Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Comcast will be the only way to watch the World Cup in Dolby Vision

By

When the FIFA World Cup 2022 kicks off on November 20, you can watch the tournament in 4K and HDR, depending on your cable package or streaming service. But if you’re a Comcast Xfinity subscriber, you’ll be able to watch all the soccer action in 4K with Dolby Vision HDR.

Dolby Labs says it’s the first time the global event will be available in the company’s dynamic HDR format. To experience the broadcast in Dolby Vision, you’ll need a Dolby Vision-capable TV, a Comcast Xfinity subscription, and the company’s Xi6 cable box.

A TV showing the Comcast Xfinity interface for World Cup 2022 coverage.
Dolby Labs / Comcast

The individual games will still be broadcast by their respective rights holders (Fox, Telemundo). But instead of presenting those feeds directly to its subscribers, Comcast will be applying the Dolby Vision format on a frame-by-frame basis, before sending that newly encoded video to Xfinity viewers.

Related

“By sending the feed in Dolby Vision,” Digital Trends was told by a Dolby Labs spokesperson via email, “Comcast can uniquely ensure all viewers will get to enjoy the highest HDR quality that their Dolby Vision enabled device is capable of delivering. This is because Dolby Vision can understand the full dynamic range and contrast ratio of the TV to deliver maximum performance.”

If your TV isn’t Dolby Vision-capable (currently, no Samsung TVs support the format), you’ll still be able to see the games in HDR, but they will be presented in HDR10, which is not a dynamic version of HDR. In other words, it will still look pretty great, but the colors, contrast, and brightness may not be as accurate a reflection of the real-life event.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…
FIFA+ arrives just in time for the World Cup
FIFA Plus streaming app on an iPhone.

The world governing body for the biggest sport in the world now has its own free streaming service. Fifa+ will stream "live domestic league games from around the globe," as well as match stats, a huge archive of international football, new original content, and more.

The announcement comes amid preparations for World Cup 2022 in Qatar, which starts in late November. One catch, though — you're not going to be watching the World Cup this year via the FIFA+ app. Go figure.

Read more
Vimeo adds Dolby Vision support, but only for Apple devices
Dolby Vision is now supported by Vimeo on Apple devices.

Starting today, video upload and streaming service Vimeo is enabling Dolby Vision for creators, as well as the folks who stream content from the site, making it the first service of its kind to support Dolby's dynamic HDR format. The only catch is that you'll need a compatible Apple device for both uploading and playback of Dolby Vision content.

"Vimeo’s mission is to enable professional-quality video for all," said Vimeo CEO Anjali Sud in a press release, "and today we are delivering that power in Dolby Vision to hundreds of millions of Apple users globally."

Read more
Dolby Vision vs. HDR10 vs. HDR10+: Which HDR format is the best?
A gamer using one of LG's TVs.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology has become an important term to consider when purchasing a new TV or streaming TV shows and movies because HDR technology makes content more vibrant and brighter.

While there are five different HDR formats, we're going to focus on the top three in terms of widespread availability: HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+. Each one of these formats brings something different to the table and could enhance your viewing experiences dramatically. This guide will show you the difference between the formats and how these differences might affect your buying decision regarding a new TV or streaming device.
What is HDR?

Read more