AOMedia's AV2 codec slashes bitrate by 33% vs AV1
New AV2 standard cuts bandwidth needs by 33.79% while preserving visual quality
The Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) has published a comprehensive evaluation of its AV2 video coding standard, which is designed to supersede AV1. The paper, accepted at ICIP 2026, presents the AV2 Common Test Conditions (CTC) and shows that AV2 v13.0 achieves Bjøntegaard‑Delta Rate (BD‑rate) reductions of 29.81% for PSNR‑YUV and 33.79% for VMAF under random access configuration. These gains mean AV2 can deliver the same perceptual quality at roughly two‑thirds the bitrate of AV1, a massive leap for streaming efficiency.
The evaluation introduces new testing methodologies, including convex‑hull‑based adaptive streaming configurations, user‑generated content (UGC) test sets, and support for extended chroma formats. These changes better reflect real‑world usage scenarios, from professional video platforms to consumer‑generated clips. The results validate AV2 as a critical upgrade for next‑generation streaming, promising lower bandwidth costs and higher quality for viewers without increasing storage or delivery infrastructure requirements.
- AV2 v13.0 achieves 29.81% BD-rate reduction for PSNR-YUV and 33.79% for VMAF over AV1
- New Common Test Conditions include convex-hull adaptive streaming, UGC, and extended chroma formats
- Paper accepted at ICIP 2026; AOMedia positions AV2 as successor to AV1 for next-gen streaming
Why It Matters
AV2’s 33% bitrate savings directly lower streaming costs and improve quality for billions of viewers.