AV1 in Motion: Scaling Adoption and Shaping What’s Next
AOMedia Video 1 (AV1) is likely the most widely recognized technology developed by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) since its founding in 2015. An open video codec designed to provide high-quality video compression with greater efficiency, AV1 has both evolved significantly since its 2018 launch and served as the foundation for several other specs produced by the organization. With AOMedia celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, we reached out to Adrian Grange and Andrey Norkin, co-chairs of the Codec Working Group (CWG) – the team responsible for AV1’s creation and advancement – to learn more about the spec’s timeline, adoption and future.
Advancements and Adoption
As an emerging global standard, AV1 is deployed across a wide range of popular platforms and devices, making video content more accessible and cost-effective for all. The codec enables high-quality video and lowers streaming and storage costs, offering significant reductions in file size, without compromising quality. AV1 is optimized for high-resolution content such as 4K video and supports modern technologies like adaptive streaming and HDR content.
“Since the CWG was launched, its focus has been to develop state-of-the-art video codec technology, under AOMedia’s royalty-free patent policy ,” explained Grange. “We want to help all service providers by advancing the industry and unlocking new possibilities for video technology. Ultimately, the goal is to bring next-generation media experiences to more people, faster.”
AV1 technology has come a long way since it was first released, with numerous advancements and increasing adoption across a host of innovators in the video space. The AOMedia Adoption Showcase highlights how some of the world’s most recognizable brands are utilizing AV1 to deliver high-quality video, while also cutting streaming and storage costs. Click through to learn how companies like Google, Netfix, Meta and others have benefited from AV1.
In addition to powering video consumption, the codec has also served as a building block for additional AOMedia specifications. These include AVIF (AV1 Image File Format); the ISO base media file format (ISOBMFF), real-time transport protocol (RTP), high dynamic range 10 (HDR10) + ‘binding’ specs; and AOMedia Film Grain Synthesis 1 (AFGS1), which builds on AV1’s film grain synthesis algorithm to allow its application with any codec.
Building for the Future
Looking forward, the CWG is focused on advancing its next-generation video codec, which will build on the success of AV1. When asked about the projected evolution of the space, Grange noted that the video codec landscape is shifting from the traditional hybrid predict/transform architectures, prevalent for over 40 years, to solutions driven by machine learning and AI. This evolution includes ML-based enhancements to existing tools and end-to-end ML solutions that analyze content, source material characteristics, and display properties to optimize encoding. In the future, the industry may move away from custom ASIC-based hardware towards more flexible, software-friendly solutions leveraging on-device neural processing units, such as NPUs, GPUs, or CPUs. As the CWG progresses its flagship codec, it is working to enhance it to address the demands of this changing landscape.
The impact of AV1 over the past seven years is evident, and the efficient compression and affordable pricing it offers have made it an attractive codec option for an ever-growing list of organizations. As AOMedia looks to its next ten years, we’re sure to see exciting developments emerge in its next-generation codec that will lead to further adoption and improved video consumption.