By: Dipin Sehdev
Just as Dolby Vision 2 is beginning its rollout on Hisense TVs, Samsung is firing back with the next generation of its competing HDR format.
Samsung and Amazon have announced that HDR10+ Advanced will begin streaming through Prime Video in August 2026, initially on compatible Samsung 2026 televisions. It is the biggest upgrade to HDR10+ since the format debuted nearly a decade ago, and the timing couldn't be more interesting.
We are effectively entering the second round of the HDR format war.
HDR10+ Advanced and Dolby Vision 2 are trying to solve many of the same problems: modern televisions are dramatically brighter and more sophisticated than the displays available when today's HDR standards were created. Both formats introduce more sophisticated tone mapping, content-aware processing, motion controls and better optimization for sports and gaming.
But there's also a problem.
Right now, actually watching either next-generation format is surprisingly complicated.
HDR10+ Advanced Comes to Prime Video
Prime Video will become the first streaming service to offer HDR10+ Advanced content globally beginning in August 2026. That partnership isn't surprising. Amazon was also the first major streaming service to embrace HDR10+ back in 2017. Samsung says HDR10+ has since grown to include 183 adopter companies and more than 22,000 certified products.
HDR10+ Advanced is designed specifically to take advantage of today's much brighter premium displays, including Samsung's newest OLED, Mini LED and Micro RGB televisions. Samsung says its 2026 TV lineup supports the format. The biggest addition is Enhanced Overall Brightness, which uses expanded metadata and more sophisticated tone mapping to take better advantage of the increased brightness available from modern displays.
That's important because many HDR movies are still mastered around a 1,000-nit target even though today's best televisions can push significantly beyond that.
HDR10+ Advanced also introduces more granular local tone mapping and Advanced Color Control, allowing compatible televisions to make more precise adjustments to brightness and color.
Motion Is Becoming Part of HDR
Perhaps the most interesting change is Intelligent Motion Smoothing. Traditionally, HDR standards have focused primarily on brightness, contrast and color. HDR10+ Advanced expands the equation to motion. Scene-by-scene metadata can tell compatible displays how motion processing should behave. Movies can retain their cinematic presentation while sports and action programming can receive smoother motion.
If that sounds familiar, it should. Dolby Vision 2 Max introduces Authentic Motion, which similarly allows content creators to influence motion processing instead of leaving everything to whatever motion settings happen to be enabled on your television. I think this is potentially one of the most significant developments in either format. Movies don't need to look like sports, and sports shouldn't necessarily be processed like movies.
HDR10+ Advanced vs. Dolby Vision 2
The similarities between these competing formats are striking. Dolby Vision 2 introduces Content Intelligence, a new image engine, an Intensity Slider and content-aware optimization. Dolby Vision 2 Max adds Authentic Motion, Light Sense 2 and additional enthusiast controls. HDR10+ Advanced counters with six major areas of improvement: Enhanced Overall Brightness, genre-based optimization, Intelligent Motion Smoothing, Intelligent Gaming, detailed local tone mapping and Advanced Color Control. For sports in particular, both approaches could be much more important than simply increasing peak brightness.
The HDR Format Family Compared
| HDR Format | Metadata | Max Theoretical Brightness | Color Depth | Ambient Light Optimization | Creator/Content Motion Control | Advanced Tone Mapping | Gaming Focus | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDR10 | Static | 10,000 nits | 10-bit | No | No | Basic/display dependent | Basic HDR | Universal baseline |
| HDR10+ | Dynamic | 10,000 nits | 10-bit | Limited/implementation dependent | No | Yes | HDR10+ Gaming available separately | Widely supported outside Dolby-only ecosystems |
| HDR10+ Adaptive | Dynamic | 10,000 nits | 10-bit | Yes | No | Yes | Limited | HDR10+ optimized for room lighting |
| HDR10+ Advanced | Enhanced dynamic | 10,000 nits | 10-bit | Yes | Intelligent Motion Smoothing | Advanced | Intelligent Gaming | New for 2026 |
| Dolby Vision | Dynamic | Up to 10,000 nits | Up to 12-bit pipeline | No | No | Yes | Dolby Vision Gaming | Widely supported premium HDR |
| Dolby Vision IQ | Dynamic | Up to 10,000 nits | Up to 12-bit pipeline | Yes | No | Yes | Device dependent | Dolby Vision + ambient-light optimization |
| Dolby Vision 2 | Advanced dynamic | Up to 10,000 nits | Dolby Vision pipeline | Content Intelligence | Limited by tier/content | New image engine | Yes | New for 2026 |
| Dolby Vision 2 Max | Advanced dynamic | Up to 10,000 nits | Dolby Vision pipeline | Light Sense 2 | Authentic Motion | Advanced + Pro controls | Yes | Premium DV2 tier |
| HLG | Scene-referred / no traditional static metadata | Display dependent | 10-bit | No | No | Display dependent | No | Primarily broadcast/live TV |
| Advanced HDR by Technicolor | Multiple HDR workflows | Implementation dependent | Format dependent | Implementation dependent | No | Yes | No | Limited consumer adoption |
There are other specialized HDR technologies and profiles, but for consumers buying a television in 2026, HDR10, HLG, HDR10+, HDR10+ Advanced, Dolby Vision and Dolby Vision 2 are the standards that matter most.
HDR10+ Advanced vs. Dolby Vision 2: Which Is Better?
On paper, neither has clearly won. HDR10+ Advanced has an important philosophical advantage: HDR10+ is an open, royalty-free HDR ecosystem, whereas Dolby Vision is a licensed Dolby technology. Dolby, however, has an enormous content and hardware ecosystem behind Dolby Vision. The real battle isn't going to be decided by a specification sheet. It's going to be decided by TV manufacturers, streaming services and playback devices.
Samsung remains firmly committed to HDR10+ and still does not support Dolby Vision. Hisense is first with Dolby Vision 2, while TCL and Philips have also been linked with next-generation Dolby Vision support. The best situation for consumers would be TVs supporting everything.
Unfortunately, we're not there yet.
How Can You Actually Watch HDR10+ Advanced?
Here's where things get frustrating. At launch, the confirmed way to watch HDR10+ Advanced is:
Prime Video → compatible 2026 Samsung TV → built-in Prime Video app.
Samsung and Amazon haven't yet announced exactly which Prime Video movies and shows will receive HDR10+ Advanced, although supported content is expected to begin appearing during August. Current reporting confirms the initial experience is restricted to select 2026 Samsung televisions and Prime Video. That means buying a compatible television doesn't necessarily mean your existing streaming box can deliver HDR10+ Advanced.
What About Apple TV 4K?
The third-generation Apple TV 4K already supports HDR10+, so the hardware has an established relationship with the HDR10+ ecosystem. But HDR10+ support does not automatically equal HDR10+ Advanced support. As of August 2026, Apple has not announced HDR10+ Advanced support for Apple TV 4K. So don't assume that plugging an existing Apple TV 4K into a 2026 Samsung TV will deliver HDR10+ Advanced. For now, use the TV's internal Prime Video app if you specifically want the new format.
What About Amazon Fire TV?
This one is particularly interesting because Amazon is Prime Video's parent company. Current Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max hardware supports HDR10+, alongside HDR10 and Dolby Vision on compatible models. Amazon's published specifications confirm that support.
Again, however, Amazon has not confirmed HDR10+ Advanced output from existing Fire TV devices. Considering Prime Video is the launch partner, I would be surprised if HDR10+ Advanced doesn't eventually make its way to Fire TV. Whether existing hardware can be upgraded or Amazon introduces support through future Fire TV hardware remains an unanswered question.
What About Roku and Google TV Devices?
Numerous existing external streaming products are certified for standard HDR10+, including Roku Ultra, Roku Streaming Stick 4K models, Chromecast with Google TV and various set-top boxes.
None of that certification should be confused with HDR10+ Advanced certification.
At the time of writing, no mainstream external streaming player has been officially announced as an HDR10+ Advanced playback solution.
| Streaming Device | HDR10+ | HDR10+ Advanced Confirmed? | Dolby Vision | Dolby Vision 2 Confirmed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung 2026 TV internal apps | Yes | Yes, Prime Video | No | No |
| Hisense 2026 compatible internal apps | Model dependent | Not currently announced | Yes | Yes |
| Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen) | Yes | No announcement | Yes | No announcement |
| Fire TV Stick 4K | Yes | No announcement | Yes | No announcement |
| Fire TV Stick 4K Max | Yes | No announcement | Yes | No announcement |
| Roku Ultra | Yes on supported models | No announcement | Yes on supported models | No announcement |
| Chromecast/Google TV devices | Device dependent | No announcement | Device dependent | No announcement |
| Nvidia Shield TV | HDR10 | No | Dolby Vision on 2019 models | No announcement |
This situation will almost certainly change, but there are no confirmed dates I can responsibly give for Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku or other mainstream external boxes to gain HDR10+ Advanced or Dolby Vision 2 output.
Dolby Vision 2 Has the Same External-Device Problem
Dolby Vision 2 isn't immune from this problem. Dolby itself currently says viewers need a compatible television and supported content to experience Dolby Vision 2.
The initial rollout is happening on select 2026 Hisense UX, UR9, UR8 and U7 televisions. The necessary processing hardware is another reason Dolby Vision 2 isn't simply appearing on every existing Dolby Vision television. Current reporting identifies MediaTek's Pentonic 800 platform as supporting the new technology, with additional chipset support expected later. Peacock, CANAL+ and iQIYI have committed to Dolby Vision 2 content, but the amount of material actually authored to take advantage of all of DV2's new capabilities remains limited.
And, just like HDR10+ Advanced, no current Apple TV, Fire TV or Roku announcement guarantees Dolby Vision 2 output from those external players. That creates an unusual situation for home theater enthusiasts. For years, many of us have preferred external streaming devices because they tend to offer better interfaces, longer support and a consistent experience across different televisions.
For the first phase of next-generation HDR, the built-in TV apps may actually be the safest way to guarantee you're getting the intended format.
Here We Go Again: Another HDR Format War
There is plenty to like about both technologies. HDR10+ Advanced appears particularly ambitious with its local tone mapping, genre optimization, advanced color controls, gaming enhancements and Intelligent Motion Smoothing. Dolby Vision 2 counters with Content Intelligence, Light Sense 2, Authentic Motion and Dolby's enormous existing entertainment ecosystem. But consumers shouldn't need a spreadsheet to figure out whether their TV, streamer and movie all speak the same HDR language.
The good news is that competition between Dolby and HDR10+ is pushing HDR forward again.
The bad news?
We may be heading right back into another format war and this time the battleground isn't just the television. It's the TV, the streaming service, the content, the chipset and the box plugged into your HDMI port.
