AliceLG has had quite the week at CES thus far, so far unveiling the first ever (and ultra thin) Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision TV, Nano Cell LCD HDR TVs, a Dolby Atmos soundbar, a speaker-less TV and an Alexa-enabled AI robot for the home; however the manufacturer wasn’t finished. Enter the UP970, an ultra HD Blu-ray player that is LG’s first 4K Blu-ray player to support Dolby Vision HDR imaging.
It is worth noting, however, that Dolby Vision capability for the UP970 will be available through a software update later this year.
Aiming to deliver a ‘more immersive and vivid viewing experience than ever before,’ the new offering leverages HDR technology (it’s that functionality and smarts that sets Dolby Vision apart from its standard HDR 10 counterpart), delivering greater brightness and contrast, as well as a fuller palette of rich colours. The UP970 offers enhanced dual format HDR compatibility with support for the generic HDR format (HDR10).
Dolby promises that soon consumers globally will have access to Dolby Vision titles on Ultra HD Blu-ray disc, with anticipated availability in early 2017
At present, only a few leading streaming services feature Dolby Vision content. Saying that, there are more than 80 studio titles available. Additionally, more than 100 hours of original content is available in Dolby Vision across leading OTT providers and Dolby promises that soon consumers globally will have access to Dolby Vision titles on Ultra HD Blu-ray disc, with anticipated availability in early 2017.
With this announcement, Warner Bros., Universal and Lionsgate are said to have pledged to be part of the Dolby Vision 4K Blu-ray movement, although no titles have been revealed. (So far users have only been able to access Dolby Vision content using Netflix and Vudu).
Other key features include support for 10-bit colour and Rec. ITU-R BT.2020 colour gamut, as well as playback of high-efficiency video coding (HEVC). It’s also compatible with a variety of leading sound formats, including Dolby True HD, Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio.
The UP970 has two HDMI ports, an HDMI 2.0a port for Ultra HD video output and an HDMI 1.4 for audio output that can connect with hi-fi devices, such as AVRs and sound bars. Using its Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections, users can stream online content via Netflix and YouTube, while the USB port allows for playback of movies, pictures and music.
What Is Dolby Vision?
What Is HDR And Why Is It Such A Big Deal?