The Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) has initiated testing and deployment of the AV2 video codec standard just four months after its official release. Google has already demonstrated AV2 playback capabilities within the Chrome browser, while YouTube aims to launch AV2-based streaming on its web platform by early 2027.
AV2 serves as the successor to the AV1 codec and was developed by a consortium including Amazon, Apple, Google, Intel, Netflix, Samsung, and Tencent. According to AOMedia, the new format offers approximately 30% higher compression efficiency compared to AV1, allowing for superior image quality at similar or lower bandwidth requirements.
The codec introduces support for multi-stream video, real-time communication, immersive media, higher frame rates, and improved HDR capabilities. These features are designed to enhance multi-view experiences, video conferencing, and advanced visual content delivery across various digital platforms.
YouTube reports that as of March 2026, over 90% of its content catalog, weighted by watch time, is available in the AV1 format. While YouTube has set a clear timeline for AV2, other major industry players like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are currently evaluating the technology without having announced specific implementation dates.
Full-scale adoption of AV2 remains in the development phase. AOMedia members are currently focused on refining encoders and decoders, conducting interoperability testing, and preparing the necessary hardware and content production infrastructure to support the new standard.
