Video Encoding, Codec & Transcoding News

Open Broadcast Systems has added 200 Gigabit Ethernet support to its software-based encoders and decoders, enabling higher-density video processing and bulk IP/cloud transport in a single COTS server. The update targets workflows that need large-scale conversion between ST-2110 and MPEG-TS/SRT for broadcasters and media companies. The company positions this as the first known 200G-capable encode/decode solution in the market, aimed at supporting higher-capacity IP and cloud deployments.

The article discusses Time Addressable Media Store (TAMS), an open-source, cloud-native API that enables broadcasters to access short, time-based media segments instead of large linear files, aiming to improve speed, scalability, and workflow flexibility. Industry figures from AWS, Techex, Sky, the BBC, and Elliott Media describe how TAMS can serve as an agnostic handoff point for live and recorded content, support ST 2110-like essences, and align with cloud, automation, and AI strategies, while also highlighting challenges such as access control and content organization. The piece frames TAMS as a potential foundation for more agile, streaming-like operations in traditional broadcast environments.

The article describes how Formula 1’s F1 TV Premium subscription tier, launched for the 2025 season, uses AWS infrastructure to deliver a multi-feed UHD HDR streaming experience. It details a workflow involving synchronized timecode across 24 feeds, encoding via AWS Media Services with epoch locking, CMAF packaging, global delivery through Amazon CloudFront, and HEVC tile encoding to enable customizable, synchronized multiview layouts for fans.

The article summarizes an interview with David Ronca about VCAT Beta 4.0, an open-source video codec benchmarking tool now supporting VVC software decode via Fraunhofer's VVdeC, along with new test vector management features. It details how VCAT is used to characterize software decoding performance on a wide range of Android devices, compares AV1 and VVC battery/thermal behavior, and outlines a roadmap for future encoder, GPU, and AI codec benchmarking capabilities.

A contributed article argues that sports streaming piracy has become an industrialized, automated operation and cites estimates including $28B+ in annual global sports losses and 24% of 2024 live sports consumption occurring via piracy. It describes common attack paths such as compromised content decryption modules (CDMs), key extraction, automated restreaming, CDN mirroring, and social distribution, and recommends a coordinated defense combining hardened DRM verification, AI-assisted detection with human review, and session-level forensic watermarking for attribution and enforcement.

LiveU is using NAB Show 2026 to highlight an expanded IP-video ecosystem, centered on the new LU900Q intelligent field unit with native LIQ connectivity, and supported by the LiveU Nexus gateway and LiveU Schedule automation tool. The company is also showcasing enhancements to its cloud-based LiveU Studio production platform and Actus Digital’s Actus X monitoring suite, including low-latency multiviewing, ATSC 3.0 monitoring, and AI-enabled automation. The solutions target broadcasters’ shift to digital-first, cloud-native live production and IP contribution across news, sports, and live events.

The article discusses findings from the 2026 NETINT Technologies State of Encoding Survey indicating a sharp increase in AV1 adoption, with 17% of respondents using AV1 in production today and 40% planning deployment in 2026. It highlights the high computational cost of software-based AV1 encoding as a key barrier and describes a resulting shift toward dedicated hardware acceleration (VPUs and GPUs) to manage OPEX and enable scalable next-gen codec workflows.

This article is the second part of a webinar recap from AOMedia, focusing on a panel discussion about its AV1 and AV2 codecs. The discussion covered key milestones in AV1 adoption over the past decade.

AOMedia released a draft of the AV2 specification for open public review and announced that AV1 now accounts for 30% of Netflix's global streaming traffic and over 70% of Meta users' video consumption. Additionally, AOMedia detailed progress on its Polygonal Mesh Coding (PMC) standard for 3D volumetric content and the AVIF 1.2 image format, while also welcoming new members including Disney and MediaKind.

VisualOn released a whitepaper summarizing an independent evaluation by The Channel Store (part of TVUP Media Group) that compares its AI-driven VisualOn Optimizer against traditional CBR and CRF encoding in production-grade VOD workflows. The study, using H.264 software encoding with FFmpeg, reports up to 65% bitrate savings, similar or slightly improved VMAF scores, faster encoding times, and lower CPU usage across a range of content types. The results emphasize that the Optimizer can be integrated into existing FFmpeg-based workflows for OTT and broadcaster deployments.

Netflix announced that AV1 now powers 30% of its streaming, making it their second most-used codec. The company highlights AV1's role in delivering higher video quality (4.3 VMAF points higher than AVC, 0.9 higher than HEVC) at lower bandwidth (one-third less than AVC/HEVC), leading to 45% fewer buffering interruptions, and driving network efficiency for its Open Connect CDN. Netflix also details AV1's use in advanced features like HDR10+ and Film Grain Synthesis, and its potential application in live streaming and cloud gaming.

Netflix reports that AV1 now powers 30% of its streaming, becoming its second most-used codec, offering improved video quality and reduced bandwidth. The company has expanded AV1 adoption from Android to smart TVs, web browsers, and Apple devices, and is exploring its use for live streaming and cloud gaming with features like HDR10+ and Film Grain Synthesis.

The Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) announced its next-generation AV2 codec is set for release by year-end, positioning it to be more efficient than AV1 and competitive with VVC. AOMedia expects a faster adoption rate for AV2, with 53% of members planning implementation within 12 months, and 88% within two years of release. AV2 is designed with enhanced support for AR/VR applications, split-screen delivery, improved handling of screen content, and a wider visual quality range.

DEEPX announced the DX-H1 V-NPU, an edge AI semiconductor that integrates video decoding, encoding, and transcoding with AI inference capabilities. This PCIe card is designed for real-time, large-scale video monitoring and processing, offering up to 50 TOPS (INT8) AI performance and supporting 64-channel H.264/265 1080P/30fps video decoding and 32-channel encoding at 30W power consumption.

Datazoom announced a new Remote Instrumentation feature that allows users to collect custom events and metadata from JavaScript applications on-demand. This enables targeting CSS selectors, defining interaction types, and enforcing data types without requiring app releases. The update aims to expedite data collection for streaming applications.

This AOMedia article highlights the development and adoption of SVT-AV1, an open-source video encoder, noting its origins as an Intel and Netflix project and its current status as a flagship project of AOMedia's SIWG. The encoder offers significant compute scalability and bitrate efficiency improvements, including a "fast-decode" mode for older mobile devices. Meta uses SVT-AV1 for over 50% of video watch time on Facebook and Instagram.

This article analyzes the state of the video codec market in 2025, detailing the slow adoption of newer codecs like AV1, VVC, and LCEVC by independent premium-content publishers, primarily due to a lack of a "killer app" equivalent to HEVC's 4K/HDR wave and evolving royalty models. It highlights the continued dominance of H.264 and HEVC, the nascent development of H.267 and AI-based codecs, and the growing impact of patent pools, such as Access Advance's new Video Distribution Patent (VDP) Pool, which aims to license HEVC, VVC, AV1, and VP9 content.

HISPlayer publishes product details for Unity and Unreal Engine video player SDKs targeting Meta Quest, positioned to enable playback of existing OTT, sports, and live streams without re-encoding and with DRM support. The page lists supported formats and protocols (HLS, DASH, WebRTC), performance claims (GPU acceleration, Vulkan/OpenGL optimization), and features including 4K/8K stereoscopic playback, multiview/multistream sync, and Widevine L1 DRM. It also references optional hosting via HISPlayer and use cases with brands including T-Mobile/Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, and Megogo VR, plus ad insertion and audio features such as Dolby codecs/Atmos.

Visionular compares its Aurora1 AV1 encoder against x264 (H.264) for real-time communications (RTC) and WebRTC-oriented use cases, emphasizing screen content coding (SCC) and temporal scalability. The article reports internal test results claiming large BD-rate bitrate reductions versus x264 for 1080p screen content at real-time speeds on CPU, and additional comparisons for camera content on a PC CPU and for low-resolution mobile encoding on a Snapdragon 845 versus x264 and libvpx-VP9.

This article from Wowza provides an educational overview of Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) streaming, detailing how it works by transcoding and segmenting video data into an 'encoding ladder' for dynamic adaptation. It explains the process from video encoding and transcoding to client-side playback, highlighting the benefits of ABR for optimizing video quality and minimizing buffering across various devices and network conditions. The article also discusses standard protocols compatible with ABR, including HLS and MPEG-DASH, and positions Wowza's products as solutions for implementing ABR.

An analysis from Dolby OptiView details how Group of Pictures (GOP) size impacts video bitrate, quality, and latency in LL-HLS streaming. The study demonstrates that increasing GOP size can reduce bandwidth consumption and improve video quality, but at the cost of increased zapping time and potential latency. Different video types show varying degrees of impact on bitrate and VMAF scores.

Netflix described its engineering efforts to deliver high-quality audio for its streaming service. The article focuses on technical aspects of achieving a studio-quality audio experience through streaming algorithms and audio algorithms.

FFmpeg released version 0.9, introducing new functionality to correct audio synchronization issues in video files using command-line parameters. This update allows users to delay audio tracks without re-encoding, which streamlines content preparation workflows. The article provides a technical guide on how to implement this fix.