Netflix to use Intel’s open source encoder for av1 video codec

Netflix and Intel announced at the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas that they have joined forces to support and develop the previously unveiled SVT-AV1, an open source encoder for the av1 video codec.

Intel has officially announced Scalable Video Technology for AV1, or SVT-AV1 for short, and is releasing the encoder under a BSD+Patent, making it easy for developers to use and commercialize, according to the American chipmaker. Paying royalties is not an issue here.

The SVT-AV1 encoder was previously released on GitHub, but the official presentation followed in Las Vegas, during which it was announced that Netflix will partner with Intel. SVT-AVC1 is an open source encoder for the av1 video codec. This codec, which will probably replace existing codecs such as hevc and the vp9 used by Google, requires much less bandwidth.

The encoder is not directly suitable or intended for the home user, as the system requirements are not tender. For example, on a system with 112 logical cores, 48GB is needed to run a stream in 4k resolution with 10bit colors. The software is primarily intended for servers deployed for streaming video online, with Intel optimized for Skylake-generation Core processors and Intel Xeon CPUs.

In September 2015, Netflix co-founded the nonprofit Alliance for Open Media with Amazon, Cisco, Google, Intel, Microsoft, and Mozilla. These parties are therefore the driving forces behind the development of the av1 codec. Apple also joined the alliance in early 2018, as did Samsung recently.