Your streams soon could be a whole lot slicker and gap-free, all thanks to a big leap in the video technology that drives platforms like YouTube and Netflix. The Alliance for Open Media is developing AV2, the next-generation royalty-free codec that’s driven by patents and designed to replace AV1 — and early signs point to nice gains in efficiency, quality and handling of congestion.
What AV2 is and why it matters for streaming quality
AV2 follows AV1, the open codec that has quietly become a workhorse for modern streaming. AV1’s signature feature is that it can produce high-quality video at lower bitrates than older codecs like H.264 and even HEVC, which means using less data to stream 4K movies, live sports, and user-generated clips. AV2 is intended to extend those savings with smarter compression that retains detail even while reducing bandwidth further.
That means, in practical terms, fewer buffering wheels during peak hours and crisper images at the same internet speed. It also means platforms may be able to deliver higher resolution and richer color without overtaxing home connections or mobile data plans.
Heavy hitters rallying behind the standard
The Alliance for Open Media has a long list of streaming titans and device manufacturers prominent as its members, including Netflix, Amazon, Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung. The group reports that more than half its members want to roll out AV2 within a year after its introduction, and nearly 90 percent of them think they will do so within two years. That kind of alignment is important: It means there’s less of a gap between when one of these technologies becomes a standard and you start to see the benefits on your TV, phone or laptop.
AV1’s path offers a blueprint. After launching in 2018, adoption picked up as browsers and smart TVs, consoles, GPUs, and mobile chipsets added hardware decoding. AV1 is already streamed for specific devices and titles on major platforms today. AV2 looks well-positioned for a faster ramp-up, in part because the ecosystem — and the business case for efficiency — is already existent.
Real-world impact on YouTube and Netflix
Video is the web’s powerhouse. Analysis by firms such as Sandvine routinely indicates that streaming represents about two-thirds of all downstream traffic worldwide. Even a low single-digit percent improvement in codec efficiency leads to potentially huge savings in bandwidth for services and ISPs and improved end-user quality of experience at scale.
Just don’t expect anything too dramatic: a diminished number of resolution dips during congested evening hours, smoother scrubbing through long videos, and less aggressive compression to fast-moving action in sports, gaming, and action sequences. On mobile, where signal strength fluctuates, the fact that AV2 can access a broader range of quality levels might keep video steady rather than lurching back and forth between sharp and blocky images.
For platforms managing large back catalogs along with live content, AV2 also lowers storage and delivery costs. Those savings often get reinvested into higher default bitrates for all premium tiers, more widespread HDR support, and wider availability of 4K streaming without requiring heavier data usage.
What all will need to happen in the shadows
Two things have to click: encoding in the cloud and decoding wherever you view something. Streaming services require efficient, production-ready encoders that can transcode libraries and live feeds to AV2 with no CPU or power penalty. On the other hand, TVs, smartphones, set-top boxes, gaming consoles, and web browsers need decoders — preferably in hardware — to let you play AV2 at a good speed.
The great news: the AV1 cycle primed the pump. Recent chips are already equipped with advanced media engines and AI-assisted encoding tools (see “Clever Encoders”), while the major cloud providers have fleets of machines that are optimized for next-gen codecs. As hardware upgrades are deployed, support for AV2 can ride on the conventional upgrade cycle.
Older devices will not be left out in the cold. Services normally keep a ladder of formats in place — H.264 for playback on anything, HEVC and AV1 for more recent hardware, and, in the future, AV2 where available. Your app will negotiate the best option available, automatically.
Designed for AR/VR and multi-view experiences
One of the key goals for AV2 is improved immersive and interactive video support. High-resolution 360-degree content and XR applications necessitate very high efficiency, at both frame rates and resolution as well as varying focus areas. AV2’s toolset is being optimized for these workloads, which could result in lower motion artifacts and latency in headsets while still keeping bandwidth at bay.
There’s also momentum around multi-view streaming — think multiple camera angles for live sports or tiled watch-alongs. Better compression and smarter stream segmentation can deliver those features without multiplying data costs.
How soon you will feel the difference in streaming
Expect a phased rollout. “Stuff that’s live and on our highest-traffic titles, usually,” are first, with back-catalog stuff as part of scheduled re-encodes coming in after that. Early adopters will likely see the AV2 streams first on their newer TVs, streaming sticks, and flagship phones, entering into broader availability as apps get updated and hardware support grows.
The bottom line: AV2 is not merely an exercise in a lab. With heavyweight contributors on board, a tested open-governance model, and clear economic incentives in place, the new codec is poised to make normal streaming look better and buffer less — often without you needing to touch any settings.