Why are automakers touting “mobile cinemas” but avoiding dolby vision?

In the competition of the cockpit, there were refrigerators, TVs, and big sofas before, and now there are cinemas, theaters, and libraries.

When successfully building a “vehicle” is no longer a challenge, the challenge escalates to who can successfully master the concept.

The slogan of turning cars into a "third living space" began to spread widely.

When the anchor point is set in space, the large six-seater and MPV's spacious, transparent, and flexible layout characteristics become the ideal battlefield for being transformed into a "mobile cinema."

When it comes to cinemas, the first thing that comes to most people's minds is indeed a large and stunning screen.

So we see, the screens in cars are getting larger and more numerous, with rear-seat entertainment, co-pilot screens, and continuous center console screens... It seems as if having enough large and numerous screens truly brings the cinema into the car.

The reason many people are willing to spend money to go to the cinema is the "immersive experience" that cannot be achieved by watching TV at home.

When we break down "immersion," we find that what truly determines whether the experience inside a car is like that of a cinema is never just about the size alone.

Sound, visuals, seating, and even the viewing angle—every detail subtly affects the experience.

However, the reality is that the vast majority of vehicles labeled as "mobile theaters" have only reached the superficial stage of "piling on large screens," while neglecting the importance of sound and visuals.

Rare Dual Dolby

When it comes to audio-visual entertainment, Dolby is undoubtedly a well-reputed presence.

With the intensifying competition in automotive audio systems, Dolby Atmos is now appearing in vehicles priced around 200,000 RMB, as well as in some entry-level models.

However, itsDolby Vision is not common.

Vehicles that simultaneously feature both Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, commonly referred to as "dual Dolby," are even rarer.

Currently, it is widely popular only in Li Auto's models, while Zeekr and NIO have it only in their high-end flagship models.

We have also summarized some representative models for your reference.

There are many car models that aim to create mobile cinemas, but the adoption rate of Dolby Vision is much lower than that of Dolby Atmos. Why is Dolby Vision so acclaimed but not popular?

We believe the challenge still lies in the difficulty of balancing cost, hardware compatibility, and content ecosystem.

The licensing fees for Dolby Vision are much higher than those for Dolby Atmos, and the hardware compatibility threshold is very high.

Not only are there strict requirements for screen brightness, contrast, and color gamut, but a high-spec screen must also be equipped with a professional image processing chip. The ordinary LCD screens in most vehicles cannot fully leverage the image quality advantages of Dolby Vision.

More critically, the absence of a content ecosystem.

Dedicated 4K HDR video sources for in-car use are already quite common, but the proportion of content that supports Dolby Vision is extremely low, and it is mostly concentrated in paid content, significantly increasing the cost of viewing.

In contrast, Dolby Atmos not only adapts well to most music and video content but also delivers immersive audio through algorithmic optimization without requiring significant upgrades to in-car speaker hardware, making it a high-value, natural first choice for automakers.

In this situation of high investment and low return, it's not hard to understand why car manufacturers are more willing to try configurations like "shower, floor heating" that are more perceptible and have more hype.

Domestic Audio Visual

The bottleneck in the popularization of Dolby Vision has precisely created a window of opportunity for the rise of domestic audio-video technologies.

Filling the gap, it is also an opportunity for a leapfrog advancement from "substitute" to "new choice".

In terms of immersive audio, many people are already familiar with the names WANOS and Audio Vivid. With low cost, flexible compatibility, and better alignment with the listening habits of Chinese audiences, they are gradually being applied in multiple domestic vehicle models.

HDR Vivid is widely applied in video content, as well as FrameMaster which is commonly seen on video platforms.

We have also listed some of the differences in parameters and visual aspects between the two for easy comparison.

Written at the end

There are countless ways of cabin competition, and the small space seems to carry many expectations.

The constant emergence of technological iterations and independent innovation reveals, behind the "wanting this, that, and also this," a fear of homogenization.

Judging from the widespread adoption of color TVs, refrigerators, and large sofas, perhaps one day labels like "concert hall" or "cinema" will no longer provide sufficient differentiation. So, what will be the next "hot lifestyle concept" that truly resonates with people?

Can domestically developed, independently researched technologies become an indispensable trump card in future competition?