In the world of digital media, the “Codec Wars” are often fought in silence, deep within the silicon of our smartphones and the server racks of YouTube. But for anyone streaming 4K Netflix or exploring VR, the winner of these wars dictates whether your video buffers or looks like a blurry mess.
Today, we are standing at the threshold of a new era. While AV1 is finally enjoying its “Golden Age” of hardware support, its successor, AV2, has officially entered the ring following AOMedia’s recent 10th-anniversary announcement. Here is everything you need to know about the transition from AV1 to AV2.
1. The Core Efficiency Leap
The primary goal of any new codec is simple: Better quality at lower bitrates. AV1 was a massive success, offering roughly 30% better efficiency than the aging HEVC (H.265) standard. However, AV2 targets an additional 30% to 40% reduction beyond AV1.
This means that by the time AV2 is fully deployed, we will be streaming 8K video at the same bandwidth costs we currently pay for 4K. Early 2025 benchmarks already show that for 4K content, AV2 can deliver a 20-25% bitrate saving over highly optimized AV1 encoders.
Funktion | AV1 (Current Standard) | AV2 (Next-Gen) |
|---|---|---|
Bitrate Efficiency | ~30% better than HEVC | ~30-40% better than AV1 |
Max Resolution | 8K | 16K (Ready for the future) |
Hardware Status | Fully Integrated (RTX 40, iPhone 15+) | Silicon Development (Expected 2026) |
Kosten | Royalty-Free | Royalty-Free |
2. Why AV2 is a "Smarter" Codec
If AV1 was built on better math, AV2 is built on better models. The Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) has introduced several “killer features” that make AV2 technically superior:
Immersive & Interactive Features
AV2 isn’t just about compression; it’s about new ways of viewing. It introduces native support for AR/VR applications und split-screen delivery, allowing multiple synchronized views to travel within a single stream. This is a massive upgrade for live sports where viewers want to toggle between different camera angles without reloading the stream.
Non-Linear Motion Modeling
Traditional codecs assume pixels move in straight lines. AV2 understands that in the real world, things rotate, zoom, and warp. Its new motion-prediction models can describe a complex camera zoom using a single mathematical formula rather than thousands of data-heavy motion vectors.
Granular Intra-Prediction
To eliminate the “banding” (ugly lines in a blue sky) that plagues lower-quality streams, AV2 uses significantly more directional angles and improved temporal filtering to guess what a pixel should look like based on its neighbors.
Native Super-Resolution
AV2 includes native support for internal super-resolution, allowing a service to send a lower-resolution stream that your TV intelligently “reconstructs” into 4K or 8K at the hardware level, maintaining sharpness that traditional upscaling simply can’t match.
3. The Power Paradox: Computational Cost
There is no such thing as a free lunch. The extreme efficiency of AV2 comes at a price: Computational Complexity.
Currently, encoding video in AV2 takes 2 to 4 times longer than AV1. This is why you won’t see your favorite YouTuber switching to AV2 tomorrow. Until we have dedicated hardware encoders (like future versions of NVIDIA’s NVENC or Apple’s Media Engine), AV2 will remain a tool for giant platforms like Netflix and YouTube that can afford to “pre-bake” their top-tier movies into the new format.
4. AV2 vs. VVC (H.266): The Rivalry
The biggest competitor to AV2 isn’t AV1 it’s VVC (Versatile Video Coding).
VVC is the “industry” codec, backed by companies like Sony and Samsung. It is technically brilliant but relies on the same complex, expensive licensing models that hindered HEVC.
AV2 is the “internet” codec, backed by Google, Meta, and Amazon. It remains completely royalty-free, making it the clear favorite for web-based delivery.
5. When Can You Use It? (The Roadmap)
If you’re waiting for AV2 to arrive on your phone, you’ll need some patience:
Late 2025: Final specification release and initial reference encoder implementations.
2026: First consumer devices with AV2 hardware support begin to emerge.
2027 – 2028: Mainstream adoption in flagship smartphones and high-end Smart TVs.
2030: AV2 becomes the industry baseline for 8K streaming and Cloud Gaming.
The Bottom Line
AV1 is the codec of heute, currently used for over 70% of watch time on platforms like Meta and Facebook. If you’re building a media library or starting a stream right now, AV1 is your best friend. But AV2 is the codec of the next decade. It represents the final bridge to 16K immersion and a world where “buffering” is a relic of the past.
Last Updated: January 2026
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