AV1

AV1
Alliance for Open Media · Public domain · source
Name	AV1
Developed by	Alliance for Open Media
Initial release	2018
Latest release	2022
Status	Active
License	Royalty-free (intended)

AV1 is an open, royalty-intended video coding format designed for efficient compression of high-resolution video content across internet streaming, conferencing, and storage platforms. It was created to compete with proprietary codecs and to reduce bandwidth usage for platforms delivering video to consumers and enterprises across broadband, mobile, and satellite networks. The codec balances compression efficiency, computational complexity, and extensibility to future video formats.

Overview

AV1 was produced by a coalition of technology companies to provide a modern alternative to established codecs such as H.264, H.265, and VP9. The design incorporates concepts from prior projects and standards including Daala, Thor (codec), and VP10 research, and aims to serve industries represented by members like Google, Apple Inc., Amazon (company), Microsoft, Netflix, Intel Corporation, NVIDIA, Broadcom, Qualcomm, ARM Holdings, Cisco Systems, Mozilla Foundation, Facebook, Samsung Electronics, Tencent, Adobe Inc., BBC, Walt Disney Company, Sony Corporation, Verizon Communications, AT&T, T-Mobile US, Roku, Inc., LG Electronics, Bitmovin, Akamai Technologies, Cloudflare, Intel Capital, NEC Corporation, Xilinx, Dolby Laboratories, Huawei Technologies, ZTE Corporation, Canon Inc., and Panasonic. The codec targets streaming platforms, conferencing suites, and content distribution networks such as YouTube, Netflix (service), Zoom Video Communications, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Peacock (streaming service), Vimeo, Twitch (service), and Slack (software).

History and Development

Work on AV1 began within the Alliance for Open Media combining efforts of teams behind VP8, VP9, Daala, and Thor (codec). Public milestones included specification drafts, codec bitstream freezes, and release candidates developed by contributors from Google LLC, Mozilla Foundation, Cisco Systems, Microsoft Corporation, Amazon (company), Netflix (service), and Intel Corporation. Demonstrations and interoperability events occurred at industry conferences like IETF, MPEG, CES, SIGGRAPH, NAB Show, IBC (conference), SCTE, and WebRTC. Open-source reference implementations were hosted in repositories maintained by organizations such as AOMediaCodec, Xiph.org, FFmpeg, and distributed via package managers used on Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Arch Linux, Homebrew (software), Chocolatey, npm (software), and Yocto Project build systems.

Technical Design and Features

AV1 incorporates tools such as variable block partitioning, multiple transform sizes, advanced intra prediction modes, and in-loop filtering influenced by research from Daala and Thor (codec). It uses entropy coding techniques related to Context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding traditions and borrows statistical modeling ideas explored at institutions like Bell Labs, MIT, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, ETH Zurich, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Tsinghua University, Peking University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Seoul National University, and KTH Royal Institute of Technology. The bitstream supports features for high dynamic range (HDR) workflows from standards bodies including SMPTE, ITU-R, and CTA (organization), color management systems used by Adobe Inc. and Apple Inc., and media container formats like Matroska, MP4, WebM, and streaming protocols such as MPEG-DASH, HLS, RTMP, SRT (protocol), WebRTC, and QUIC.

Implementations and Software Support

Reference encoders and decoders include projects such as libaom, SVT-AV1 from Intel Corporation and Netflix (service), rav1e authored by developers associated with Mozilla Foundation and Xiph.org, and dav1d maintained by VideoLAN and FFmpeg. Media players and frameworks offering support include VLC media player, mpv (media player), Kodi (software), Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera (web browser), Safari (web browser), Android (operating system), iOS, Windows (operating system), macOS, Linux, GStreamer, DirectShow, Media Foundation, QuickTime, Chromium, Electron (software framework), Unity (game engine), Unreal Engine, OpenCV, and TensorFlow for machine learning workflows that process AV1 content.

Hardware Acceleration and Patents

Hardware decoding and encoding support was incorporated by silicon vendors including Intel Corporation, AMD, NVIDIA, ARM Holdings, Qualcomm, MediaTek, Broadcom, Samsung Electronics, Apple Inc., Sony Corporation, Analog Devices, Xilinx, Realtek, and Rockchip. Support appears in system-on-chip products used in Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, Apple iPhone, Roku, NVIDIA Shield, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, LG Smart TV, Sony Bravia, Vizio, and set-top boxes deployed by Comcast Corporation, Sky Group, Dish Network, DirecTV, BT Group, Deutsche Telekom, and Orange S.A.. Patent and licensing landscapes were debated among stakeholders including MPEG LA, Via Licensing, Samsung Electronics, Huawei Technologies, ZTE Corporation, Qualcomm, Intel Corporation, Nokia, Ericsson, and T-Mobile US with legal input from firms such as Baker McKenzie and DLA Piper.

Adoption and Industry Impact

Major content distributors like YouTube, Netflix (service), Amazon Prime Video, Vimeo, Twitch (service), Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, ByteDance, TikTok, Disney+, and Hulu have experimented with or deployed AV1 for selected titles and streams. Content delivery networks including Akamai Technologies, Cloudflare, Fastly, Limelight Networks, and Edgecast have integrated support into caching and edge logic. Telecommunications operators such as Verizon Communications, AT&T, Vodafone, NTT Communications, China Mobile, and Telefonica considered AV1 for reducing bandwidth in mobile video and over-the-top services. Standards forums and consortia like W3C, IETF, ITU, CTA (organization), and EBU have engaged on interoperability and web platform support.

Performance and Comparisons

Independent evaluations by research groups at Netflix (service), BBC Research & Development, NTT, SVT-AV1 team, Xiph.org, Fraunhofer Society, Bell Labs, Nokia Bell Labs, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Nanyang Technological University compared the codec against H.264, H.265, VP9, AVC and HEVC across metrics like PSNR, SSIM, and subjective visual quality. Results often showed bitrate reductions for equivalent quality versus older codecs but with higher encoding complexity, prompting optimizations in encoders like SVT-AV1, libaom, rav1e, and decoder projects such as dav1d. Research collaborations with companies like Google LLC, Intel Corporation, Netflix (service), Microsoft Corporation, Amazon (company), Facebook, and Cisco Systems continue to refine performance, complexity, and workflow integration.

Category:Video codecs