TECHNICAL
Where do VP9 and AV1 feature?
To maintain reach across a diverse set of platforms and devices, Netflix delivers video content encoded using all the current codecs. Besides YouTube, Netflix is one of the only mainstream video streaming services to offer VP9 and AV1 to devices advertising support for those standards. YouTube continues to prefer VP9 for the delivery of higher resolution UHD and HDR content. Concurrently, the company is experimenting with offering 8K in AV1 format to compatible devices.
Share of Video Codec Usage (%)
Meanwhile, interviews with experts across the industry revealed consensus that the introduction of the newer H.266/VVC standard might be inhibited by HEVC’s projected dominance in broadcast and streaming applications. While streaming video service providers will assess the opportunity to move directly from AVC to VVC, this is considered unlikely given the near ubiquity in consumer hardware support for HEVC and the advantages it currently offers. Hence, it is practical to conclude that HEVC is not perceived as merely a transient step on the video encoding journey. Service provider codec adoption
An independent assessment of the leading streaming service providers
discovered the prevalent video codecs in use on each platform. The survey selected a random subset of movies and episodic video content accessible on each service, then examined the bitstreams to identify the codecs, profiles and resolutions embedded within each delivery. The study also sought to identify whether there has been a shift in encoding preference over time. Clearly, this is an inexact science: the favoured encoding standard can differ between movies and episodic content, depending upon the video resolution, the audio profiles, and whether the content uses SDR or HDR; moreover, encoding decisions are influenced by the population of consumer devices targeted for delivery, and their video decoding capabilities. Generally, the results established that leading video service providers retain H.264/AVC as a baseline, yet the majority now also deliver content encoded using H.265/HEVC.
Video codec usage of Streaming Video Platforms (as of July 2023)
Analysis of the output from thirteen streaming service providers discovered the video codecs commonly utilised by each platform. The study was conducted during July 2023. A sample of movies and episodic video content were selected randomly for study on each platform, and the bitstreams examined to identify the codecs, profiles and resolutions used for content delivery. The results show that all services retain H.264/AVC as a baseline; and 77% also routinely deliver content encoded using H.265/HEVC. Although leading service providers continue to evaluate AV1, the codec is yet to be fully established in real- world deployments, featuring in just over 15% of the platforms surveyed.
SEPTEMBER 2024 Volume 46 No.3
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