VIVID at Cannes: Does a Royalty-Free Standard Make Business Sense for the Audiovisual Sector?
Explore how VIVID’s royalty‑free audiovisual standard reshapes device integration, licensing costs and adoption across Asia’s booming tech sector
The corridors of Cannes’ Marché du Film hub CONNECT buzzed with the familiar mix of dealmaking and demonstrations that defines the festival’s business heart. Among the usual parade of distributors and rights holders, the UHD World Association occupied a prime spot from 14 to 20 May, drawing industry attention not for another streaming platform or content acquisition, but for something more fundamental: a new audiovisual standard that could change how manufacturers, content creators and platform owners think about licensing costs.
The star of their presentation was VIVID, a comprehensive audiovisual standard that handles both picture and sound. Unlike many technical specifications that focus on single elements, VIVID delivers per-image colour and luminance metadata tailored to individual devices, whether they’re televisions, smartphones or automotive displays. The audio component uses spatial AI to create immersive sound experiences across different listening environments.
What grabbed attention wasn’t just the technical capabilities, but the business proposition: VIVID operates on a royalty-free model. In an industry where Dolby Vision licensing fees can add around $3 per device and create ongoing cost pressures for manufacturers, the UWA’s approach offers a different path entirely.
The Economics of Standards Adoption
The royalty question matters because it directly affects how quickly manufacturers can adopt new standards. HDR10+, Samsung’s royalty-free alternative to Dolby Vision, demonstrates how licensing costs influence corporate strategy – Samsung has refused to support Dolby Vision on its TVs specifically to avoid per-unit fees.
VIVID’s supporters point to concrete adoption figures. More than 30 brands have certified 1,127 models across six device categories, with particularly strong uptake in Asia. Content creators have encoded over 100,000 hours in VIVID format, including major sporting events like the Olympics and FIFA tournaments, plus television series, films and live events.
The demonstration on Samsung UHD displays at Cannes showcased content that spans genres, while the AITO M9 vehicle’s integration of VIVID Audio with its Huawei intelligent cockpit system illustrates how the standard extends beyond traditional entertainment devices into .
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