The AV2 Video Standard Has Released (Final v1.0 Specification)

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Adoption timeline & performance

  • AV2 spec is finalized but current reference encoder is extremely slow (~1 fps on good hardware) and considered unusable for real workloads.
  • Many expect practical hardware-accelerated AV2 chips around 2028, with mainstream streaming adoption closer to 2030–2032.
  • Some argue that, as with AV1, faster software encoders will emerge now that the spec is frozen, but true realtime will still need hardware.

Efficiency gains and codec value

  • Reported gains are roughly 20–30% bitrate savings over AV1.
  • Several commenters question whether this modest improvement is worth a whole new generation, noting original targets were higher (40–50%).
  • Others say the main value is not just compression efficiency but new features.

Features: multi-stream, VR, and video conferencing

  • Multi-stream / scalable video support is highlighted as a major AV2 feature, especially for VR, live sports, and flexible quality layers.
  • Some note similar ideas existed in earlier standards (H.264 MVC/SVC).
  • Debate over software vs hardware encoding for video calls:
    • One side claims AV1 software encoding can be viable at low resolutions/bitrates, even on mobile.
    • Others insist large-scale mobile apps rely on hardware encoding for power and latency reasons; software AV1 would drain batteries quickly.

Hardware acceleration and devices

  • Anything battery-powered is seen as needing hardware decoding/encoding; PCs can tolerate slow software encoding for non-realtime tasks.
  • Use cases for PC hardware encoders: video calls, live streaming, screen recording, game streaming, realtime transcoding, and smoother video export.
  • Some fear AV2 hardware support on PCs may be delayed by chipmaking priorities (AI/NPUs taking silicon budget).

Patents and “royalty-free” concerns

  • AV1 already faces patent lawsuits (e.g., from Dolby); AV2 is expected to attract similar scrutiny.
  • Opinions range from confidence that claims will fail, to worry that late-breaking patent assertions can trap the ecosystem after years of adoption.
  • AV-family codecs are still seen as legally safer than HEVC, which requires negotiating with multiple patent pools and additional holders.

Images (AVIF / JPEG XL)

  • Interest in how AV2 might improve AVIF; AVIF is praised for low-bitrate quality, HDR, transparency, and browser support.
  • Critics say AVIF is poor for lossless and grayscale, with weaker tooling than JPEG XL; many would prefer JPEG XL as a unified still-image format.