The next version of the widely used AV1 streaming codec, predictably called AV2, has the potential to give Netflix, YouTube and other platforms a major performance boost, and could also improve the quality of high-resolution 3D and virtual reality content too.
That’s according to Netflix Research Scientists Andrey Norkin, who is one of the top contributors at the Alliance for Open Media, which develops the code. In a presentation posted on YouTube, Norkin heaped praise on his colleagues from Apple, Meta, Tencent and Google, and confirmed that AV2 will be released later this year
Norkin revealed that AV2 has been under development by AOMedia for more than five years. It’s been an incredibly long wait, considering that the original codec was released more than seven years ago, but it should be worth it, as the improvements promise to be pretty beneficial.
For instance, Norkin said AV2 shows a 30% improvement in video compression efficiency compared to its predecessor, while its Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) calculated for images or videos in the YUV color space, which separates image luminance from chrominance, scored 28.6% higher. PSNR is a metric that’s used to measure the quality of compressed images or videos by comparing them with the original.
In addition, AV2 showed a 32.6% gain on the Video Multi-Method Assessment Fusion (VMAF) benchmark, which assess video quality by comparing a reference video to a distorted version, in order to measure how accurately they’re perceived by the human eye.
What this all means, of course, is that when streaming services like Netflix adopt AV2, we’ll hopefully see a noticeable improvement in video quality, despite the signal using only two-thirds as much bandwidth as AV1. This is great news for anyone hoping to see more 4K or perhaps even 8K content being streamed over the web, as it could well be what’s needed to convince services that it’s worthwhile doing so.
The codec also gives streamers the option to deliver even better quality content by utilising the same bandwidth as an AV1 signal.
Norkin said these gains stem from the implementation of various optimisation techniques, including smarter partitioning, larger superblocks and improved prediction. However, he declined to talk about how AV2 compares with rivals such as HEVC (H.265) or the Versatile Video Coding or VVC (H.266) codecs. That’s a shame, because HEVC remains the most widely used 4K video codec, with MPEG4 (H.264) still the most popular for Full HD video streams.
The performance gains also bode well for augmented reality and virtual reality enthusiasts, as well as anyone who still owns a 3D TV, as it’s designed to support AR, VR and 3D content streams. AV2’s superior compression abilities will make it possible to stream such content in higher resolutions without any performance impact.
The other thing that AV2 does really well is multi-stream video, which is when multiple streams of the same event are streamed simultaneously. This capability is vitally important for live sports coverage, enabling multiple camera views during a football game, or picture-in-picture views of a Formula One race.
AV2 is coming soon, but it’s not a finished product. Norkin said AOMedia is still working on additional enhancements, such as a higher bit depth and support for 12-bit video. They’re also exploring the possibility of adding artificial intelligence features as “optional extended profiles”, with TV and media player manufacturers being able to decide for themselves if they want to support them.
Norkin still didn’t provide an exact release date, but he did reiterate that 53% of AOMedia’s members plan to adopt AV2 within 12 months of its launch. However, it will likely be several years before AV2 supersedes AV1, as the codec also needs hardware support, meaning only newer devices will be able to use it.
Given that, AV2 support is likely going to be something buyers will want to look out for in new TVs and media players from 2026 onwards.
You can view Norkin's talk in full here:
