Vizio’s Reference TVs were announced in January 2014, but are still not shipping. Vizio has now announced that the Reference TVs will be the first with Dolby Vision – there is still no shipping date.

First TV with Dolby Vision
Dolby Vision is a combination of several factors; it is sold as the next step after Ultra HD. By combining 4K resolution with higher brightness for HDR (high dynamic range) and better colors through a wider color gamut, Dolby Vision promises dramatically better pictures.

- “We are delighted to see the VIZIO Reference Series as the first TV with Dolby Vision, a dramatically different visual experience that engages your senses,” said Giles Baker, Senior Vice President, Broadcast Business Group, Dolby Laboratories.

 
Dolby and Vizio have announced that the 65-inch and 120-inch Vizio Reference TVs will be the first to ship with Dolby Vision. Despite the promise, Vizio has yet to provide a launch date 15 months after first announcing the TVs. The website currently lists the TVs as “coming soon” and all references to prices have been removed.

The Reference TVs use a full-array local dimming system with 384 zones to reach a peak brightness of 800 nits. Traditional TVs usually have peak brightness levels of 300-400 nits and Dolby has previously said that it aims at 4000 nits or more, but it seems that ambitions have been scaled back a bit. Vizio also says that the TVs can reproduce a wider color gamut, but does not specify what that means exactly. Another feature is the ability to receive and reproduce 120fps content.

- “By combining 4K resolution, high dynamic range, and a wider color gamut in our 4K Ultra HD Dolby Vision titles, we are able to offer a truly impactful home entertainment experience and bring audiences closer to the filmmaker’s vision,” said Jim Wuthrich, President, Americas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

HDR content will initially be available from VUDU. The first titles to be released in Dolby Vision are Edge of Tomorrow, Into the Storm, The Lego Movie, Man of Steel, Sherlock Holmes, and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The new UHD Blu-ray format is also expected to support Dolby Vision.

Vizio’s Reference series will include a 5.1 surround system in the 65-inch option. The 120-inch version has no surround speakers built-in.