A new tech blog from Netflix highlights the importance of the AV1 open video codec, which now powers about 30% of the platform’s streaming and discusses a variety of opportunities to expand its current use, which is primarily for VOD content.

The blog by Liwei Guo, Zhi Li, Sheldon Radford and Jeff Watts comes at a time when AV2 is on the horizon.

“Looking ahead, we are excited about the forthcoming release of AV2, announced by the Alliance for Open Media for the end of 2025,” they posted. “AV2 is poised to set a new benchmark for compression efficiency and streaming capabilities, building on the solid foundation laid by AV1. At Netflix, we remain committed to adopting the best open technologies to delight our members around the globe. While AV2 represents the future of streaming, AV1 is very much the present—serving as the backbone of our platform and powering exceptional entertainment experiences across a vast and ever-expanding ecosystem of devices.”

The blog revisits Netflix’s AV1 journey to date, highlights emerging use cases, and shares adoption trends across the device ecosystem. It noted that since entering the streaming business in 2007, Netflix has primarily relied on H.264/AVC as its streaming format.

“However, we quickly recognized that a modern, open codec would benefit not only Netflix, but the entire multimedia industry,” they wrote. “In 2015, together with a group of like-minded industry leaders, Netflix co-founded the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) to develop and promote next-generation, open-source media technologies. The AV1 codec became the first major project of this collaboration, with ambitious goals: to deliver significant improvements in compression efficiency over state-of-the-art codecs, and to introduce rich features that enable new use cases. After three years of collaborative development, AV1 was officially released in 2018.”

The blog noted: “AV1’s superior compression efficiency was especially valuable for mobile users, many of whom are mindful of their data usage and network conditions. By adopting AV1, we were able to deliver noticeably better video quality at lower bitrates....Launching AV1 support on Android in 2020 marked a significant step forward for Netflix on mobile, making high-quality streaming more accessible and enjoyable for members everywhere.”

Based on that successful launch, the streamer then expanded AV1 support to smart TVs and large-screen devices. “This collaborative effort enabled our AV1 streaming to TV devices in late 2021. Shortly thereafter, we expanded AV1 streaming to web browsers (in 2022) and continued to broaden device support,” the post explained. “In 2023, this included Apple devices with the introduction of AV1 hardware support in the new M3 and A17 Pro chips.”

Today, AV1 is the streamer’s second-most-used codec and on track to become No. 1 very soon.

In part, this represents its “superior” compression technology for delivering 4K and high-frame-rate experience. “On average, AV1 streaming sessions achieve VMAF scores that are 4.3 points higher than AVC and 0.9 points higher than HEVC sessions,” the blog said. “At the same time, AV1 sessions use one-third less bandwidth than both AVC and HEVC, resulting in 45% fewer buffering interruptions.”

The blog also explained that the codec has been important in their efforts to provide more immersive experience with HDR and other features.

“In March 2025, we launched AV1 HDR streaming,” the post explained. “We chose HDR10+ as the HDR format for its use of dynamic metadata, which enabled us to adapt the tone mapping per device in a scene-dependent manner. As anticipated, the combination of AV1 and HDR10+ allows us to deliver images with greater detail, more vibrant colors and an overall heightened sense of immersion for our members. At the moment, 85% of our HDR catalog (from the perspective of view-hours) has AV1-HDR10+ coverage, and this number is expected to reach 100% in the next couple of months.”

The codec has also allowed Netflix to incorporate film grain, which has been difficult to faithfully render in digital video.

“The AV1 specification incorporates a unique solution called Film Grain Synthesis (FGS),” they explained. “Instead of encoding grain as part of every frame, the grain is stripped out before encoding and then resynthesized at the decoder using parameters sent in the bitstream, delivering a realistic cinematic film grain experience without the usual data costs. … In July 2025, we successfully productized AV1 FGS, and the results were astonishing: AV1 with FGS could deliver videos with cinematic film grain at a bit rate well within the capabilities of typical household internet connections. For non-FGS AV1 encodings, even at much higher bit rate, they may not be able to achieve comparable quality.”

Looking forward, the post noted Netflix has primarily used AV1 for VOD, but the platform sees “significant opportunities for AV1 beyond traditional VOD streaming,” including the use of "AV1 in live streaming, as we believe it could help further scale Netflix’s live programming.”

One use might be for events where Netflix is delivering content, such as live sports, to tens of millions of viewers simultaneously.

Another might be “customizable graphics overlay: for live sport events such as football, tennis and boxing, graphics overlays have become an integral part of the member experience—from embedding game statistics to delivering sponsorships. AV1 offers an opportunity to make the graphics highly customizable: layered coding is supported in AV1’s main profile, allowing encoding the main content in the base layer, and graphics in the enhancement layer, and easily swapping out one version of the enhancement layer with another.”

The full post is available here.

Every move made by Apple has far-reaching implications. The force touch feature may have originated at Apple, but is now found on every device. 

This is but one example. Recently, Apple announced that its iPhone 15 Pro and Max, as well as its new M3 desktop processor will include an AV1 decoder. At first glance, this seems like a significant leap forward for AOMedia, as uptake in AV1 has remained relatively low with Netflix and YouTube being the most notable media companies to have implemented the codec. However, as with many things in the tech world, the reality is a bit more complex.

The introduction of an AV1 decoder into Apple systems raises several key questions: Is this a sign of Apple leading the charge in industry innovation? Will it pave the way for widespread adoption of AV1, or is it yet another step towards exclusivity and inaccessibility for smaller media companies?

A Shift in Industry Direction?
Apple's move to introduce AV1 into its products is indeed indicative of a broader industry shift. AV1, developed by the Alliance for Open Media, is a royalty-free, open-source video codec offering superior compression efficiency and video quality. Whilst the codec is more complex, and those wishing to use it will need to educate themselves to make the most out of it, AV1 does have a far higher innovation ceiling, alongside a higher ceiling for video quality and efficiency. Therefore, implementing AV1 can be a sure fire way to stand out from the competition.

By supporting AV1, Apple is also sending a clear message: it values innovation in the video industry, and understands that consumers are demanding far more from their video experiences.

The introduction of AV1 into Apple's products is likely to serve as a catalyst for other tech giants, who risk falling behind in video innovation. Ultimately, Apple’s adoption of AV1 should prompt a wave of adoption throughout the industry, leading to a new minimum standard in video encoding whilst placing video as a key battleground in the war for device primacy. 

This shift will significantly benefit consumers, as it will improve video streaming quality and reduce bandwidth requirements, particularly in an era where high-definition and 4K content are becoming the norm, and consumers increasingly watch content on the move with unsteady connections.

Exclusive Club or Equal Opportunity?
Incorporating AV1 into Apple's devices, and it also being included in the latest Google Pixel phones, could potentially create a divide between those who have the new, highest-end devices with AV1 support, and those with older or cheaper models lagging behind, who will need to upgrade to take advantage of AV1. Meaning in the near term, media companies pushing forward with AV1 will still need to consider other codecs for backwards compatibility, which may be difficult for smaller media companies.

(Read: Where is AV1 Heading?)

If the adoption of AV1 is not widespread, it would further fragment the streaming landscape with the impact being far greater on the smaller media companies, who may not afford the upfront cost of AV1. Smaller media companies, with limited resources, often find it more challenging to keep up with the constantly evolving technology landscape, and there is a risk AV1 could simply pass them by.

However, Apple’s adoption will prompt a rapid decline in the upfront cost of implementing AV1. This is as a result of infrastructure providers putting greater emphasis on maximizing AV1’s potential and creating new, efficient products for it. This investment by infrastructure businesses, and increased interest in the products will mean that the initial investment needed for AV1 will decrease iteratively opening up opportunities for smaller media companies.

Tech giants, as well as AOMedia, can also work collaboratively alongside smaller media companies and open-source projects to try and remove some of the larger barriers to AV1 adoption, which currently requires a significant upfront cost. This is where the imbalance between the big tech players and smaller companies becomes dramatically apparent. 

The Road Ahead
The introduction of AV1 by Apple is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can drive the industry towards a higher standard of video quality and compression efficiency, ultimately benefiting consumers. On the other hand, it could create a wider technology gap between the tech giants and smaller companies. 

The road ahead hinges on a collaborative effort within the industry to ensure that AV1 is adopted widely and made accessible to everyone. The AOMedia's goal with AV1 is to create a royalty-free, open-source codec that promotes innovation and inclusivity. Apple's adoption can be seen as a step in the right direction if it aligns with this vision.

In conclusion, the introduction of AV1 by Apple is indeed significant and promising. It reflects a potential shift in industry standards and could lead to better video streaming experiences for all. However, it is essential for the industry to work together to ensure everyone can benefit from AV1. 

The true test of its success will be whether it paves the way for inclusivity and accessibility in the ever-evolving world of video streaming and encoding technology. The future of AV1 will ultimately be determined by the collective actions of industry players and the commitment to fostering a level playing field for all.

SAN FRANCISCO—Latency is the most significant issue faced by over half (54%) of video developers, according to Bitmovin’s annual Video Developer Report.

Bitmovin is a provider of video infrastructure for digital media companies and works with companies across the globe to build new video products.

Based on the views of 542 industry professionals in 108 countries, the survey found that 53% expect to achieve live streaming latency of less than 5 seconds, and 30% said their aim was under 1 second.

The report further showed that H.264/AVC is by far the most widely used video codec, used by 91%  of all respondents. Planned usage of AV1 is also set to triple, with 20% expecting to start using it in the coming year.

Meanwhile 24% of video professionals expect to start using AI/ML as part of video workflow solutions before the end of 2019, while 32% plan to do so in 2020.

Bitmovin CEO Stefan Lederer said: “The Bitmovin Video Developer Report is an inside look at the technology adoption plans of companies that are collectively delivering video to huge global audiences. We’re excited to share the results with the community of video developers.

“The findings show a shift toward new breed technologies such as AV1 and artificial intelligence. We’re also seeing the industry continue to face huge issues with latency and ensuring playback on all devices.”

You can download the full report here.

PALO ALTO, CA.—A new report from online video technology provider Bitmovin finds that in 2018 the H.264/AVC video codec has continued to dominate video encoding used by developers around the world while the use of H.265/HEVC has grown significantly from 2017 to the present.

In its second year, the “Video Developer Report 2018” draws on the responses of 456 survey developer submissions from more than 67 countries to paint a picture of the current state of video streaming technology and what will be important over the next year.

Besides video codec technology, the report presents findings on other key streaming technology, such as streaming formats, software vs. hardware encoding, audio-video format delivery popularity, native playback and OTT streaming device technology, ad architecture and other topics.

[Read: Can Video Compression Tame The Internet?]

As in 2017, the results reveal that nine out of 10 developers continue to use H.264/AVC, while the percentage saying they are using H.265/HEVC has climbed from 28 percent in 2017 to 42 percent this year. VP9 saw a slight 1 percentage point uptick in the 2018 total to 11 percent, and AV1 remained flat at 6 percent.

Future plans for codec use paint a different picture. In 2017, 40 percent of developers said they planned to use H.265/HEVC in the 12 months, while 36 percent said the same this year; 18 percent said their plans called for using VP9 last year, while 15 percent said they did this year.

AV1 recorded the biggest increase with 14 percent in 2017 saying the codec would be used in 12 months, while 29 percent said so in 2018.

Other highlights of the report include: 82 percent saying they are using the HLS streaming format, while 61 percent use MPEG-DASH; 43 percent saying they use hardware encoders, while 54 percent use on-prem software encoders, and 38 percent use a software encoder in the cloud; and 52 percent saying they use client-side ad insertion, 44 percent saying they use server-side ad insertion and 25 percent saying they use dynamic ad replacement.

The free report is available online from Bitmovin. Registration is required.

The rise of online video has impacted media distribution at unprecedented levels. Providing great video quality is no longer a competitive advantage, but rather a “must have”—and the crux of this lies in how video is delivered. As the amount of data we need to get content delivered increases, new approaches to video compression are an absolute necessity.

Enter AV1, the open-source, next-generation, royalty-free alternative technology for delivering video over the internet.

[Read: Royalty-Free AV1 Codec Turned Loose]

Launched in late March 2018 by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), this new codec marked a significant shift in the balance of power in online entertainment by challenging traditional business models and enabling innovation in social video, mobile video, VR and online TV—all without having to pay historical IP owners. Backed by the biggest tech leaders—from Apple to Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Intel, Cisco and more recently Vimeo—AV1 is in solid standing to become a widespread standard in the future.

But what makes this new codec stand out?

These are five key encoding and decoding techniques that make AV1 an interesting choice to use in video streaming.

FILM GRAIN SYNTHESIS

Film grain occurs commonly in photographic film—most noticeably in over-enlarged pictures—but can also be applied digitally for artistic effect. During digital video compression, film grain creates massive problems as it is hard to recognize and creates a lot of traffic in the bitstream—leading to high bitrate requirements for transmitting very little information. Since the information is of little value for the perceived quality, finding a way to not transfer the information with the bitstream—but rather re-apply it later—is a desirable solution.

This idea forms the base for AV1’s film grain synthesis. The goal is to de-noise the initial content before encoding it and then re-add the noise or grain effect before output during the decoding process. This way, the unnecessary information does not have to be transmitted at all and the overall load of data can be reduced substantially. The potential in bandwidth savings for content providers using this technology is enormous. 

CONSTRAINED DIRECTIONAL ENHANCEMENT FILTER

Filtering is an essential process in every video codec, drastically increasing the perceived quality of an encoded video as well as the overall coding performance. AV1 contains various sets of filters, most of which are derived from existing codecs.

The Constrained Directional Enhancement Filter is among the most impactful of additions to the range of filters. CDEF merges two existing filters: a directional de-ringing filter and the constrained low pass filter (CLPF). CLPF is applied to filter out artifacts that stem from quantization errors and have not been corrected through the preceding application of a de-blocking filter. The directional de-ringing filter works by recognizing edges within each block and identifying their orientation. It then conditionally applies a directional low-pass filter along those edges, resulting in a smoother picture.

CDEF merges the two filters and works by analyzing the contents of each block – smoothing out artifacts along edges and de-blocking the picture. The search for the filtering parameters—direction and variance—is applied on the decoder’s end, after the actual video has already been encoded. The filtering process is also performed by the encoder, in order to get the correct reference frames. Since the filtering operation can be run on the consumer hardware, required network bandwidth can be reduced—and with it, the traffic load. 

WARPED MOTION AND GLOBAL MOTION COMPENSATION

Predicting and compensating motions is an important principle in video compression. It reduces redundant information that would otherwise be part of a bitstream, hence increasing the amount of data being transmitted. Warped motion compensation is a particularly interesting technique that predicts spatial movement trajectories within videos. Based on calculated predictions, redundant information is identified and omitted in the coding process, resulting in a significant reduction in the required data load.

Global motion compensation predicts motions for an entire frame and uses this analysis to limit the amount of information transmitted in the bitstream. Motion-compensation algorithms have been used and theorized on for some time, but only on a two-dimensional level. AV1 marks the first time that non-planar motion compensation has been implemented into a video codec. Particularly suited to predict large area movements, like background motion or camera movements, this technique can also handle consistent backgrounds and color schemes very effectively, which is one of the reasons why animated videos tend to deliver great encoding results—even with very high levels of compression.

INCREASED CODING UNIT SIZE UP TO 128 x 128

As video resolutions keep getting larger, an increase in block size is an effective way to scale the compression process along with high resolution contents. Each frame is partitioned up into individual coding units or blocks, which are then processed individually during the coding procedure. Consequently, smaller resolutions like 1280×720 (720p) can be divided into blocks with an individual size of 64×64 quite easily, whereas the same block size is less practical for large resolutions, such as 7680×4320 (8K UHD).

NON-BINARY ARITHMETIC CODING

This technique is an interesting change from other codecs like HEVC or AVC. For those, every symbol which is entered into the arithmetic coding engine has to be binary. With AV1, these symbols can also be non-binary—meaning that they can have up to eight possible values instead of just two. The symbols are then processed by the arithmetic coding engine, which produces a binary bitstream as output. Both ends—encoder and decoder—operate using probability calculations to estimate how many output bits will be created from a given symbol. 

Theoretically, any given input symbol could therefore produce multiple bits or even just a fraction of a bit. Although non-binary coding renders the coding process more complex by combining multiple values into a single symbol, it is still less complex than if it were one bit per symbol. One major benefit lies in the possibility to process more symbols per clock cycle using this procedure. As clock cycles have to be performed serially, non-binary coding achieves improvements by allowing multiple symbols to be handled during each serial cycle.

Over the last decade, video delivery has evolved rapidly. Up until now, a lot of the focus has been on video quality and improving the user experience, but the attention is now on video delivery—especially AV1. This codec is going to have massive impact on the world of video streaming in the near future. User demand for high-quality video streaming is already high, and the coming generation of high resolution mobile devices and VR-enabled devices is about to push its way into mainstream availability. Incorporating AV1, and the newer enhancements that come with it, will enable content providers to dynamically serve AV1-encoded content to users with compatible and complex systems.

Christopher Mueller is the CTO and co-founder of Bitmovin.

[Editor's Note: Stewart Wolpin is a TWICE contributor and HEVC analyst for Digital Technology Consulting.]

We're all familiar with format wars — VHS v. Beta, Blu-ray v. HD-DVD, even the 19th century's AC v. DC war of the currents. What you may not be familiar with is the current 4K video compression format war between HEVC (High-Efficient Video Coding, aka H.265), Google's VP9, and a new and potentially disruptive entrant, AV1 from the Alliance for Open Media(AOM).

The question is, is this format war too inside-baseball for most CE retailers and vendors to worry about?

"Device makers include media processors that decode multiple compression technologies," said Myra Moore, president of Digital Tech Consulting, "and it's in their best interest to make sure the most commonly used ones are included."

"[Vendors] will care because every additional codec they need to support adds to the development and [bill of materials] cost of a device," added John Luther, senior VP of technology for JW Player, a web video platform.

For more than a decade, the MPEG-based H.264 format has been pretty much the only HD video codec game in town. Nearly all devices that record or playback 1080 or 720 video include H.264.

[Read: ITU, ISO Prepare For Next-Gen Video Codec]

But 4K video is quickly becoming increasingly ubiquitous. 4K, however, with files four times the pixel size of standard HD, presents problems for both streaming and storage. HEVC shrinks 4K files to roughly nearly the same size as H.264 for HD files of similar length.

Creating the right 4K video codec presents varying challenges based on multiple factors, including:

• delivery platform: web browsers, streaming, broadcast;
• device: mobile, smart TV, set-top box (i.e. Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV), PC;
• technical variables: i.e. HDR, which H.264 can't handle; and
• economics: encoding, storage and royalty costs.

As a result, the 4K video codec market has splintered. "There is a tremendous amount of opportunity in this field," observed Paul MacDougall, solution architect for BitMovin, a Cloud-based video encoding service. "Many different people and organizations [are] trying to capitalize on that opportunity in whatever way they can."

[Read: To Be or Not to Be UHD-That is the Question]

HEVC has established itself as the de facto standard for most 4K content providers, and for all smart TVs and smartphones, including the iPhone. But VP9 is the 4K codec of choice for Android, Windows (but, oddly, not Internet Explorer) and YouTube, as well as browsers including Google's Chrome and Firefox. Most TV and smartphone chipsets include capabilities for both HEVC and VP9.

For hardware vendors, HEVC's primary headache is its confusing royalty structure, administered by three different patent groups — MPEG LA, HEVC Advance and Velos Media. VP9 and the pending AV1, however, promise to be royalty-free, but questions remain about their IP status.

"HEVC IP owners, particularly those in the Velos Media Pool, have created the worst case of self-inflicted FUD [fear, uncertainty, doubt] in the history of technology," said Jan Ozer, author and codec consultant. "[Vendors] need to know everything about royalties for H.264/HEVC, plus IP rights relating to VP9/AV1. It's a huge expense."

AOM's AV1, whose backers include Amazon, Apple, Cisco, Facebook, Google, IBM, Intel, Microsoft and Netflix, promises to be superior to HEVC and VP9, and holds the most promise for becoming a single 4K codec standard — one day.

"AV1 won’t appear in hardware until 2020," Ozer reported. "That’s the next seismic event. Between then and now, we’ll learn a lot more about performance and IP status. It will be as an open-source alternative to HEVC in markets where HEVC doesn’t serve, like computer-based browser playback. Until 2020, all this discussion is just noise for CE retailers." 

This article originally appeared in TWICE.

Facebook has begun trials of new video compression technology AV1.

The social networking site said in a blog post that the trial “allows engineers and the general public to view sample AV1 content today.”

Facebook is testing delivering AV1-encoded video over MPEG-DASH on Chrome Canary, an experimental version of the Chrome browser.

The initial trial is using an earlier version of AV1, but Facebook said it plans to switch to the official AV1 release version once major web browsers such as Chrome and Firefox have implemented the new codec.

Facebook also said AV1 has some caveats, as it requires longer encoding times than current alternatives because of the increased complexity.

To help to overcome the slow performance of the AV1 encoder, Facebook is using a “segment-based encoding approach” that splits the video into smaller segment files.

“In the context of distributed video encoding and processing, per-segment tasks are executed in parallel for every video segment of a given input video so that it allows us to speed up the overall AV1 encoding almost linearly with the number of tasks allocated to the encoding cluster,” Facebook engineers Daniel Baulig and Yu Liu said.

NEW YORK--With giants such as Netflix, Amazon, Facebook, Google and Microsoft in its corner, the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) has released the 1.0 version of AV1, a next-gen, royalty-free codec that claims to have a 30 percent bit-rate efficiency edge over current-gen technologies like VP9 and HEVC.

The consortium is releasing AV1 in the hopes that it will deliver improved bandwidth efficiencies amid the move to video formats with more pixels (like 4K and 8K), better pixels (High Dynamic Range and Wide Color Gamut), as well as the emergence of 360-degree video, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) apps and services that need to be smooth and are poised to ratchet up bit rate requirements on TV screens, laptops, tablets and smartphones.

Though AV1, which is also claimed to have a 65% bandwidth savings over AVC/H.264, could eventually find itself a home inside set-top boxes and, perhaps even further out broadcast TV signals, it’s expected to initially find adoption on web browsers and other types of OTT streaming devices.

Though AV1, which is also claimed to have a 65% bandwidth savings over AVC/H.264, could eventually find itself a home inside set-top boxes and, perhaps even further out broadcast TV signals, it’s expected to initially find adoption on web browsers and other types of OTT streaming devices.

“Video is changing the way the internet is evolving,” Gabe Frost, the executive director and a founding board member of AOMedia and a principal engineering manager for Microsoft’s operating systems group, said in an interview.

Another chief aim for AV1 and its royalty-free model is to eliminate some of the pricing uncertainty that has enveloped codecs like HEVC, which has been saddled by multiple patent pools and little in the way of uniformity on rates.

The current codec market is “gummed up” due to the cost uncertainty, Frost said, and has likewise caused friction between technology innovators that those that want to charge for patented technologies that can help them.

AOMedia, launched in 2015, was formed with the core idea that the underlying video codec technology had become a commodity, and that a royalty-free model represented the best path forward.

“We all use it; it all gets baked into silicon,” Frost said.

The plan with AV1 then focused on how a new approach, despite being royalty-free, could still “create a viable business model to move the industry forward, with some certainty around the costs of producing these codecs,” he explained.

[Read: Report: HEVC Poised To Become Codec Of Choice]

While that idea was spawned by early meetings with Microsoft and Google, it later expanded to include several other in the ecosystem, including chipmakers, distributors, web services companies and video equipment makers that would be willing to provide their intellectual property under the royalty-free model.

Examples of founding members of AOMedia include Amazon, Apple, ARM, Cisco Systems, Facebook, Google, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Mozilla, Netflix and Nvidia. Promoter members include Adobe, CableLabs, Bitmovin, Hulu, Vidyo, and Broadcom, among others.

Frost said every member company of AOMedia signs an agreement that licenses the essential technology that’s used in the final AV1 codec on a royalty-free basis. And those that implement it likewise sign a cross-patent license agreement that says they’re free to use AV1 at no cost, but that if they hold any essential patents, those are licensed to other AOMedia members on a royalty-free basis.

“We wanted to make sure we had a licensing infrastructure set up where we could create a durable, royalty-free ecosystem,” Frost said, noting that companies with patents used for codecs such as HEVC and H.264 are free to license those same patents under other terms, such as those that are governed by AV1.

The hope is that the model will accelerate the adoption cycle of VC1 and spark advancements across software, silicon, devices and connectivity and push the market forward for all stakeholders.

“Royalty-free doesn’t mean that people aren’t making money off the technology,” Frost said.

[Read: ITU, ISO Prepare For Next-Gen Video Codec]

As for near-term expectations, Frost said desktop browsers will start to support AV1 later this year, and see it start to show up on devices such as gaming consoles towards the end of 2018 or into 2019.

In a presentation about the release, AOMedia noted that AV1 would be “coming to a screen near you,” with examples that included Twitch, Facebook, Android, Amazon Prime Video, Chromebook, Chrome, Google Play, Netflix, Windows, Xbox One, Daydream (Google’s VR platform), Skype, and YouTube.

“It will be 2020 when we see it available on all new silicon that comes out,” Frost predicted.

Michelle Abraham, senior analyst, media and communications at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said the buy-in among a wide number of companies and players gives AV1 a “good opportunity” to make waves in the video codec market.

She sees its greatest opportunity coming from video streaming and OTT, but doesn’t expect to see it widely used by broadcasters, who typically go with technologies that are tied to international standards bodies.

There’s also a question about whether the latency requirements of broadcasters will be suited to AV1, at least in its initial release.

AV1 will be getting some play at next month’s NAB show in Las Vegas, including demos on April 10 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the South Upper Hall Destination NXT Stage.

A panel is also slated for April 11 starting at 3:20 p.m. at the North Hall (N257) that will feature Microsoft’s Gabe Frost, Google’s Matt Frost, Intel’s Zach Hamm, Bitmovin’s Stefan Lederer, Microsoft’s David Rudin, and Netflix’s Mark Watson.

This article originally appeared in TV Technology sister publication, Multichannel News