AV1 Codec

There has been a persistent push to make the AV1 codec to be more than 20% more efficient than the  VP9/HEVC encoders. Youtube has also started to made use of the AV1 encoding on the Youtube videos. Yes, the codec is a video codec used by YouTube to deliver high-quality video content (which uses more resources) however it comes with lower bandwidth requirements compared to previous codecs. AV1 is an open-source, royalty-free codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media. There are other encoders on this webiste as well such as the LAV Filters and RazorLame.

• Compression Efficiency: It is well known that the AV1 codec is generally speaking more efficient in terms of compression than the H.265 encoding. This meaning that it can compress your video files to a smaller size while  still maintaining the same quality as H.265.
• Licensing: Cost is always an issue as the H.265 is a patented technology. If you are a business then you would need to pay to use the codec. On the other hand the AV1 is an open-source and royalty-free. So there are no licensing costs involved.
• Adoption: The H.265 encoding has been widely adopted across the industry, this mainly in the broadcasting and OTT (over-the-top) video space. As you will know that the AV1 is still in the process of being widely adopted. It is however gaining traction as its open-source as well as royalty-free.
• Decoding Performance: The big issue with these is mainly that the codec requires more processing power. This to decode compared to H.265. Even Youtube limits the usage of it due to resource constraints.

Finally, both codecs have their strengths and weaknesses. It is going to depend on what you are wishing to achieve and how much CPU resources you have available.

AV1 Codec Installation

There are other encoders on this webiste as well such as the madFLAC and LameDropXPd. Download the ZIP file and extract the content. There is a 32 bit and a 64 bit application file inside. If Windows 10 does not recognised the file type then see the Microsoft Store for a download as you short the application software on your Windows computer torecgobise the file type.