SAN FRANCISCO and BELIN—Dolby Laboratories today unveiled Dolby Vision 2, its next evolutionary step in picture quality.

Hisense is the first TV brand to announce that it will bring Dolby Vision 2 to its lineup of premium televisions, such as RGB-MiniLED TVs. French media and entertainment company CANAL+ has also announced its commitment to support Dolby Vision 2.

Dolby Vision 2 builds on the success of Dolby Vision HDR. It is designed specifically to meet the evolving opportunities of television experiences and serves as one piece of Dolby's broader mission to advance picture quality across all entertainment and devices, the company said.

“We've reached an inflection point where TV technology has dramatically changed while artists continue to demand even more innovative tools,” said John Couling, senior vice president of Entertainment at Dolby Laboratories. “Dolby Vision 2 redefines how we think of Dolby Vision to unleash the full capabilities of modern TVs while giving artists unprecedented opportunities to push their creative boundaries further than ever before.”

Dolby Vision 2 is powered by a redesigned and more powerful image engine. The new engine, when combined with Dolby Vision’s content ecosystem, unlocks more from TV. This is fueled by a content pipeline spanning today’s most popular movies and TV shows, weekly live sports broadcasts and an expanding library of games in Dolby Vision. With new tools coming to the creative community, content in Dolby Vision will look even more astonishing when enjoyed on a Dolby Vision 2 display.

Dolby Vision 2’s Content Intelligence introduces new tools to bridge the creative suite to the viewer’s living room. This foundation allows Dolby Vision 2 to optimize TVs authentically and automatically to deliver a more captivating picture based on what is being watched and where.

With AI capabilities, Dolby Vision 2 will intelligently adapt to give the best presentation of the content fine-tuned for your device and viewing environment.

Content Intelligence includes:

• Precision Black, which reduces consumer frustration that the image is “too dark” by making it crystal clear and improving clarity in any viewing environment without compromising artistic intent.
• Light Sense, which fine-tunes picture quality through advanced ambient light detection and new reference lighting data from the content source to optimize the TV for the best
  viewing experience.
• Sports and Gaming Optimization, which introduces new enhancements, such as white point adjustments and motion control designed specifically to address the needs of live sports and gaming.
  

Building on Content Intelligence, Dolby Vision 2 introduces new tone-mapping that takes advantage of modern TV improvements. Today's TVs are brighter and more colorful than ever. With bi-directional tone mapping, creators now have new controls that let them make the most of these enhanced displays.

This allows high-performance TVs to deliver higher brightness, sharper contrast and deeply saturated colors while preserving the artist’s creative vision. Dolby Vision 2 expands the capabilities of Dolby Vision beyond HDR. This includes features like
Authentic Motion, a creative-driven motion control tool to make scenes feel more authentically cinematic without unwanted judder on a shot-by-shot basis.

Dolby Vision 2 will be available in two product tiers from TV manufacturers.

• Dolby Vision 2 Max, which delivers the best picture on the highest performing TVs, adding premium features designed to use the full capabilities of these displays.
• Dolby Vision 2, which brings improved picture quality to mainstream TVs,
  delivering the core capabilities made possible through the new Dolby
  Image Engine and Content Intelligence.

Hisense will be the first TV brand to introduce Dolby Vision 2 to its lineup. These TVs will be powered by MediaTek Pentonic 800 with “MiraVision Pro” PQ Engine, the first silicon chip to integrate Dolby Vision 2.

More information is available on the company’s website.

PHILADELPHIA and SUWANEE, Ga.—Hisense and Xumo, the streaming joint venture between Comcast and Charter Communications, have announced the launch of Hisense Channels, a new free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service featuring over 200 channels for Hisense Smart TVs.

For the offering, Hisense selected Xumo Enterprise, the business-to-business arm of Xumo, to power and monetize the initial set of channels in the new service.

The launch builds on the ongoing collaboration between Xumo and Hisense, which includes the development of Hisense Xumo TVs powered by Xumo’s operating system.

The two companies reported that Hisense Channels is beginning its rollout on August 14 on Hisense Google TVs, with more to come. When launched, the service will be easily discoverable right from the operating system’s homepage, offering viewers convenient access to content from Scripps, Radial Entertainment, Stingray, and other leading publishers.

“The launch of Hisense Channels underscores our shared commitment to delivering a seamless, high-quality entertainment experience that meets the evolving expectations of today’s TV audiences,” said Stefan Van Engen, vice president, content partnerships, acquisition, distribution and experience, Xumo. “Through strategic collaborations like this, Xumo is making it easier for consumers to find and enjoy all the premium FAST content that’s out there today, while also giving content owners and advertisers more ways to reach new audiences.”

“Hisense Channels represents a major step forward in our mission to deliver premium, accessible entertainment to every household in America,” said David Gold, president of Hisense USA. “By partnering with Xumo Enterprise, we’re not only expanding the content offerings on our smart TVs, but also reinforcing our commitment to innovation and value by unlocking a world of premium content that’s free, seamless, and built right into the TVs our customers already love.”

With the debut of Hisense Channels, Xumo's enterprise business now powers more than 2,000 FAST channels across 30+ entertainment platforms and streaming services worldwide.

In addition to Hisense, Xumo’s enterprise partnerships include other major OEMs, smart TV operating systems, pay-TV providers, and ad-supported streaming apps, powering FAST experiences that drive engagement and monetization across the connected TV landscape.

PHILADELPHIA—The Xumo streaming platform joint venture between Comcast and Charter Communications has announced that Target will offer Hisense Xumo TVs, a budget-friendly, 4K UHD smart TV.

Hisense Xumo TVs have launched in stores nationwide and on Target.com in 55-inch and 65-inch model, priced at $249.99 and $359.99, respectively.

“The growing fragmentation of content on streaming services can make content discovery difficult—the Xumo TV makes streaming easy,” Xumo Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing Stephanie Cassi said. “Extending our reach with Hisense, a top global TV manufacturer, and Target, a premier retail destination and one of the country’s most-trafficked e-commerce sites, is a major win.”

The Hisense Xumo TV offers a voice remote and an immersive viewing experience by supporting Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10 technology.

“Launching Hisense Xumo TVs in Target marks an exciting chapter for Hisense USA, as we bring advanced, wallet-friendly technology to more households across the nation,” Hisense USA Head of TV Product Marketing Craig Gunther said. “This collaboration between us, Xumo and Target not only expands our reach but also reaffirms our commitment to delivering exceptional value and an enhanced viewing experience for all consumers."

The Target launch is the latest milestone in a year of growth for Xumo TV, the joint venture reported. With the support of its original equipment manufacturer partners, Element, Hisense and Pioneer, Xumo TVs will be available in nearly 8,000 locations across the U.S., spanning nine national and local retailers including Best Buy, BJs, Meijer, Target and Walmart. Combined, the retailers that sell Xumo TVs represent nearly 75% of all smart TV sales in the U.S., the partners said.

China-based Hisense shipped a record 24.5 million TV sets in 2022, ranking it second only to Samsung among the world’s largest TV manufacturers, according to the latest data from leading market research institute Omdia. 

The record number of shipments represents a year-on-year growth of 16.1% and  marks an historical high in the company's 50+ year history. Hisense also leapt over LG and TCL in the 2022 rankings, which were numbers 2 & 3 respectively in 2021. 

One area where it leads the pack is in terms of Laser TVs—Hisense's 2022 global shipments share of 53.5% also placed the company in the No.1 ranking within the Laser TV category.

It is also one of four leading TV manufacturers to offer TV sets in the U.S. that support ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV).

LAS VEGAS—For the first time since 2020, I was back attending the CES in Las Vegas and once again on the lookout for all things related to NextGen TV. But while my mission was to investigate NextGen TV, I had no expectations of seeing banners and displays at any manufacturer’s booth touting ATSC 3.0.

I had a discussion with ATSC President Madeleine Noland at its booth, which was designed to act as the source of all things ATSC. Over the years, CES has greatly expanded its focus, showing all kinds of technologies and while there may be a theme to the overall show, it is unusual to have any single technology permeate the event—which is why having an ATSC presence at the show is vital. My experience has been that even if there is a hot technology at the show, that doesn’t guarantee it will be a hit or last…3DTV comes to mind.

On day one of the show, I, along with my colleagues Merrill Weiss, Karl Paulsen, set out to look at displays. This is kind of the habit that the three of us got into pre-pandemic and I was happy to pick it back up. While we all know that NextGen TV capabilities can and will extend beyond the traditional TV set, there is no doubt that the initial first impact will be through the television whether it is by true UHD or 1080p with HDR and immersive sound.

New Wireless Tech
Our first stop was LG where the big item was the 97-inch LG Signature OLED M Wireless TV. This 4K display was absolutely beautiful when it came to delivering picture quality but what set it apart was the separate AV interface box that wirelessly connected to the display eliminating all of the HDMI, RF, and audio/video cabling. The control head can be placed in a discrete location and only a power connection needs to be run to the display, certainly simplifying and enabling a very clean installation. Judging from all the accolades that this display received, I am not alone at being impressed.

LG wasn’t the only “wireless” television offering on the floor. Displace, a smaller manufacturer was showing a true wireless television that not only removed all the signal cables but also the power cable as well. The 55-inch display is powered by up to four large hot swappable batteries located at the corners of the display. The control head wasn’t on display but is essentially a computer that connects to the set using Wi-Fi 6e.

The display incorporated a camera and uses hand gestures for remote control as well as seamless transitioning from one Displace display to another as one travels around the home. According to the booth personnel that I spoke with, assuming one watched the TV for six hours a day, the batteries would last 30 days. The set will also work with only one battery.

Probably the standout display technology from my CES experience was Hisense. They had a wide array of mini-LED televisions that had amazing visual performance. Obviously, the content shown was designed to demonstrate the exceptional performance of the mini-LED’s as were all of the other manufacturers, but there was just something about their displays that made them noticeably more vibrant. I spent time in their living room showcase where, in addition to demonstrating Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision IQ, and Technicolor Advanced HDR, they were also showing NextGen TV reception of the local Sinclair station in Las Vegas.

New in NextGen TV
I have a personal and professional interest in wanting to know more about NextGen TV gateway devices and set-top boxes. The Des Moines market is getting ready to turn on ATSC 3.0 in March and Iowa PBS’s KDIN is one of the stations slated to participate. As with the DTV conversion, many viewers will want to have a way to receive NextGen TV and display it on their existing television and wireless devices. 

At home I have a pair of Silicon Dust HDHomeRun units (which support 3.0), feeding into my home network, but these devices do not have HDMI outputs for connecting directly to a set which I think is critical to widespread adoption. In the ATSC booth it was good to see several working set-top boxes as well as some true dongle devices, all selectable on a real display. While not all the units on display were shipping, there didn’t appear to be any science experiments in the case, just well thought-out products.

Immersive Audio
Two of the tangential demonstrations that I got to experience were demonstrations of both Atmos and MPEG-H immersive audio in vehicles. The first was the Dolby Atmos demonstration which was amazing. In many of the audio journals and magazines I have read about recording studios converting to Atmos and creating immersive mixes, but this was my first chance to experience the finished product. 

Sitting in a Mercedes EQS listening was a little overwhelming, so I didn’t think of my questions until much later. Towards the end of the day, I had a demonstration of immersive MPEG-H audio in an Audi at the Fraunhofer exhibit. Again, the demonstration was impressive, but I was a little more prepared to ask questions. 

Talking with the Fraunhofer engineer I was amazed to find out that an MPEG-H immersive audio feed like the one I had just experienced consumed about 300 kilobits of data capacity. While I know there are back-office data businesses that are under consideration for NextGen TV, perhaps among the services to be considered might be some immersive audio. Classical music has never drawn a huge audience, but it has drawn a small but loyal listenership that may not want to subscribe to a paid service, but they do send in thank you gifts. 

For me personally, I am hoping for an Atmos or MPEG-H remix of Dark Side of the Moon. "There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it's all dark."

WASHINGTON—Pearl TV, the coalition of U.S. broadcasters transitioning to NextGen TV, today announced new NextGen TV models from Hisense are now available on Amazon and Best Buy’s online retail website, starting at $799 MSRP. Hisense is the first Chinese manufacturer to offer the ATSC 3.0-enabled sets and join the more than 70 models available from Sony, Samsung and LG Electronics.

“Hisense has long been recognized as a high-tech, high-quality brand at an affordable price point. Its NextGen TV models underscore once again how it pushes the boundaries of innovation to deliver value to consumers,” stated Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV. “When the consumer looks for the logo, whether the consumer buys online or in-store, they can feel confident that the Hisense NextGen TV purchased today will keep up with future technology enhancements.” 

Announced at CES 2022, the ATSC 3.0 chipsets have been integrated into Hisense’s U7H and U8H series sets with a third series to follow later this year. Unfortunately for consumers who are looking for NextGen TV sets, a search on the specs on both Hisense’s website and Amazon and the Best Buy website do not include ATSC 3.0 reception as a feature. 

According to the Pearl TV press release, the U7H Series features include IMAX enhanced, Filmmaker Mode, Dolby Vision IQ, HDR 10/10+/adaptive, Quantum Dot, FreeSync Premium and the newly integrated NextGen TV ATSC 3.0 tuner. Premium audio enhancements such as Dolby Atmos, eARC and WiSA deliver immersive audio, and the 120Hz refresh rate not only brings smooth clarity but also fluid motion for fast-action gaming, sports and movies. The U7H series offers screen sizes spanning 55-85 inches and starts at $799.99 MSRP. Available now at retailers including Best Buy and Amazon. 

The U8H Series features a Mini LED upgrade paired with Hisense’s ULED technology and Quantum Dot, “delivering vibrant colors, impressive contrast, and its trademark bright picture for a fantastic HDR experience,” according to Hisense. With a 120Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness up to 1500 nits, and picture upgrades like IMAX enhanced, Filmmaker Mode, Dolby Vision, state-of-the-art picture quality with Dolby IQ, and HDR10+, the U8H delivers superior features. The U8H series offers 55 to 75-inch screen sizes and starts at $1099 MSRP. U8H is now available at retailers including Best Buy and Amazon. 

“Great performance and picture quality are at the foundation of all Hisense product offerings, and our U7H and U8H NextGen TV models are a testament to this commitment by putting even more premium options within people’s reach,” commented David Gold, President of Hisense USA. “As consumers continue to seek a top-notch viewing experience and excellent value package, we are proud to deliver this with NextGen TV.” 

Now broadcasting in more than 50 markets, NextGen TV now reaches half of the U.S. population, Pearl TV said. 

LAS VEGAS—TV brand Hisense took the opportunity of the CES 2020 stage to introduce its 2020 lineup of TV models that utilize a wide variety of technologies, from ULED to multiple content platforms to smart home capabilities.

A number of the TVs that Hisense introduced include its patented ULED technology meant to provide enhanced picture quality. One model featuring this is the H9G Quantum Dot series at its new batch of upgrades like the addition of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos image and sound technologies, as well as local dimming zones paired with Quantum Dot. The H9G has also added a built-in Google Assistant feature for voice control of the TV and other smart home devices. Similar features have been added to Hisense’s H8G Quantum series 75-inch model.

There was also the H65G series, a 4K UHD TV that features Dolby Vision, DTS Virtual: X, Motion Rate Technology and Bluetooth Audio, available in six different screen sizes.

A new model from Hisense that was on display is the L5 4K Ultra Short Throw Laser TV, which the company describes as a model to bring a cinema-like experience to any room. The L5 features a blue laser light source that can produce high-resolution and detailed images without light dispersion, says Hisense. Fast-moving images appear smooth and precise, and the model features embedded speakers with a dbx-tv audio experience.

Hisense also has a number of models that incorporate the Roku TV streaming platform. The R8F series is Hisense’s first 4K ULED Roku TV model and supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, as well as featuring Motion Rate processing technology. The R6E3 Series is a 4k UHD model TV that features more than 8 million pixels with DTS Studio Sound and can be controlled by Alexa or Google Assistant devices.

The company also has a TV model that is designed specifically for the cord cutters and streamers, the H4G series. The model is equipped with built-in Wi-Fi and offers 2K pictures. It also can be controlled by Alexa or Google Assistant devices.

Updates were also made to Hisense’s XD9G 4K ULED XD TV, which was first unveiled at CES 2019. It now features Quantum Dot technology, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

All of these TV models are on display at Hisense’s booth, 10039 in the Central Hall during CES 2020.

For more information, visit www.hisense-usa.com.