Allegro DVT integrates AV2 decoder IP just weeks after final specification

The immediate availability of silicon-ready AV2 IP signals a faster hardware trajectory than its predecessor, AV1, which took years to reach mainstream mobile and TV chips. By offering a multi-standard decoder that includes both VVC and AV2, Allegro DVT is future-proofing chip designs for a fragmented market where royalty-free and licensed standards will coexist. This launch forces competitors in the IP space to accelerate their own codec roadmaps to meet early demand from high-bandwidth platforms. Watch for the first consumer SoC announcements from major vendors using AV2-capable IP in late 2026 to see how quickly the delivery chain shifts.

The Alliance for Open Media officially released the AV2 specification on June 9, 2026, positioning it as a performant, royalty-free successor to AV1. According to AOMedia, the new standard aims for a 30% to 40% reduction in bandwidth requirements compared to AV1 while maintaining equivalent visual quality. Early industry testing, as reported by FlatpanelsHD in June 2026, confirms these efficiency gains, which are particularly impactful for high-bitrate 8K and immersive media workflows that have struggled with the higher licensing costs of the rival VVC (H.266) format.

While hardware IP is now reaching the market, mainstream device penetration remains a multi-year effort. Historically, AV1 required approximately five to seven years to move from specification to broad consumer availability. However, AOMedia noted in June 2026 that 53% of its member companies—which include tech giants like Google, Netflix, and Amazon—plan to adopt AV2 within 12 months. This aggressive timeline is supported by the early availability of third-party IP like Allegro DVT’s Pulsar series, which allows semiconductor firms to bypass lengthy internal R&D cycles.

Despite the 'royalty-free' branding, the AV2 ecosystem faces potential legal challenges similar to those seen with AV1. Per Streaming Media in September 2025, patent pools such as Sisvel have previously targeted open codecs, and legal analysts expect similar scrutiny for AV2 as it enters commercial deployment. This ongoing tension between open standards and patent holders continues to influence how C-level executives at streaming services approach their long-term encoding strategies, often leading to the multi-codec support seen in modern hardware like the Pulsar D400.