For reasons often speculated about but never formally confirmed by the studio itself, Disney has released the vast majority of its films on 4K Blu-ray disc mastered in only the ‘basic’ HDR10 high dynamic range format, rather than the popular premium Dolby Vision format. This is about to change, though, with Disney confirming to me that starting with “Deadpool & Wolverine” and followed shortly after by “Alien: Romulus”, Dolby Vision can be expected to turn up on most if not all of its future 4K Blu-ray releases.
This really is big news for home cinema fans. Dolby Vision adds extra scene by scene image data to HDR video streams, typically helping compatible displays deliver more dynamic, balanced and more accurate HDR pictures than they can achieve by applying their own ‘tone mapping’ systems to relatively basic HDR10 feeds. So Disney not including Dolby Vision masters on any of its 4K Blu-ray releases—aside from titles overseen by James Cameron—since 2018’s “The Last Jedi” has long been a source of frustration to AV fans who, not unreasonably, want the premium home entertainment format to deliver the very best AV experience.
Adding to the frustration about Disney not including Dolby Vision on the vast majority of its 4K Blu-ray releases for the past six years is the way the studio has typically provided Dolby Vision with its streaming masters. Including those provided on its own Disney+ streaming service.
In fact, I have to admit I initially missed the fact that “Deadpool & Wolverine” was going to carry a Dolby Vision master on its 4K Blu-ray release, as the way Disney’s information was worded in its press materials left me assuming based on past experience that the mention of Dolby Vision only referred to its streamed releases of the film, not the physical media options. Obviously I have updated my story on the “Deadpool & Wolverine” 4K Blu-ray release now that Disney has confirmed the Dolby Vision situation.
Disney didn’t confirm to me the exact reason for its Dolby Vision change of heart when it comes to forthcoming 4K Blu-ray discs. It may simply be the brand responding at last to years of customer demand, but I suspect it more likely has something to do with the deal Disney struck with Sony back in February where the latter will take over production of Disney’s physical media releases.
Most of the major TV brands and many 4K Blu-ray players support Dolby Vision these days, so the number of consumers out there able to take advantage of the premium DV masters Disney 4K Blu-ray releases will now typically carry is substantial.
In fact, Disney’s shift to including Dolby Vision on 4K Blu-ray puts Samsung’s ongoing refusal to include Dolby Vision on any of its TVs under an even harsher spotlight. Samsung would always say it believes its own TV tone mapping solutions are good enough to make Dolby Vision unnecessary, but many AV fans like the idea that any TV they buy will be capable of taking in the best quality version available of any source they play into it.
It might be nice if Disney also started using 100GB (rather than 66GB) discs more routinely for its 4K Blu-ray releases now that they’re going to include Dolby Vision masters, but for the most part I’m pretty content to just take this new development for the win that it is.
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