- The AV2 specification will be published at the end of 2025
- More efficient video transmission with multiple capacity
- The specification is a plan and will need the support of hardware companies
The launch of a new video codec is usually not a big problem. But AV2 could be very important. The Alliance for Open Media has announced that it plans to launch the new CODEC at the end of this year, and 53% of its members say they will adopt it within 12 months after the final launch.
Since AOM members include Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Netflix and Samsung, and that is only the Steering Committee, that means that this could be a great step forward. AV2 promises some very large improvements in which the transmission can deliver, although we will not obtain the details until the specification has been completed.
AV2 focuses on delivering more videos using less data, reducing the load on the network without also reducing the fidelity of what you are seeing. As we move towards a higher resolution transmission, that will become increasingly important. And AV2 more than simply extract more video in the same transmission.
AV2: The Streaming Boogaloo
AV2 is the successor of AV1, which was created as a free -free alternative to the HEVC video codec. It has been used by Netflix and YouTube (and the adult industry, which is always a remarkable element in any format war …) and offers the same quality at lower bits rates than rival codecs.
According to the alliance, AV2 “It provides improved support for AR/VR applications, divided screen delivery of multiple programs, improved screen content and the ability to operate in a widest range of visual quality. “
This divided screen option is particularly interesting, because it opens interesting possibilities for sports and other live events broadcasts. And because we are optimistic types, we interpret the “broader visual quality range” to mean the possibility of a higher quality transmission instead of low and average quality.
If the members of the Alliance do what they say they will, 88% of them will adopt AV2 within two years after their release. But that does not necessarily mean that they use it for everything: there are other advanced codecs, such as H.266 / VVC, which also improve in HEVC, and must also be compatible with receptors, televisions, computers and smartphones.
But it certainly seems that AV2 could work among some of the best transmission services and in some of the best televisions, and I am sure that the recently announced Dolby Vision 2 HDR will be a factor in its support or deployment.
