Turn Off Dolby Vision? (Lag Issues, Gaming Compatibility)


Dolby Vision is famous for its HDR content improvement. This feature adds a dynamic metadata layer to the original HDR signal, making the colors rich and sparks brighter and more defined. This feature is available on various devices, and I will help you know if you can turn it off.

So, can you turn off Dolby Vision? You can turn off Dolby Vision through your Settings menu, depending on your device. Devices supporting the Dolby Vision feature have a different path that you will follow to turn off Dolby Vision.

The Dolby Vision is an excellent addition to the graphic industry and enhances the user’s experience watching movies or gaming.

The Dolby Vision improves a user’s experience while watching movies or games by sharpening, brightening, and adding color to the graphics. Still, some users complain of lags and other issues, necessitating turning off the feature.

Turning off Dolby Vision will vary depending on your device or streaming service. Generally, you will navigate to the “Settings” and then tap Music. Under the Audio settings, tap Dolby Atmos, then select Automatic. From here, tap Off to turn off Dolby Vision.

As stated earlier, watching Dolby Vision content requires you to have the right equipment, given that not all devices can support this feature. Dolby Vision is available on certain TV brands, with its most outstanding benefit being its dynamic metadata addition to the HDR image data.

The Dolby Vision Metadata carries instructions that a Dolby Vision supporting display uses to portray the content accurately. The displays receiving this information combine it with their brightness, color performance, and contrast feature for better content. 

While not all TVs can support Dolby Vision, most can support the HDR10. However, HDR10 TVs do not necessarily support Dolby Vision content. Among the manufacturers supporting Dolby Vision for TVs are

  • LG,
  • Philips,
  • Panasonic,
  • Hisense,
  • TCL and
  • Sony.

Other brands that support Dolby Vision include the

  • Apple TV,
  • Chromecast with Google TV
  • and 4K.

This means you can stream your content to a compatible TV through these devices. Through streaming services, individuals can experience Dolby Vision. These include

  • Netflix,
  • Disney+,
  • Apple TV,
  • Amazon Video and
  • Apple Movies.

Dolby Vision support

While Dolby Vision is available in most TV brands, Samsung does not support this feature due to the additional cost implications. Instead, Samsung partners with HDR10+, which also uses dynamic metadata, but it is 10-bit instead of 12-bit in Dolby Vision. With the HDR10+, you can improve your watching experience.

While a TV can have Dolby Vision, this is not a guarantee that it will support the Dolby Vision full spec when it comes to gaming. Gaming with your TV will feature some limitations. For instance, LG TVs go full hog 4K/120Hz while Panasonic can support gaming up to 4K/60Hz.

Dolby Vision is also available on smartphones enabling users to view clear HDR images while on the go. The Dolby Vision functionality on smartphones is similar to the televisions, as it adjusts the display performance by adding to its color, brightness, and sharpness.

The LG G6 smartphone was the first to adopt Dolby Vision, and Apple followed with its iPhone models. Dolby Vision on mobile phones is continuing to grow, and iPhones are providing users with more ways of creating content in Dolby Vision.

In addition, Dolby Vision is available for gaming with similar performance in smartphones and TV. The DV on gaming devices includes the 4K/120Hz support, enhancing performance at higher frame rates. Currently, the Microsoft X box series, comprising over 100 games, is the only one capable of supporting Dolby Vision in gaming.

As stated earlier, depending on your device, you will follow different paths to turn off your Dolby Vision. Hence, if you are using an LG TV, you can turn off Dolby Vision by pressing the Settings Button on your remote to access the Settings menu. Next, go to the HDR effect mode and select one of the picture presets, the HDR effect, which has everything about HDR support. While here, make the necessary changes.

You can turn off Dolby Vision on Sony TV by navigating to Settings. Depending on your TV menu options, select Channels and Inputs, then click on External Inputs, then proceed to HDMI signal format, then Connected HDMI terminal. Lastly, select the Enhanced format, which is the Dolby Vision or Standard Format.

If you are using a streaming service such as Netflix, you can turn off Dolby Vision by pressing the “Home” tab. Next, select Set up, then “Ok”. On the Settings window, choose HDMI, then “Ok”. You will see the Dolby Vision Setting in the next window, and you should select it. While here, you will have the enable or disable option, and you should select disable to turn Dolby Vision off. Press “Ok” then “Home” to exit this window.

You can turn off Dolby Vision on Apple TV by navigating to the Settings, Video, Audio, then Format. While on the Format, select your desired resolution, which should be any other selection apart from the Dolby Vision.

Lastly, if you are using Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and S, which support Dolby Vision, open the settings guide using the Xbox Button. From here, go to the Settings, General, TV and Display options, Video modes, Allow Dolby Vision, then select off.

Does Dolby Vision Cause Lag?

While having quality pictures is a priority, timely appearance is critical. This is mainly for gamers, who depend on such to win or lose a game. Hence, it is necessary for gamers to know whether Dolby Vision causes significant lag before considering this feature for their consoles.

Dolby Vision, according to some online users, can cause lag. However, this lag is insignificant as most can navigate their business seamlessly in most cases. Different TV brands acknowledge the lag and are yet to establish if it is a hardware or software issue.

At the moment, one may attribute vision lagging if present to failure to use an up-to-date Dolby Vision software. In such cases, the solution is in the hands of Dolby and where the problem is a hardware issue, check with your console developer.

Input vision lags matter when playing games on a console.  Quick reflexes are critical when playing fast-paced games, and a lower input lag will dictate a timed reaction resulting in a win or a late response causing a loss.

If watching a movie, input lags will not matter as much; hence, unless you are a gamer, the vision lags in Dolby Vision should not worry you.  While you may notice some delay in rare cases as you scroll your TV, this should be a non-issue.

With the above said, if you are using the latest firmware on your TV but are still experiencing visual latency while gaming in Dolby Vision, you should disable Dolby Vision and then reach out to your TV manufacturer for further assistance.

To disable Dolby Vision, press your Xbox Button to open the guide; next, go to the Settings, General, TV, and Display option, Video Modes, then Allow Dolby Vision. While on the last window, select off to disable Dolby Vision.

Apart from lagging, your display may go blank after enabling Dolby Vision. In such cases, unplug the HDMI cable and then reattach it. If the screen is still blank, restart your Xbox console by long pressing the Xbox button on the controller. Select Turn off or Restart console, and the problem should resolve. If it persists, contact your manufacturer as it could be a hardware problem.

While there are few complaints on the Dolby Visual lags, some user’s express satisfaction with Dolby Vision on the series X. Part of the solution to the lags experienced by such users included changing the picture mode to Game and copying the Game Picture mode from the previous HDR.

Is Dolby Vision Good for Gaming?

Dolby vision improves your screen experience by making it colorful and brighter using the latest display technology. However, despite its availability on TVs, it is yet to get good traction in gaming, with Microsoft’s attempt to raise the bar by rolling support on its consoles. 

Dolby vision is good for gaming as it improves your display experience. This feature allows game developers to have bright and dark screen areas without losing fidelity. As such, the Dolby Vision stands out as a frame-by-frame tech rather than scene-by-scene. This dynamic approach makes it valuable and a must-have for every gamer.

The Dolby Vision features matter in gaming as many titles comprise very bright highlights and dark shadows. Its dynamic metadata allows this brightness in games to adjust with the frames and reproduce unique brightness levels.

In the past, games stuck with the HDR10, which still functions well. The Dolby Vision on consoles changes the narrative as titles can be more immersive than in the past. In addition to improving the game titles, Dolby Vision offers gamers an enhanced visual experience. 

Dolby Vision also aims to solve the current HDR calibration for games problem. Hence, the Dolby Vision is more than the colors and dynamic range for a gamer. The Dolby Vision also promises games to abandon their adjustment sliders as the games map automatically to their displays as they play, enabling them to see the full pictures.

In order to enjoy Dolby Vision for games, you will need a Microsoft Xbox Series X and S consoles. Microsoft’s adoption of this technology marks its first usage on gaming consoles. To use Dolby Vision on Microsoft consoles, you will also need a TV supporting this format.

While this is a non-issue if you own a TV brand supporting the consoles, this can be challenging for users owning brands like Samsung, which does not support Dolby Vision. Fortunately, Dolby is working with more manufacturers to ensure this feature is present in more TV models.

If unsure if your TV supports the Dolby Vision HDR, you can check by turning on your console and then pressing the Xbox button on your controller to open your console guide. Next, navigate to Profile and System using the bumper buttons.

Scroll to the Settings, tap General, TV, and display options, then 4K TV details. Your Xbox will display the modes supported by your TV. Upon confirmation, go back to the menu, select Refresh rate, and set it to 120Hz.

Once you verify your TV supports Dolby Vision, you can enable the feature on your Xbox Series X or S by navigating to the “Settings” and then General Video Modes. These settings are accessible through Settings, General, TV, and Display options, then Video modes. Select the DV for the gaming box, then restart your Xbox to effect the changes.

With the Dolby Vision being useful for gamers yet new to consoles, another concern will be the games it can support. So far, Microsoft is yet to provide a list of the games that Dolby Vision supports natively on its consoles, but until then, you can play games such as Gears 5, Call of Duty, and Guardians of the Galaxy, among others. 

While playing these games, you should note that enabling the 120Hz support does not mean all games will utilize it by default.  Most games supporting the 120Hz mode have a toggle titled performance or frame rate in their game settings.

With the Xbox Series X and S being the first consoles supporting Dolby Vision, users are yet to see what these consoles can do. However, users are certain that Dolby Vision will take the gaming graphics a notch higher, making the colors saturated and vibrant, with better contrast and sharper graphics. This way, gamers can rest assured of a better gaming experience.

Wrap Up

The Dolby Vision is a great addition to the screens as it enhances the graphics for a fantastic experience, watching a movie or gaming. However, if dissatisfied with this feature, you can turn it off using unique paths depending on your device or streaming service.

Most users turn off Dolby Vision, stating the lag issue. While different TV brands acknowledge the lag, it is mostly insignificant but critical to those playing fast-paced games as it determines a win and a loss. Hence, if you experience lag, you should check your settings or contact your manufacturer.

With the outlined features of Dolby Vision, it is a great addition to the gaming industry as game developers can have dark and bright areas on the screens. Such dynamic approaches have seen Microsoft partner with Dolby Vision in its Xbox Series X and S.

Bal Kang

Bal Kang is a technology expert based in the UK, with experience across a number of technology areas from phones, tablets, computers to gaming.

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