Android to bring more efficient video playback with AV1 codec

Google to implement open-source libdav1d decoder, improving video streaming even on older devices without hardware AV1 support.

Qualcomm and Apple recently introduced hardware accelerated AV1 codec on flagship chips.

Video playback on Android OS-powered smartphones is set to improve soon, as Google is implementing a new AV1 codec, which is more efficient. Google will soon include libdav1d, an open-source video codec by VideoLAN, which can run on the CPU and works even on devices without hardware-level AV1 encoders.

Google is currently testing the AV1 video encoder on the beta version of Android 14, which is used by popular video streaming platforms like YouTube, Netflix, and Instagram. However, due to the lack of hardware, most smartphones still use h.264 or h265 codec, which are not as efficient as AV1 in terms of video playback performance.

However, just last year, major chip makers like Qualcomm and Apple started to include hardware-accelerated AV1 encoders in their flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and the A17 Pro processor. With the upcoming update, even devices without hardware AV1 acceleration will be able to stream videos more efficiently. This update is likely to hit devices in March 2024 via the Google Play System Update, where it will replace libgav1 with the more efficient libdav1d, suggests a report by Android Authority.

Considering AV1 is an open-source video encoder, and brands are not required to pay any royalties unlike h.264 or h.265, more and more streaming platforms are likely to incorporate AV1 for video streaming in the coming days.

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While Google has been including the AV1 codec (libgav1), the company has made it mandatory for OEMs to include the same in their custom builds starting with Android 14. This, when combined with streaming services opting for an AV1 encoder, will significantly improve video playback performance, especially on older devices.