Let’s explain to you what is AV2 codeca new video codec that has arrived after more than five years of development. It is the successor to the AV1 present on most large platforms where video is broadcast over the Internet, so it represents a future improvement in how we all watch online videos.
We are going to start the article by explaining what this codec is and what it is for, so that you understand it even if you have never heard of its predecessor. Then we will tell you its main improvements, and we will end with an estimate of when it can start arriving.
What is the AV2 codec and what is it for?
A video codec is the technology, the software responsible for compress and decompress moving images. Thus, the images are sent from a server to your computer compressed so that they do not occupy or consume excessive amounts of data, and then they are decompressed on your computer to view them in maximum quality.
For example, if you wanted to watch a 4K movie on a streaming service, this would possibly cost you huge amounts of gigabytes, and would require a connection of a speed that not everyone has. But thanks to video codecs, less data is consumed on the mobile, and you require less fast WiFi than if the video were uncompressed.
That said, AV2 is the successor codec to the very popular AV1currently used by YouTube, Netflix, Twitch, Instagram, Discord, and many other video platforms. It has been developed by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), a consortium made up of more than 50 companies, including Google, Apple, Netflix, Amazon, Intel, Nvidia, Microsoft and Samsung.
The main characteristic of AOMedia developments is that it works under a free patent policy, so any manufacturer or platform you can implement the codec without paying licenses. This is what makes its adoption expected to be as massive as that of its predecessor.
In fact, its objective is the same: that you can watch higher quality video with less bandwidth, or with the same quality but consuming less data. Of course, it comes with a series of technical improvements that will improve the experience even more.
AV2 codec news
According to its creators, the AV2 offers 30% higher compression efficiency than AV1 approximately, with improvements of 28.6% in the YUV-PSNR metric and 32.6% in the VMAF benchmark.
This means that you can get the same image quality when you watch movies or series on services like Netflix, but consuming 30% less bandwidth. Furthermore, if you already have a good fiber, the platform will be able to offer you higher image quality with the same connectionmaintaining the same bit rate.
This makes it a new codec especially useful for 4K or 8K content. Therefore, when platforms begin to adopt this new technology we should notice an improvement, at least, in the data we consume when viewing content.
On a technical level, in addition to these new features, these others stand out:
- Larger superblocks: AV2 uses 256×256 pixel blocks versus AV1’s 128×128, allowing for smarter partitioning and improved image prediction.
- Up to 7 reference frames: This improves motion prediction between scenes.
- Support for immersive and multi-stream formats: Support is included for formats such as 3D videos through several layers, and for sports broadcasts with several simultaneous cameras.
- Planned future extensions: The AV2 codec is also expected to eventually implement support for 12-bit video and greater color depth, as well as potential AI/ML capabilities, which will be offered as optional extended profiles.
When will AV2 arrive?
The AV2 codec has been official since the beginning of June 2026, but for it to reach devices such as smart televisions or mobile phones, chips are needed that are capable of playing files compressed with this technology. Therefore, possibly not until 2027 or 2028 when, with the arrival of chips from MediaTek, Qualcomm, Amlogic or Rockchip that incorporate support for the technology, it begins to reach us all en masse.
That will also be when we start to see it arrive on the main streaming platforms, although there are no specific dates for this either. It will just do it over time. Support will also have to start arriving in the main Internet browsers.
According to AOMedia, 53% of its members plan to adopt AV2 within 12 months of its launch, and 88% plan to do so within the next two years. Therefore, The technology is ready and now it needs to be implementedand this will take time.
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