Why AV1 is worth your time right now
AV1 is no longer an experiment. It is a mainstream, royalty-free video codec with strong decode support on new phones, TVs, laptops, and browsers. Platforms like YouTube and Netflix ship AV1 today for real users. With careful setup, you can cut bitrate 20–40% over H.264 and still improve visual quality, especially for high-motion scenes and detailed textures. That saves bandwidth, reduces buffering, and makes 4K HDR more practical.
The trade‑offs are real. AV1 encoding is heavier than H.264 and still heavier than many HEVC presets at the same quality. If you run a video platform—or even a mid-size catalog—encoding cost and latency matter. The good news: modern encoders (SVT‑AV1, libaom, and hardware encoders on NVIDIA/Intel/AMD) make AV1 viable for both VOD and certain live workflows. With a smart ladder and good packaging, you can deliver great quality without breaking budgets.
Plan an encoding ladder you can maintain
Your ladder decides quality, startup time, and costs. Resist the urge to copy a generic table from the web. Build a ladder that matches your content, audience, and devices. Start simple, measure, then refine.
Start with a compact baseline
For general-purpose content (mixed motion, UGC, tutorials), a minimal AV1 ladder might look like this:
- 2160p (4K) — 10–14 Mbps, 10‑bit, film grain synthesis off unless you need it
- 1440p — 6–9 Mbps
- 1080p — 3–5 Mbps
- 720p — 1.8–3 Mbps
- 540p — 1.2–1.8 Mbps
- 360p — 0.6–0.9 Mbps
- 240p — 0.35–0.5 Mbps
These ranges are a starting point. Always tune with objective metrics (VMAF, PSNR-HVS, SSIM) and subjective viewing on real screens. Per-title tuning usually cuts 10–30% off those bitrates without hurting quality.
Pick your encoder and preset wisely
For VOD, SVT‑AV1 and libaom are the usual choices. SVT‑AV1 is fast and competitive; libaom can squeeze out extra quality at the cost of time. The right balance:
- SVT‑AV1: Use presets 6–8 for balanced speed/quality. Set enable-tpl-la=1 and scd=1 for better temporal decisions. Consider film-grain-denoise=1 if you plan to resynthesize grain.
- libaom: Use speed 2–4 for VOD; enable row-mt=1 and tile-columns for parallelism. For live pre-recorded replay, speed 6–7 can still look good.
- rav1e: A capable alternative for some pipelines, though less common for large-scale VOD.
For live encoding, you need hardware. Today’s strong options:
- NVIDIA NVENC on RTX 40‑series GPUs for AV1 live at 1080p60 and beyond.
- Intel Quick Sync on newer Intel ARC and Core chips with AV1 encode.
- AMD RDNA3 (7000‑series) for AV1 encode, especially at 1080p and 1440p.
Hardware encoders trade some efficiency for real‑time stability. That’s fine: low latency and steady frames matter more for live.
Decide on 8‑bit vs 10‑bit and HDR
For SDR content, 8‑bit is often enough, but AV1’s 10‑bit mode can improve compression and precision, even for SDR. If you have HDR content, stick to 10‑bit, BT.2020 color, and HLG or PQ transfer to preserve highlights. Keep your pipeline consistent: capture → edit → master → encode with matching color metadata. Wrong or missing color tags cause the most avoidable complaints.
Use per‑title and per‑scene encoding
Flat ladders over‑allocate bitrate to easy content and under‑allocate to hard content. Per‑title analysis runs a short pass to pick optimal resolutions and bitrates. You can go further with per‑scene encoding: adjust bitrate mid‑stream and update the manifest at scene boundaries. This pays off for content with mixed difficulty (talking heads → sports replays).
Film grain synthesis and animation
AV1’s film grain synthesis can preserve a filmic look at lower bitrates by removing real grain and synthesizing it on decode. It works well on live‑action films and noisy UGC. For line art and animation, skip grain and use lower bitrates; focus on crisp edges and flat color stability.
Prepare for live without chaos
Live adds constraints: encoding must be real-time, latency must be bounded, and drift must be controlled. You also need fast start, stable ABR, and reliable fallbacks.
Pick the right encoder target
For live AV1 at 1080p60, target 3–7 Mbps for sports and 2–4 Mbps for talk shows. Start conservative, then let the ABR client climb. Avoid overtaxing the encoder with extreme settings; a dropped frame hurts perceived quality more than a small bitrate increase.
SVC helps more than you think
AV1 supports Scalable Video Coding (SVC), which layers frames so you can generate multiple resolutions or frame rates from a single stream. For live, SVC reduces encoder load and smooths ABR switches. If your player stack supports it, you can serve one ladder as layered CMAF tracks or even over WebRTC in low‑latency scenarios. If SVC feels daunting, start with a conventional multi‑rendition ladder, then test SVC in parallel.
Latency and keyframe planning
For classic HLS/DASH, use 2–4 second segments and insert closed GOP keyframes at segment boundaries. For low‑latency HLS/DASH with CMAF, cut into 200–500 ms chunks and publish partial segments. Key tips:
- Keep a stable GOP length (e.g., 2 seconds) to optimize caching and fast seeking.
- Use closed GOP to avoid cross‑segment dependencies that complicate switching and caching.
- For low latency, avoid excessive B‑frame depth; tune for predictable decode complexity on client devices.
Package, protect, and caption
AV1 works inside the same container and streaming protocols you already use for H.264 and HEVC. The trick is getting the flags, brands, and manifests right.
Use CMAF with DASH and HLS
Most modern stacks package AV1 into ISOBMFF/fMP4 segments. CMAF gives you a single set of segments for both DASH and HLS, which improves cache hit rates.
- Segment format: fMP4 with AV1 sample entries (brand “av01”).
- DASH: MPD with representations per resolution and bitrate; set codecs string to av01.Profile.Level.Bits (e.g., av01.0.08M.08).
- HLS: Master playlist with CODECS matching AV1 and the proper AVERAGE-BANDWIDTH and BANDWIDTH. Supply FRAME-RATE and RESOLUTION for better client picks.
Tools that make this smoother: Shaka Packager, Bento4, ffmpeg with dash muxer, and MP4Box. Start with simple manifests, then add low-latency features after you confirm baseline playback across your top 10 devices.
DRM and subtitles
AV1 works with common DRM systems in CMAF on many devices. Widevine is widely used with AV1 in browsers and Android TV; PlayReady is available on many Smart TVs and Windows devices. Encrypt with cbcs where possible for HLS compatibility. Always test license acquisition, key rotation, and trick play on target devices.
Captions and subtitles are codec-agnostic. Keep using WebVTT, IMSC1/TTML, or fragmented WebVTT inside CMAF. Ensure text track latency matches your segmenting strategy, especially for low-latency live.
Make it play everywhere
The gap between “plays on my laptop” and “plays for 95% of my audience” is wide. Plan for capability detection and graceful fallback.
Understand the device landscape
- Browsers: Chrome and Edge ship fast decoders (dav1d) on desktop. Firefox supports AV1 on many platforms. Safari support depends on hardware and OS version; newer Apple silicon devices support hardware AV1 decode, while older ones often do not.
- Phones: Recent Android phones have hardware AV1 decode; mid‑range devices from the past few years often do too. Newer iPhones with A17 Pro and later support AV1 in hardware; older models typically don’t.
- TVs and boxes: Many 2020+ devices (including Android TV/Google TV models and some streaming boxes) include AV1 decoders. Check vendor specs and test actual playback performance.
- Consoles and desktops: Modern GPUs add hardware AV1 decode; Windows and Linux browsers leverage those paths when present.
Because support varies, runtime detection is key. Use the MediaCapabilities API on web to probe decode support and power cost, then choose AV1 or fall back to HEVC or H.264.
Implement smart player logic
In the browser, query capabilities and set a codec preference order. Here is a minimal idea:
async function pickStream() {
const configs = [
{type: 'file', video: { contentType: 'video/mp4; codecs="av01.0.08M.08"', width: 1920, height: 1080, bitrate: 4000000, framerate: 60 }},
{type: 'file', video: { contentType: 'video/mp4; codecs="hvc1.1.6.L120.B0"', width: 1920, height: 1080, bitrate: 5000000, framerate: 60 }},
{type: 'file', video: { contentType: 'video/mp4; codecs="avc1.640028"', width: 1920, height: 1080, bitrate: 7000000, framerate: 60 }}
];
for (const cfg of configs) {
const support = await navigator.mediaCapabilities.decodingInfo(cfg);
if (support.supported) return cfg.video.contentType;
}
return configs[configs.length - 1].video.contentType; // fallback
}
On native apps (Android, iOS, TV OS), query the system’s decode profiles or use known device tables. Always implement server‑side fallback: if a client requests H.264, serve it promptly rather than forcing AV1 retries.
Build graceful ABR and fallbacks
ABR logic should prefer AV1 when available, but never at the cost of startup delay. A robust strategy:
- Offer dual ladders: AV1 and H.264 (or HEVC). Expose both in the manifest or provide separate manifests and let your player pick.
- Start at a modest bitrate (e.g., 480p or 540p), then climb carefully as bandwidth and decode headroom allow.
- Detect high decode load (frame drops, delayed metrics) and step down resolution or switch to a less complex codec.
For mobile users on metered plans, AV1 can save data. But older phones may burn battery on software decode. Respect a user’s battery saver mode: prefer H.264 or lower resolutions when the OS signals power constraints.
Deliver at scale without surprises
AV1 scales with the same best practices you use today, with a few tweaks for caching and latency.
Optimize CDN caching and naming
- Use deterministic, cache‑friendly paths for renditions (e.g., /v1/av1/1080p/seg-$Number$.m4s).
- Set correct Content‑Type (video/mp4) and Cache‑Control headers. Avoid cache busting query strings unless they’re part of your versioning.
- Separate manifests (MPD/M3U8) from segments with shorter TTLs on manifests. Segments can live longer.
- Pin common segments near edge PoPs for new stream starts—fast first byte improves startup.
Use low‑latency CMAF only when needed
Low‑latency streaming is great for chat‑heavy streams and live events with interactive moments. But it costs encoder headroom and CDN complexity. If your content is on‑demand or not interactive, classic 3–6 second segments are simpler and more robust under network noise. Start with standard latency, then roll out LL-DASH or LL‑HLS to event lanes where it matters most.
Instrumentation beats guesswork
Collect real‑time metrics and account for codec differences:
- Startup time: time to first frame by codec and rendition.
- Rebuffer ratio: total rebuffering time per watch minute.
- Average delivered bitrate: user‑weighted across sessions; compare AV1 vs H.264/HEVC.
- Decode health: dropped frames, player CPU/GPU load on key device classes.
- QoE outcomes: completion rate, average watch time, abandonment pre‑30s.
A/B test AV1 rollouts by region and device class. If a device struggles, pin it to H.264 until a firmware update lands.
Keep costs honest
AV1 can save bandwidth, but you’ll feel encoding costs if you aren’t careful. Model those costs and iterate.
Know your VOD encoding math
Encoding cost = sum of compute time across renditions and titles. Ways to reduce it without hurting users:
- Per‑title ladders: Fewer renditions on simple content; lower bitrates on easy scenes.
- Balanced presets: Don’t chase the slowest settings for minor gains; pick preset “sweet spots.”
- Parallelization: Use tiles and rows for better CPU utilization; scale workers horizontally.
- Content‑aware filtering: Denoise before encode if your source has sensor noise; it saves bits.
If you run transcoding in the cloud, consider spot instances for non‑urgent jobs and reserve capacity for daily peaks.
Live costs are about resilience
Live pipelines pay for redundancy, not just raw encode power. Deploy active+active encoders, redundant packagers, and dual CDNs for major events. Hardware encoders reduce compute spend and latency at the cost of some efficiency. For critical events, prioritize resilience over small bitrate gains.
Storage and egress
AV1 reduces delivered bytes, but if you keep H.264/HEVC as fallback you’ll store more renditions. Strategies:
- Tier storage by popularity: hot content with all ladders; cold catalog with AV1 only for top renditions.
- Just‑in‑time (JIT) transcode for long tail titles; pre‑encode only the first few renditions.
- Prune redundant renditions: two bitrates within 10% for the same resolution rarely add value.
Roll out AV1 in stages
Big‑bang codec migrations are risky. Use a phased plan:
- Phase 1: Enable AV1 for VOD on desktop Chrome/Edge and Android TV where decode is reliable. Keep H.264 as default for others.
- Phase 2: Add AV1 for iOS/macOS devices with known hardware decode; keep HEVC/H.264 fallback for older devices.
- Phase 3: Trial AV1 live channels with hardware encoders and modest ladders. Start with non‑critical streams.
- Phase 4: Expand per‑title, add SVC for live where your player supports it, and tune low‑latency lanes for events.
At each step, compare QoE and costs against your baseline. If you aren’t seeing bitrate savings or user‑visible quality gains, stop and profile encoder settings or player logic before moving forward.
Common pitfalls and how to dodge them
- Incorrect codec strings: A wrong codecs identifier prevents playback. Validate manifests in a staging player with strict checks.
- Mismatched color metadata: Always verify color primaries and transfer characteristics in the container. Watch on HDR and SDR screens.
- Overly aggressive ABR: Don’t jump to 4K AV1 too quickly; watch device decode load and buffer health.
- Neglecting fallback: Some devices will never play AV1. Preserve a solid H.264 path for years to come.
- Under‑segmenting live: Large segments hurt latency and recovery from loss. Keep segments tight and closed GOPs.
A note on patents and licensing
AV1 is standardized by the Alliance for Open Media and is designed to be royalty‑free. That said, keep an eye on industry updates from codec patent pools and your legal team. Practically, widespread adoption by major platforms signals strong confidence in deploying AV1 in production today.
Checklist to get from zero to first play
- Pick encoder: SVT‑AV1 for VOD; hardware AV1 for live.
- Define a small ladder; measure VMAF and run human reviews.
- Package as CMAF for DASH/HLS with correct codec strings.
- Add captions and test trick play, audio track switching.
- Implement MediaCapabilities checks and dual ladders (AV1 + H.264).
- Cache‑friendly naming and CDN headers; stage‑roll to low‑risk geos.
- Collect QoE and cost metrics; iterate per‑title settings.
Where AV1 is headed
Hardware encode on consumer devices is growing, which will expand live AV1 options for creators and platforms. SVC is moving from “nice idea” to practical tool, especially for broadcast‑style live. On the player side, device coverage improves every quarter. If you invest in solid ABR logic, packaging, and observability now, AV1 will reward you with lower bandwidth and better quality for years.
Summary:
- AV1 is production‑ready with strong decoder coverage and real bandwidth savings.
- Use SVT‑AV1 or libaom for VOD and modern GPUs/Quick Sync/RDNA3 for live.
- Build a compact, per‑title ladder; prefer CMAF for DASH and HLS.
- Implement capability detection and maintain H.264/HEVC fallback.
- Optimize CDN caching, consider low‑latency CMAF only where it matters.
- Instrument QoE, A/B changes, and watch decode health on key devices.
- Roll out in phases and refine presets; don’t chase marginal gains at huge encode cost.
