OPINION : A report emergedthat Google is in the thick of plotting a format state of war against Dolby to didder - up the HDR and immersive audio class , and intelligence of it left me rather weary .
A leak video presentationof the labor , referred to internally in Google as Project Caviar , was manifestly testify to ironware manufacturer earlier this yr . Group task director Roshan Baliga allegedly described the destination of the task as build a “ healthier , broader ecosystem for premium media experience . ”
That ’s a stately idea but also not one Ientirelybuy . Not to throw shade on Google themselves ( although they ’ll be some of that after ) , but this is broadly speaking along the same lines every company trots out when aiming to disrupt a market drawing card – and for Google , a format war is not get to re - shape or reconfigure the landscape painting much at all .
This ‘ format war ’ is Google ’s way of saying it wo n’t yield the license fee to Dolby for either ofits VisionorAtmos technologieson their political platform , turn back them for make headway an insuperable foothold in the market . They ’d rather invest in produce what sounds like a competing 3D immersive audio data format andutilize HDR10+as part of this royal family complimentary model that anyone can use . give the widespread support for YouTube on various gadget , Google could easily add these technologies to a great audience .
But we ’ve seen this before and it did n’t exploit with the achiever interested parties had hoped . DTS : Xhasn’t really have off , despite being more approachable and configurable than Dolby Atmos . Royalty free HDR10 + has been left behind by Dolby both in physical media and cyclosis .
Some stream services stand it but the likes of Netflix , Disney+andApple TV+have put their free weight behind Dolby . Even HDR10 + loyalist , Prime Video , launched Lord of the Rings : The Rings of Power in Dolby Vision HDR . One of Project Caviar ’s likely problems is not being there from the inception of content being make , which is Dolby ’s realm .
HDR10 + has advantages over Dolby Vision . I ’ve been tell its easier to utilize and less time intensive , and some TV manufacturer like it because it ’s less normative than Dolby Vision – it has more content to take in the difference between panel engineering whereas Dolby is more assertive in how the simulacrum should look .
But the majority films and TV shows are mastered in Dolby Vision – even if you ’re watch a HD variation there ’s likely a 4 K Dolby Vision Indian file lurking on a host somewhere . Dolby Vision and Atmos are used incinemas across the world , and they ’ve established themselves as the video and audio measure for the moving-picture show manufacture . Whatever Project Caviar terminate up being , it wo n’t carry as much influence as Dolby ’s data format .
Another issue is Google ’s record of introduce new technologies , which is short . There ’s a cause why there ’s a web site called theGoogle Graveyardand theGoogle Cemetery , littered with a long list of projects that derive and were subsequently cast aside . One recent example isStadia , which aimedto disrupt the play market and now ascertain support / interest slowly ebbing away .
And then you have to reckon whether the consumer has the appetite or interest in another format state of war . Format wars are irksome and mostly perplexing – Wikipedia entries make them go ( somewhat ) more exciting than they ever were . From VHS to Betamax , Blu - light beam to HD DVD and Dolby vs DTS , the winner has n’t often been the best , but the one that offer up the most wash room and broad compatibility . citizenry want thing that work and elementary , compatibility issues be dam .
Beyond YouTube and its Godhead will there be much pursuit in Project Caviar ? Will stream services switch or will all TV maker encompass it ? I mean the panel is still out , but who knows , perhaps Google ’s pitch is a convincing one .
The last few class have seen Dolby extend its reach into the home market with podcasts and aspiring movie maker creating content on their iPhones ( in Dolby Vision ) , and that ’s the area where I think Google is really looking to disrupt . It ’s a fight they could make headway but in the long - terminus , the format war is one I ’d say they ’ve already lost .
