With a planned release in late 2025, we now have new details on the AV2 video codec's efficiency and capabilities, as outlined by AOMedia member Netflix.
The presentation on AV2 was delivered by Andrey Norkin, Research Scientist at Netflix and contributor to the Alliance for Open Media. He credited colleagues from Apple, Google, Meta and Tencent for their contributions.
The next-gen AV2 video codec – the successor to AV1 – has been in development for five years, according to Norkin. The royalty-free specification is set to be released by the end of 2025, as previously reported, but it will likely take several years before AV2 achieves widespread hardware adoption.
About 30% more efficient
Norkin shared the first benchmarks for AV2, showing roughly 30% improved efficiency in video compression versus AV1, specifically 28.6% improvements in YUV-PSNR and 32.6% improvement in VMAF benchmarking.
In other words, viewers can get the same picture quality from streaming services such as Netflix using 30% less bandwidth. Alternatively, streaming services can offer higher picture quality at the same bitrate – or something in between. This improvement is especially relevant for 4K and 8K video.
Improvements over HEVC (H.265) or VVC (H.266) were not discussed. HEVC is the most widely used video codec for 4K video while MPEG4 (H.264) remains the preferred choice for HD video.
The AV2 codec's efficiency gains come from a series of optimizations – larger superblocks, smarter partitioning, improved prediction etc. – rather than a single major breakthrough. At this stage, machine learning is not a core component of AV2 video compression.
Supports 3D and multi-stream video
Like AV1, AV2 supports multi-stream and immersive formats such as stereo 3D via multi-layer video, although the full extent of support remains unclear.
Together with its improved compression efficiency, AV2 can improve the quality of high-resolution 3D movies compared to both AV1 and HEVC.
With multi-stream, a streaming service can deliver multiple video streams to your TV simultaneously, for example picture-in-picture or multiple views from a Formula 1 race.
Norkin added that additional extensions for AV2 are planned, including support for 12-bit video and even higher bit depth, as well as potential AI/ML features. These will be offered as optional extended profiles that TVs and media players can support.
AV2 in brief
FlatpanelsHD
