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.
