectional and local tone mapping on compatible hardware, giving the new format an immediate content library rather than a cold start.

The constraint is the SoC dependency. Until additional silicon partners ship Dolby Vision 2-capable chips, the format's footprint is bounded by MediaTek Pentonic 800 design wins. TCL and Philips joining the lineup later in 2026 will widen adoption, but the pace depends on how broadly the Pentonic 800 reaches their respective product stacks. For now, Hisense holds the exclusive launch window.