AV1: Implementation, Performance, and Application

With the finalization of the AVI specification, the Alliance for Open Media (AOM) has set high expectations for it. The prospect of a royalty-free alternative to high efficiency video coding (HEVC) has many supporters in the industry, particularly those seeking a standard for streaming applications that is optimized for over-the-top (OTT) delivery quite excited. Fundamental to AV1’s success will be the transfer of a toolset of efficient software implementations that can deliver the expected performance over existing compression standards within the constraints of future server provision. Efficient implementations of AV1 will require a careful balance between utilizing bespoke processor features to offload demanding processor-intensive functions and the desire to have a platform-agnostic compression standard that can be applied across a wide range of infrastructures. As with all complex compression schemes, realizing a software mapping of the toolset is crucial. This is true for AV1, which, being royalty-free, utilizes algorithms and methods that are different from those used in the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) suite of standards. This article will look at the application challenges facing AV1 and compare its objective performance to that of the HEVC in terms of bitrate efficiency and encode time.