Netflix begins streaming in AV1 to TVs
NOVEMBER 11, 2021 12.46 EUROPE/LONDON BY JULIAN CLOVER

Netflix has begun to stream content in the AV1 advanced coding format to TV displays.

The high-efficiency codec format was developed by the Alliance of Open Media (AOMedia), of which the streamer is a founding member.

Netflix first began streaming in AV1 as part of its Android mobile app in February 2020, two years after the publication of the initial specification. However, TV requires a hardware-based solution.

As semiconductor companies announced decoder SoCs for a range of consumer electronics applications, TV manufacturers were able to release TVs ready for AV1 streaming.

Netflix has also partnered with YouTube to develop an open-source solution for an AV1 decoder on game consoles that utilizes the additional power of GPUs.

The initial launch includes a number of AV1 capable TVs as well as TVs connected with PS4 Pro. AV1 and HDR is also being explored.

A blog post published by Netflix explains some of the technical challenges behind the conversion process.