TL; DR
- AV1 is now mainstream. The open, royalty-free codec is supported across all major platforms, browsers, and chipsets.
- Software led the early adoption. Open decoders like dav1d laid the foundation for AV1 playback before hardware became widespread.
- Hardware has closed the loop. From mobile SoCs to smart TVs and laptops, every major manufacturer now ships AV1-ready devices.
- Streaming, broadcast, and RTC leaders have adopted. YouTube, Netflix, Meta, and others now deliver most of their traffic in AV1 for cost, efficiency, and quality gains.
- AV2 is on the horizon. As 5G, 8K, and AI-based video workflows expand, AV1 readiness will define who leads the next-generation of global media delivery.
In the fast-moving North American streaming market, petabytes of video data flow between servers and end devices every second; from Netflix’s 4K shows streaming into homes to YouTube’s UGC content circulating across mobile networks. The core technology that keeps these massive video ecosystems running efficiently is the continuous evolution of video encoding and decoding.
front across content, platform, and chip manufacturers.
The Foundation Layer: The Core Value of the Open-Source Decoder dav1d
While hardware decoders are critical to AV1’s mass adoption, the open source dav1d software decoder has been equally instrumental, serving as a foundational pillar during the early stage when hardware decoding was not yet widely available.
Developed jointly by VideoLAN, FFmpeg and others, dav1d is a highly optimized, lightweight, and cross-platform AV1 software decoder. Its key value lies in being a fallback foundation for the ecosystem. In the absence of hardware decoders, dav1d enabled smooth playback of AV1 content across browsers, desktops, and mobile devices through pure software decoding.
dav1d is highly compatible across major operating systems including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, while keeping hardware resource usage low. dav1d allowed platforms like YouTube and Netflix to deploy AV1 content long before hardware support became common. It also provided browsers with a low-cost pathway to enter the AV1 ecosystem, significantly accelerating AV1’s market penetration.
From Software to Silicon: The Full-Scale Expansion of AV1 Hardware Decoding
Today, industry leaders are racing to establish AV1 as the next-generation video standard. Chipmakers such as Intel, Qualcomm, MediaTek, Apple, and NVIDIA, alongside device manufacturers like Samsung, LG, and Xiaomi, have all integrated AV1 hardware decoding into their flagship products.
From mobile SoCs and desktop CPUs to smart TVs and laptops, AV1 hardware decoding has expanded from isolated breakthroughs to full-category coverage, gradually forming a complete support system that complements the dav1d software decoder.
Support Across the Ecosystem
| Major Streaming Platforms | |
|---|---|
| YouTube | As an early pioneer, YouTube began supporting AV1-encoded VOD content via software decoding in browsers as early as 2018. With the arrival of hardware support, YouTube started rolling out AV1 playback on TVs and mobile devices in 2023. In 2024, YouTube began deploying AV1 software decoding on Android and iOS devices lacking hardware support. Today, more than 75% of YouTube’s video watch time is encoded in AV1. |
| Meta | Since 2022, Meta has deployed AV1 for Reels on Facebook and Instagram and now uses AV1 across over 70% of all global video playback. AV1 has also been adopted in Messenger to improve real-time communication (RTC) quality, enabling higher-quality video calls even on limited-bandwidth networks. |
| Netflix | In 2020, Netflix began using AV1 on its Android app to replace part of its VP9 catalog. In 2022, it expanded AV1 to compatible smart TVs. In 2025, Netflix launched HDR10+ content encoded in AV1 for devices with certified AV1 support. |
| Amazon Prime Video | Since 2021, Prime Video has partially adopted AV1 encoding and is now experimenting with 4K and HDR content encoded in AV1. |
Browser Support
| Browser | Minimum Version | AV1 Support Overview |
|---|---|---|
| Google Chrome | Version 70 (Oct 2018) | Native AV1 decoding support since version 70 |
| Microsoft Edge | Windows update 1809 (Oct 2018) | Initially required AV1 Video Extension plug-in; now fully integrated |
| Mozilla Firefox | Version 67 (May 2019) | Software decoding since v67; hardware decoding on supported platforms since v100 (Mar 2022) |
| Opera | Version 57 (Nov 2018) | Added AV1 decoding from version 57 onward |
| Safari | Version 16 (macOS Ventura, iOS 16) | Partial AV1 support through software decoding; hardware decoding available on later versions (HDR may be limited) |
Hardware Support: Chips, Smartphones, TVs, and Laptops
| Mobile and SoC Support | |
|---|---|
| Qualcomm |
|
| MediaTek |
|
| Apple |
|
| Samsung |
|
| Desktop and Laptop Processors | |
|---|---|
| Intel | 11th generation and above Core processors: Starting from the Tiger Lake architecture (11th generation), the integrated Iris Xe graphics support AV1 hardware decoding, covering the full range of i3/i5/i7/i9 (such as i5-1135G7, i7-12700H, etc.). |
| AMD | The Ryzen 6000 series and above (Zen3+ and subsequent architectures): Integrated RDNA2/RDNA3 graphics support AV1 hardware decoding, such as Ryzen 5 6600U, Ryzen 7 7840U, etc. |
| NVIDIA | The RTX 30 series, RTX 40 series, and RTX 50 series, among which the RTX 50 series—such as the RTX 5060 and other models—adopt the Ada Lovelace architecture, equipped with the NVENC encoder (8th generation), and support AV1 format encoding and decoding. |
| Dedicated GPUs | |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA |
|
| AMD |
|
| Intel |
|
Smart TV and Media Chipsets
| MediaTek |
|
| Samsung |
|
| LG |
|
| Amlogic |
|
| Other Scene Chips |
|
Smartphone Devices
Mobile phones that support AV1 hardware decoding are usually equipped with specific chips. Here are some mobile phone models that support AV1 hardware decoding:
| MediaTek |
|
| Qualcomm Snapdragon series |
|
| Apple |
|
| Samsung |
|
|
TV Models
| Samsung | Since 2020, some Samsung 4K and 8K TVs have supported AV1 hardware decoding, such as the Neon QLED series, as well as lifestyle series 4K TVs like The Frame, The Sero, The Serif, and The Terrace. |
| LG | Since 2020, its 8K OLED/NanoCell models have been equipped with AV1 decoding capabilities, and most models released in 2021 and later have also started supporting AV1 hardware decoding, such as the LG C1 series, LG UP77 series, and LG G1 series. |
| Sony | Sony’s 4K and 8K TVs from 2021 and above, including OLED and LCD series, such as all models above the X80J, are equipped with AV1 hardware decoding functionality. |
| Xiaomi | Models such as XiaomiTV A 43 FHD 2025, XiaomiTV A Pro 65 2025, XiaomiTV Q2 55″ and XiaomiTV P1 55 all support AV1 hardware decoding. Additionally, Xiaomi and Redmi’s S Pro Mini LED 2025 series and X 2025 models, equipped with the MediaTek Pentonic 800 smart TV chip, also support AV1 hardware decoding. |
| TCL | TCL T8C QLED HDR smart TV, equipped with the MediaTek MT9653 processor, supports AV1 hardware decoding. |
Laptops
| Apple | Mac products equipped with M3, M4, and M5 chips support AV1 decoding, such as MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3, November 2023), Mac mini (M4), MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5), etc. |
| Intel | Laptops equipped with Intel processors 11th generation and above: such as Dell XPS 13, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano. |
| AMD | Laptops equipped with AMD Ryzen 6000 series and above (Zen3+ and subsequent architectures): such as HP Star Book 15, Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3. |
| NVIDIA | Laptops equipped with NVIDIA RTX 30 series and above graphics cards: ROG Strix G 6, MSI Creator Z16, and other laptops equipped with NVIDIA RTX 30 series and above graphics cards, can achieve AV1 decoding after installing the corresponding decoding package. |
Apple’s Full Ecosystem Integration
As a major member of the AOMedia Alliance, Apple has added AV1 decoding support across its entire family of core products. Starting at the end of 2023, iPhones gained native AV1 hardware decoding through a dedicated video engine and display controller. The iPad lineup received the same capability through system updates, while the Mac product family integrated AV1 decoding through iterations of the M- series chips. Apple TV and other devices also gained support through system updates forming a complete AV1 ecosystem that spans mobile devices, personal computers, streaming terminals, and software applications.
Hardware Support
| iPhone Series | In September 2023, Apple announced that the A17 Pro chip used in the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max would support AV1 hardware decoding, enabling efficient playback of AV1-encoded video on these devices. |
| Mac Series | At the end of October 2023, Apple announced that the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips would include AV1 hardware decoders, meaning all new MacBook, iMac, and desktop models equipped with M3-series processors would support AV1 video playback. |
Software & Browser Support
| Operating Systems | Starting with iOS 16, Apple integrated the open source dav1d software decoder into its AVFoundation framework, allowing iPhone 8 and later devices running iOS 16 or newer to decode AV1 video. |
| Browser Support | Beginning with Safari 17.0, Apple added AV1 codec support on devices equipped with AV1-capable hardware decoding. |
Application Scenarios
As a next-generation mainstream video codec, AV1 offers highly efficient compression, making it especially suitable for scenarios that require high image quality while operating under limited bandwidth, primarily video transmission and storage.
Streaming Services
As of 2025, major streaming platforms are rapidly expanding their support for AV1. YouTube and Netflix have deployed AV1 broadly across devices to reduce bandwidth consumption and improve image quality, YouTube now encodes more than 75% of its videos in AV1.
Meta (including Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger) has enabled AV1 in most of its video scenarios, with over 70% of video content encoded in AV1 to enhance user experience.
Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, equipped with complete technical support (particularly on Fire TV, smart TVs, and similar devices), have also adopted AV1 for selected content and devices.
Real-Time Communication (RTC)
The four major video conferencing platforms in North America—Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Cisco Webex—have all adopted AV1. Their primary use of AV1 is in screen-sharing during video meetings, where AV1’s advanced screen-
content coding tools significantly improve both visual quality and transmission efficiency. For example, since Teams integrated AV1 for screen sharing in March 2024, bandwidth requirements have dropped by 63%, while users perceived image
clarity has increased by 35%. Beyond conferencing, AV1 also shows strong potential in real-time video calling. Meta Messenger, for instance, uses AV1 to enhance video call quality, providing
users with clearer and smoother real-time communication.
Security & Surveillance
In a first for the security industry, global surveillance manufacturer Axis
Communications announced in November 2024 that its ARTPEC-9 chipset now supports AV1 video encoding and decoding. The company will offer AV1-enabled products and solutions to all customers and partners.
Conclusion
AV1 encoding standard has achieved a comprehensive breakthrough from technical iteration to ecosystem implementation in the North American streaming market, leveraging its core advantages of high efficiency, being free, and being open.
From the perspective of content platforms, the large-scale adoption by leading companies such as YouTube, Meta, and Netflix has enabled AV1 to cover over 70% of mainstream video content, making it the core choice for streaming transmission. Support from browsers and hardware endpoints is equally robust, with mainstream browsers all adapted, and hardware decoding capabilities on terminal devices like chips, smartphones, TVs, and laptops continuously improving. Product lines from companies such as Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek support AV1, building a hardware ecosystem with no blind spots.
As 5G, 8K video, IoT, and in-car streaming evolve, the demand for higher efficiency and compatibility in video compression grows. The upcoming AV2 standard, entering a key development phase in 2025, represents the next leap in open media innovation — paving the way for faster, smarter, and more accessible video delivery across every platform and device.
With the ongoing advancement of 5G and 8K technologies, as well as the rise of new scenarios like the Internet of Things and in-vehicle video, higher requirements are being placed on the efficiency and compatibility of video encoding. Notably, AV2, the next-generation evolution standard of AV1, has entered the critical research and development phase in 2025 and is expected to officially release technical specifications soon. In the future, this series of open standards will continue to build efficient bridges for cross-terminal and cross-scenario media distribution, guiding the global video industry into a new stage of higher efficiency, openness, and quality.
Join us at NAB Show 2026
The hardware argument is settled. The next question is implementation — and that’s where most teams lose time and quality.
At NAB Show 2026, our engineering team will be walking through real AV1 deployments: bitrate benchmarks, migration paths, and what to expect at scale.
Booth W3207, West Hall, April 19–22.
Book a slot below.
