Netflix has confirmed that nearly one-third of its global streaming library now runs on the AV1 codec. A Medium post outlining the milestone shows Netflix’s involvement in both developing the codec and executing its multi-year rollout across platforms.
Launched in 2018 by the Alliance for Open Media, AV1 was developed as a royalty-free successor to Google’s VP9 codec. Members of the consortium include Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft. AV1’s main advantage is its higher compression efficiency compared to H.264, without the licensing costs tied to H.265/HEVC.
According to Netflix, the change means users can expect either higher video quality at the same bitrate or similar quality while consuming less data, which is especially beneficial for cellular and broadband connections.
Netflix deployed AV1 selectively, beginning in 2020 with software-based decoding on Android hardware. The implementation relied on the dav1d library, optimized for Arm processors, to deliver higher-quality video within limited mobile bandwidth environments.
Adapting AV1 for living room devices proved more complex, as smart TVs and streaming hardware required built-in decoding support. Netflix partnered with SoC manufacturers to certify compatible hardware and began the TV rollout in late 2021. Support later expanded to major web browsers in 2022 and to Apple’s M3 and A17 Pro-based devices in 2023.
According to the post, hardware-level support was a critical requirement for scaling AV1’s performance gains across all user devices.
Netflix is applying AV1 in ways that go beyond efficiency improvements. According to its update, the company uses Film Grain Synthesis, a process that removes film grain before encoding and recreates it during playback. This maintains visual authenticity while reducing bandwidth requirements.
Netflix expects AV1 to support future improvements in live streaming, particularly with dynamic visual overlays, and to reduce latency while improving quality in cloud gaming.
Netflix has recently expanded AV1 support to HDR10+, now covering around 85% of its HDR catalog. The remaining HDR titles are scheduled to move to AV1 in the next few months.
Development is already continuing, with AOMedia planning to finalize the AV2 standard by the end of the year. The upcoming codec will offer higher compression efficiency and add capabilities designed for areas such as augmented and virtual reality, as well as multi-view streaming.
Netflix’s AV1 strategy arrives as the company finalizes an $82.7 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros., adding major franchises like Game of Thrones, DC titles, HBO content, and several game studios to its catalog.
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