According to TechSpot, Samsung has previewed HDR10+ Advanced as its first major update to compete with Dolby Vision 2. The new format introduces six key upgrades over existing HDR10+ and will debut with Samsung’s high-end TVs in 2026. Key features include HDR10+ Bright for boosting brightness up to 4,000-5,000 nits on modern displays and HDR10+ Genre that uses AI to automatically adjust settings based on content type. Samsung is also adding Intelligent FRC for precise motion control and Detailed Local Tone Mapping for improved contrast. The company plans to showcase the technology at CES 2026 in January, with Amazon Prime Video already pledging support for the format.
Format War Heats Up
Here’s the thing about HDR format wars – they’re exhausting for everyone. Consumers have been dealing with HDR10 vs Dolby Vision for years, and now we’re getting another round. Samsung’s move makes sense though. They’ve been the holdout against Dolby Vision licensing fees, sticking with their royalty-free HDR10+ alternative. But Dolby Vision 2 apparently pushed them to level up their game.
What’s interesting is the timing. CES 2026 is nearly two years away, which means Samsung is planting their flag early. They’re basically telling content creators and streaming services “start preparing now.” Getting Amazon Prime Video onboard from day one is a smart move – that gives them immediate credibility and a major content pipeline.
What Actually Matters
Look, most of these features sound impressive on paper, but will anyone actually notice the difference? The HDR10+ Bright feature targeting 4,000-5,000 nits seems like overkill when many current TVs struggle to hit 2,000 nits without blooming issues. And do we really need AI adjusting our movie colors based on genre? Sometimes I just want to watch content the way the director intended.
The gaming optimizations could be genuinely useful though. Real-time tone mapping adjustment based on in-game lighting conditions? That might actually make a visible difference during gameplay. And the zone-based local tone mapping sounds like it could finally deliver on the promise of perfect blacks without haloing.
Content Creator Dilemma
Now here’s where it gets messy for studios and streaming services. They’re already dealing with multiple HDR formats, different color spaces, and varying display capabilities. Adding another advanced HDR format means more testing, more quality control, and potentially higher production costs. Samsung’s Intelligent FRC tool for creators sounds helpful, but it’s another thing to learn and implement.
The real question is whether other TV manufacturers will adopt HDR10+ Advanced. Samsung can push it on their own sets, but without broader industry support, it becomes another proprietary format that complicates the ecosystem. Remember how that worked out for 3D TVs?
Consumer Reality Check
Basically, by 2026 when these TVs actually hit shelves, most people won’t have content that fully utilizes these capabilities. It’s the same story with every new display technology – the hardware arrives years before the content catches up. And let’s be honest, how many consumers can actually tell the difference between well-implemented HDR10+ and Dolby Vision today?
The bright spot? Competition drives innovation. Having Samsung push against Dolby means both companies will keep improving their tech. That eventually trickles down to better picture quality for everyone, even if it takes a few generations. For industrial applications where display accuracy matters most, companies like Industrial Monitor Direct will need to stay ahead of these format changes to ensure their panel PCs deliver the precision required for critical operations.
