AV1 gains ground as 4K, 8K video costs fall
The article discusses the growing adoption of the AV1 video codec, replacing H.264 as the industry standard due to its superior compression efficiency for 4K and 8K video. It highlights AV1's open-source and royalty-free nature, which facilitates widespread deployment by major technology companies and enables enhanced capabilities for various video applications, including streaming and surveillance, in 2026 and beyond.
Key Takeaways
- AV1 offers 30% to 50% better compression efficiency for 4K and 8K video than H.264, according to the article.
- Google, Netflix, and Amazon are already deploying AV1 at scale, and the article says YouTube and Netflix viewing uses it today.
- AV1 is open-source and royalty-free, unlike H.265, whose licensing costs slowed adoption.
- The article says IoT edge devices, VMS, and NVRs will support AV1 at scale in 2026.
- Lower bit rates and reduced storage needs matter as data center demand drives storage costs higher.
Why It Matters
For streaming and video infrastructure teams, AV1 means higher-resolution video can be stored and moved with less bandwidth and less storage than H.264, especially for 4K and 8K workloads. The article ties that shift to a broader ecosystem already using AV1 in Google Chrome, YouTube, Netflix, Windows, and macOS, which lowers friction for wider deployment across browsers, apps, and cloud workflows. The next concrete signal to watch is whether IoT edge devices, VMS, and NVRs reach the article’s 2026 AV1-at-scale milestone.
Read full article at axis.smh.re
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