What Is Dolby Vision? Dolby Vision vs HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG Explained
What Is Dolby Vision? The Short Answer
What is Dolby Vision? It's Dolby's licensed HDR video format: an HDR picture plus dynamic metadata, shot-by-shot instructions that tell each screen how to fit the image to its own brightness and color limits. It supports up to 12-bit color and is used by Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, UHD Blu-ray, and every iPhone since the iPhone 12.
New to HDR in general (nits, Rec. 2020, PQ vs HLG)? Start with our HDR vs SDR guide. This article goes deeper on Dolby Vision itself and on what happens to it in a creator's workflow.
How Dolby Vision Works: Dynamic Metadata
Every HDR format has to solve tone mapping. A film mastered at 4,000 nits has highlights your 700-nit TV physically can't show, so the TV must compress the brightest parts without crushing the rest.
HDR10 gives the TV one set of numbers for the whole film: the mastering display's range (SMPTE ST 2086), the brightest pixel (MaxCLL), and the brightest average frame (MaxFALL). The TV picks one curve and uses it from start to finish, so a dark cave scene and a sunlit beach get the same treatment.
Dolby Vision sends metadata that changes per shot (and can change per frame), carried in what Dolby calls the RPU (Reference Processing Unit) and organized into levels:
- Level 1: an automatic analysis of each shot's minimum, average, and maximum brightness.
- Level 2 and Level 8: "trims" a colorist sets by hand to say how a shot should look on a less capable target display, for example a 100-nit or 600-nit screen.
- Level 6: the HDR10-style static values (MaxCLL, MaxFALL), kept for fallback.
A Dolby Vision screen applies a curve built for that shot on that display. The advantage shows most on midrange TVs and phones, where the gap between the master and the screen is largest.
You'll also see Dolby Vision IQ (adjusts the mapping to room brightness using the TV's light sensor) and Dolby Vision 2, a next-generation TV version Dolby announced in September 2025, which plays existing Dolby Vision content.
12-bit, 10,000 nits, and licensing
Dolby Vision uses the PQ transfer function (SMPTE ST 2084), defined up to 10,000 nits, and allows up to 12-bit color versus 10-bit for HDR10. In practice no consumer TV comes close to 10,000 nits, and nearly all Dolby Vision you'll watch (streaming and iPhone video) is a 10-bit stream; 12-bit mostly applies to mastering and dual-layer UHD Blu-ray.
Dolby Vision is also proprietary: TV makers, chip makers, and streaming services pay Dolby to use it. HDR10 and HLG are open, and HDR10+ is royalty-free (licensees pay an administration fee). That cost is the main reason not every TV supports Dolby Vision.
Dolby Vision Profiles: 5, 7, 8.1, 8.4 and Others
Dolby Vision isn't a single file layout. It comes in numbered profiles that describe the codec, the number of layers, and what a non-Dolby Vision device sees instead. The ones that matter in practice:
| Profile | Codec | Layers | Fallback on a non-Dolby Vision device | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | HEVC, 10-bit | Single | None usable (wrong colors, often green/purple) | Streaming services, which send it only to Dolby Vision devices |
| 7 | HEVC | Dual (base + enhancement layer) | HDR10 | UHD Blu-ray discs |
| 8.1 | HEVC, 10-bit | Single + metadata | HDR10 | Streaming, some downloads and encodes |
| 8.2 | HEVC, 10-bit | Single + metadata | SDR | Less common |
| 8.4 | HEVC, 10-bit | Single + metadata | HLG | iPhone recording, broadcast |
| 9 | AVC (H.264), 8-bit | Single + metadata | SDR | Rare |
| 10 | AV1, 10-bit | Single + metadata | Depends on the variant | Newer AV1 streaming |
The number after the dot is the base-layer compatibility ID: what the video is underneath the Dolby Vision metadata. For creators it's the key detail. A Profile 8.4 iPhone clip is a normal HLG HDR video with Dolby Vision instructions attached, so any app that understands HLG can play it.
Profile 5 is the opposite: its picture uses a Dolby-specific color encoding that plays with badly wrong colors without Dolby Vision processing, so services send it only to devices that report Dolby Vision support.
Dolby Vision vs HDR10 vs HDR10+ vs HLG
| Dolby Vision | HDR10 | HDR10+ | HLG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Created by | Dolby | CTA / industry standard | Samsung and partners | BBC and NHK |
| Licensing | Paid license | Free | Royalty-free (admin fee) | Free |
| Transfer function | PQ (Profile 8.4 uses HLG base) | PQ | PQ | HLG |
| Bit depth | Up to 12-bit | 10-bit | 10-bit | 10-bit |
| Metadata | Dynamic (per shot or frame) | Static (whole video) | Dynamic (per scene) | None |
| Colorist trims | Yes, per target display | No | Limited | No |
| SDR compatibility | Only via SDR-base profiles | No | No | Partial (looks reasonable on many SDR screens) |
| TV support | Most brands except Samsung | Every HDR TV | Samsung, Panasonic, Philips, TCL, Hisense and others | Most HDR TVs |
| Streaming | Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Max, Prime Video | All HDR services | Prime Video and some others | Broadcast, YouTube |
| Phones that record it | iPhone 12 and later | Rarely used for recording | Samsung Galaxy and some others | Many Android phones, iPhone (as base layer) |
Dolby Vision vs HDR10
Dolby Vision vs HDR10 comes down to metadata. Both use PQ and Rec. 2020 color; HDR10 gives the screen one instruction for the whole video, while Dolby Vision gives it a new one for every shot, plus colorist-approved trims for dimmer screens.
It matters most on midrange and budget TVs (500 to 800 nits) that have to tone map heavily, and on content that swings between dark and bright scenes. It matters least on high-end TVs that reach 1,500+ nits and have good tone mapping of their own. And a good HDR10 grade always beats a bad Dolby Vision one.
Every Dolby Vision TV also plays HDR10, and services that stream Dolby Vision send HDR10 to other devices. A TV without Dolby Vision doesn't lock you out of HDR; you get the static-metadata version.
Dolby Vision vs HDR10+
HDR10+ also has dynamic metadata, but it's royalty-free and lighter on features (no per-display colorist trims). Its biggest backers are Samsung, which doesn't support Dolby Vision at all, and Prime Video. Many Panasonic, Philips, TCL, and Hisense TVs support both.
Dolby Vision vs HDR (in general)
"HDR" is the category, not a format, so Dolby Vision vs HDR is like comparing HEVC to "video compression." When a TV or streaming listing just says "HDR," it usually means HDR10, the baseline every HDR device supports.
Where You'll See Dolby Vision
- Streaming: Netflix (HDR needs its Premium plan), Disney+, Apple TV+, Max, and Prime Video. The app picks Dolby Vision or HDR10 based on what your device reports.
- TVs: LG, Sony, Panasonic, Philips, TCL, Hisense, and Vizio sell Dolby Vision models; Samsung doesn't.
- Players and consoles: Apple TV 4K, many Roku, Fire TV, and Google TV devices (check the exact model), and Xbox Series X|S for games. PlayStation 5 doesn't support it.
- Discs: many UHD Blu-ray titles carry Profile 7 dual-layer Dolby Vision.
- Apple devices: iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV play it, tone mapping it down on screens that aren't HDR-capable.
What Is Dolby Vision on iPhone?
Since the iPhone 12, the Camera app records video as Dolby Vision HDR by default. The setting is Settings > Camera > Record Video > HDR Video. Each clip is:
- HEVC (H.265), 10-bit, in a
.movfile (HEVC codec explained covers the codec). - HLG transfer and Rec. 2020 color as the base layer.
- Dolby Vision Profile 8.4 metadata generated on the fly by the iPhone.
In other words, the iPhone shoots HLG HDR and adds Dolby Vision metadata to it. Apple screens use the metadata; everything else falls back to the HLG base.
How to check whether a clip is Dolby Vision
On iPhone, the Photos app shows an HDR badge on HDR clips. For the technical details, use FFmpeg's ffprobe:
ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 \
-show_entries stream=codec_name,profile,pix_fmt,color_primaries,color_transfer:stream_side_data \
-of default=noprint_wrappers=1 clip.mov
On an untouched iPhone clip, look for a side data entry named DOVI configuration record with dv_profile=8 and dv_bl_signal_compatibility_id=4: that's Profile 8.4. You'll also see color_transfer=arib-std-b67 (HLG) and color_primaries=bt2020. If the DOVI record is gone but those two color tags remain, the file is plain HLG HDR. If the color tags say bt709 or are missing, it's SDR. The free MediaInfo app shows the same information under "HDR format."
What Happens When You Edit, Compress, or Upload Dolby Vision Clips
Dolby Vision metadata is fragile. Each step after the camera either keeps it, drops it to the HLG base, or removes HDR entirely.
Editing
- Photos, iMovie, Clips, and Final Cut Pro understand iPhone HDR (Apple recommends a Rec. 2020 HLG project in Final Cut Pro). Apple's frameworks can generate fresh Dolby Vision metadata on export, so edits in Apple's apps can stay Dolby Vision.
- DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro handle HDR, but Dolby Vision export depends on version and setup (Resolve's Dolby Vision tools are in the paid Studio edition). A basic HDR timeline usually exports HDR10 or HLG.
- Older or simpler editors treat the clip as SDR and the colors look wrong; the HDR vs SDR guide covers that fix.
Compressing and converting
Any re-encode creates a brand-new video stream. Most encoders, apps, and online converters don't regenerate the RPU, so the Dolby Vision layer disappears. What's left depends on the settings:
| What you do | Result |
|---|---|
| Remux only (change container, no re-encode) | Dolby Vision can survive, if the tool writes the Dolby Vision config box |
| Re-encode to 10-bit HEVC with color tags kept | Plain HLG HDR: still HDR, no Dolby Vision |
| Re-encode to 8-bit H.264 with HLG tags left on | Technically "HDR" but prone to banding; a poor result |
| Re-encode with tone mapping to SDR | Standard SDR video that looks right everywhere |
For a Profile 8.4 iPhone clip, losing the Dolby Vision layer is a much smaller loss than it sounds, because the HLG base layer is the actual picture. On most screens other than Apple's, the metadata wasn't being used anyway.
If you use FFmpeg, these are the two practical routes (we tested both on a 10-bit HLG sample with FFmpeg 9; check the output with the ffprobe command above):
# Change container only, no quality loss; keeps the Dolby Vision data if your build writes it
ffmpeg -i clip.mov -c copy -strict unofficial clip.mp4
# Re-encode to a smaller 10-bit HEVC file with Apple's hardware encoder (result: HLG HDR)
ffmpeg -i clip.mov -c:v hevc_videotoolbox -profile:v main10 -b:v 8M \
-pix_fmt p010le -tag:v hvc1 -c:a copy clip-small.mp4
The second command keeps the source's HLG and Rec. 2020 tags, so the result stays HDR; what is video bitrate helps you pick the bitrate. Recent FFmpeg builds also have a -dolbyvision option on the libx265 encoder that can carry the metadata through a re-encode, and dovi_tool can extract and re-inject the RPU. Results depend on your build and source, so verify the output. More on the encoding side: compressing video with FFmpeg.
Avoid converting HDR to 8-bit H.264 just for compatibility. If the destination needs H.264, tone map to SDR first; convert HEVC to H.264 and HEVC vs H.264 explain when that's really needed.
Uploading
- Vimeo accepts Dolby Vision (Profile 8.4, the iPhone's) as well as HDR10 and HLG.
- YouTube documents HDR support for PQ and HLG, not Dolby Vision. In practice it processes iPhone uploads as HLG HDR and makes an SDR version for other viewers; the HDR version can take longer to appear. See best video format for YouTube.
- Instagram on iOS keeps HDR from iPhone uploads (compressing videos for Instagram covers size).
- Messaging apps, email, and client portals often recompress or ignore HDR. If you're unsure, send SDR.
The HDR vs SDR guide has the full platform table.
Should You Keep Dolby Vision On?
- Keep it on if you edit in Apple's apps, watch on Apple devices or an HDR TV, or upload to YouTube, Vimeo, or Instagram. The HLG base keeps files usable elsewhere.
- Turn it off if your footage goes into an SDR-only edit, onto Windows PCs without HDR, or to clients on normal monitors.
- Grading seriously? iPhone Pro models can record ProRes, including HDR and Log on newer models, at a far larger size; see what is ProRes.
Either way, keep the originals. Once Dolby Vision metadata is stripped or HDR is converted to SDR, you can't get it back from the smaller copy.
Where Compresto Fits
A few minutes of 4K Dolby Vision footage easily passes a gigabyte, and size is usually the real problem. Compresto is a native Mac app that compresses video locally (nothing is uploaded) in batches, with hardware-accelerated H.264 or HEVC encoding, and it can target an exact output size when a platform or chat app has a limit.
Compressing is a re-encode, so, as with almost any converter, don't expect the Dolby Vision metadata layer to survive. Use Compresto when you need a smaller file to share, send, or upload somewhere that recompresses anyway, and check the result on the screen that matters. When the Dolby Vision layer must be kept (a Vimeo Dolby Vision upload, an archive master), keep the original, edit in Apple's apps, or use the remux command above. For phone-only workflows, see how to compress video on iPhone and our iPhone video compressor guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dolby Vision?
Dolby Vision is Dolby's licensed HDR video format. It adds dynamic metadata to an HDR picture, describing brightness and color shot by shot so each screen can adapt the image to what it can show. It supports up to 12-bit color and is used by major streaming services, UHD Blu-ray, and iPhone video recording.
Is Dolby Vision better than HDR10?
On paper, yes, because its metadata changes per shot while HDR10's is fixed for the whole video. The difference is most visible on midrange TVs that can't reach the brightness the content was mastered for. On high-end TVs the two often look very close, and the quality of the master matters more.
What is the difference between Dolby Vision and HDR?
HDR is the general category: video with a wider brightness range and color gamut than standard dynamic range. Dolby Vision is one specific HDR format, alongside HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. Every Dolby Vision video is HDR, but not every HDR video is Dolby Vision.
Should I turn off Dolby Vision HDR on my iPhone?
Keep it on if you mostly watch on Apple devices or upload to YouTube, Vimeo, or Instagram. Turn it off in Settings > Camera > Record Video > HDR Video if your footage goes to SDR-only editors, older Windows PCs, or clients on normal monitors. You can't add HDR back to SDR footage later.
Does compressing a Dolby Vision video remove Dolby Vision?
Usually, yes. Re-encoding creates a new video stream, and most encoders don't regenerate the Dolby Vision metadata. An iPhone clip becomes plain HLG HDR if the encoder keeps 10-bit and the color tags, or SDR if it converts. Remuxing without re-encoding, Apple's own apps, and specialist tools can keep it.
Do Samsung TVs support Dolby Vision?
No. Samsung TVs support HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG but not Dolby Vision, so streaming apps send them the HDR10 version of a title. LG, Sony, Panasonic, Philips, TCL, Hisense, and Vizio sell Dolby Vision models, and several brands support both Dolby Vision and HDR10+.