Samsung has announced that the next generation of its dynamic HDR format is in the works, and it's taking the fight to Dolby Vision 2.
It's called HDR10+ Advanced, and it's set to arrive alongside Samsung's 2026 TV lineup, which we expect to launch at CES in January. The Korean tech giant also suggests it could be backwards compatible with its existing 2025 TV lineup.
The biggest new feature is the inclusion of HDR10+ Bright, which is an HDR mode that leverages extended metadata to interpret more nuanced variations in colour and brightness.
Furthermore, AI-based algorithms will reportedly support a wider range of dynamic brightness, with Samsung citing support for displays with peak brightness figures of 4000 to 5000 nits.
This is supported by improved tone mapping, which Samsung says will utilise an AI-backed system to greatly improve precision. This will supposedly allow for more precise control of brightness in specific areas of the picture for enhanced image depth.
Samsung also references enhanced colour control with HDR10+ Advanced, which will unlock a wider and more lifelike array of colours based on metadata provided by content creators. Despite the greater range of colours, Samsung promises enhanced precision for improved accuracy.
Furthermore, HDR10+ Advanced will utilise an AI-backed content recognition system to identify the genre of the show or movie you're watching and apply specified tone mapping curves and other picture processing settings to best suit. For instance, drama shows will appear more natural, whereas sports will feature punchier colours and enhanced motion.
Speaking of motion, HDR10+ Advanced also features Intelligent Motion Smoothing, which will monitor whether motion smoothing is needed, and if so, how much is required. It leverages the content recognition mentioned above, alongside the image brightness and the ambient conditions of your viewing environment.
HDR10+ Advanced also gets a boost when it comes to gaming, with ambient lighting-adjusting tone mapping being applied to cloud gaming sources in real time. This will be applied via the HDR10+ Gaming format, as well as the Game picture mode on Samsung TVs.
Samsung cites a mixture of developments in brighter new panels – for instance, the newly announced Micro RGB / RGB Mini LED display technology – alongside a major influx in streaming TV subscriptions (which is projected to reach 2.1 billion worldwide by 2028, according to Samsung) as the two major driving forces behind this advanced new HDR format.
With HDR10+ already being used by over 16,000 certified TVs, projectors and smartphones, and with 16 services supporting it worldwide, this upgraded version is sure to keep Dolby on its toes with its new Dolby Vision 2 HDR format.
MORE:
HDR10+: everything you need to know
Dolby Vision HDR: everything you need to know
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