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LG OLED TVs are getting a Dolby Vision Filmmaker mode – here’s why it’s so important

LG OLED TVs are getting a Dolby Vision Filmmaker mode – here’s why it’s so important

When TechRadar attended a presentation of LG’s then-new LG G3 OLED TV in early 2023, one item of interest that emerged from the meeting was that a Dolby Vision Filmmaker mode was in the works and could possibly be rolled out to new TVs as soon as like 2024.

At CES 2024, that reality came true: LG revealed that the company’s new OLED TVs arriving in 2024 will be the first to feature a Dolby Vision Filmmaker mode, which was recently finalized by the UHD Alliance, an industry group with members. from the Hollywood production and consumer electronics communities.

If you’re not familiar with the original Filmmaker Mode, it’s a standardized picture preset for televisions that was developed by the UHD Alliance in response to filmmakers unhappy with the way their movies looked on most televisions, with inaccurate colors. and a “softening” of aggressive movement. being two of the main conflicting points. Martin Scorcese, Denis Villenueve and Tom Cruise are big proponents of Filmmaker mode, which can be found on top TVs from brands like LG, Samsung, Panasonic, Philips, Hisense and Vizio.

When active, what Filmmaker Mode does on a TV is reduce brightness levels to reduce the loss of highlight detail in images, as well as set it to a preset “warm” color temperature that allows colors to reflect more accurately what was originally presented on the TV. cinema. It also turns off motion smoothing and reduces image enhancement effects used to artificially improve the appearance of images.

Movies and shows with Dolby Vision HDR can be viewed in Filmmaker mode on the LG G4 and other new LG OLED TVs (Image credit: future)

Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode: a Filmmaker mode for an HDR world

Although Filmmaker Mode has helped raise awareness of TV picture quality among home theater enthusiasts, it has one rather serious limitation: it cannot be used to watch Dolby Vision HDR movies. When the TV detects a movie or TV show with Dolby Vision HDR, Filmmaker mode will switch to a Dolby Vision picture mode with Dark or Normal presets (or an IQ preset that automatically adjusts based on the lighting conditions of your room).

The main problem with a TV that makes that switch is that the Dolby Vision Normal and IQ presets usually turn on motion smoothing, the main reason Filmmaker Mode was developed in the first place. Viewers can go into their TV’s picture settings and look for an option to turn off motion smoothing, but Filmmaker Mode was also intended to simplify the process of getting good, director-approved images on a TV.

With the arrival of Dolby Vision Filmmaker mode to LG’s 2024 OLED TV lineup announced at CES, a viewer now streaming a movie in Dolby Vision from top streaming services like Netflix, Max, and Disney Plus that support Dolby Vision HDR should be able to see it. without having to visit your TV’s picture menu to turn off any motion processing. The system will presumably be plug-and-play, and the benefits of Filmmaker mode will carry over from regular HD movies and TV shows to one with Dolby Vision HDR.

We look forward to testing the Dolby Vision Filmmaker mode on LG’s 2024 OLED TVs when they arrive and will report back on how well the new picture mode works at that time.

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