YouTube AV2 Streaming Could Bring Better Quality as Google Shows It Working in Chrome

• YouTube is planning AV2 video streaming on the web as early as 2027.
• AV2 is said to offer around 30% better compression than AV1 at similar video quality.
• Google has shown AV2 playback in Chrome, but has not shared a public release date.

YouTube AV2 streaming is planned for web users as early as 2027. The plan was shared by YouTube Engineering Director Des Keane. Google has also shown AV2 video playback in Chrome, though it has not said when the feature will reach the public browser.

AV2 is a new video format designed to reduce the amount of data needed to stream video. It is the successor to AV1 and is royalty-free, which means it is designed to be used without paying codec royalties. The final AV2 specification was completed about four months ago. That is why YouTube AV2 streaming is getting so much attention.

YouTube AV2 Streaming Could Start in Early 2027

YouTube AV2 streaming is planned for people watching videos on the web as early as 2027, according to Des Keane, YouTube Engineering Director. This is a plan, not a confirmed launch date, and the wording leaves room for a change.

AV2 is made by the Alliance for Open Media, also known as AOMedia. It follows AV1, an earlier video codec used to compress video for streaming. A codec is technology that helps shrink video data so it can be sent and played more efficiently. For viewers, YouTube AV2 streaming could mean sharper video with less data use.

AV2 Promises Around 30% Better Compression Than AV1

AOMedia says AV2 can provide around 30% better compression than AV1. In simple terms, it may deliver similar video quality using less data. Or it may offer better video quality while using the same amount of data. You can read more on the official AOMedia website.

The AV2 specification also supports multi-stream and multi-view video, higher frame rates, improved HDR and video conferencing. Multi-view can support video that shows more than one view, while a higher frame rate can make movement look smoother. HDR helps show a wider range of brightness and colour.

Google Shows AV2 Playback in Chrome

Google has already shown AV2 playback in Chrome, which is a good sign for YouTube AV2 streaming on the web. However, the company has not announced when AV2 playback will be enabled in the public version of the browser. Jim Bankoski, Vice President of Engineering at Google Chrome, described the demonstration as an exciting early step.

Netflix and Prime Video are also exploring AV2. This suggests that more video services are looking at the format, but it does not confirm when they will use it for streaming.

YouTube Already Uses AV1 for Most Watch Time

As of March this year, more than 90% of YouTube’s catalogue, measured by watch time, was in AV1. This means AV1 covered more than 90% of the time people spent watching content on the platform, rather than simply counting the number of videos. So YouTube AV2 streaming would build on work that is already done.

Meta is also working towards AV2 support on Facebook and Instagram, following its work with AV1. Intel is working on SVT-AV2, another part of the wider AV2 development effort.

AV2 Hardware Support Still Has No Timeline

No AV2 hardware decoding has been announced for any CPU or GPU. Hardware decoding lets a device’s processor or graphics chip handle video playback with dedicated support. AOMedia has not shared a timeline for consumer hardware support.

This means the web plans for YouTube AV2 streaming and Chrome playback should be kept separate from hardware support. The details available so far do not confirm when computers and other consumer devices will get dedicated AV2 decoding support.

Conclusion

YouTube AV2 streaming is planned for the web as early as 2027, while Google has already demonstrated playback in Chrome without giving a public release date. AV2 promises better compression than AV1, but consumer hardware support still has no announced timeline.

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