Mar 19, 2026 11:45:00

Development of the next-generation codec 'AV2' is progressing smoothly, and we have reached the stage where we can demonstrate decoding on a laptop.

The Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), which aims to develop free and open codecs, has released a draft specification for the next-generation video compression standard, '

AV2 '. Prior to the release, Google and VideoLAN, both members of AOMedia, collaborated with THX to demonstrate real-time decoding using consumer laptops, showing that AV2 playback is possible in both native applications and browser-based streaming.

AOMedia: Reflections on 2025 and the Work Ahead | Alliance for Open Media
https://aomedia.org/blog%20posts/AOMedia-Reflections-on-2025-and-the-Work-Ahead/

Demonstrating Real Time AV2 Decoding on Consumer Laptops | Alliance for Open Media
https://aomedia.org/blog%20posts/Demonstrating-Real-Time-AV2-Decoding-on-Consumer-Laptops/

AV2 is the next-generation AVM video codec that succeeds AV1, and is being developed by AOMedia, a non-profit organization established by companies such as Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Mozilla, Netflix, NCIDIA, and IBM.

AV2, the next-generation standard for the AV1 codec, is scheduled for release in 2025. What will it be like? - GIGAZINE

AV2 has been under development for five years, and its specification draft was released on February 1, 2026.

AV2 Bitstream & Decoding Process Specification
https://av2.aomedia.org/v13-public/index.html

Prior to this, VideoLAN showcased a demo using VLC 4 on a MacBook at CES 2026 , held in Las Vegas, USA, from January 6-9, 2026. This demo utilized a plugin for the AVM reference decoder, built on the latest AV2 development branch, and notably, it ran on an Arm-based MacBook.

First demo of upcoming new open codec AV2, with playback inside VLC4 at #CES2026 on a normal laptop!

AV2 is coming soon and it's developed by the @a4omedia to have the best royalty-free video codec!

If you want to see the demo during #CES26 , contact us! pic.twitter.com/BVEUoJLLcV

— VideoLAN (@videolan) January 7, 2026

VideoLAN states that this is the first instance of AV2 decoding being performed in a native desktop media player rather than a web browser, demonstrating that it can be integrated into existing player architectures and executed in real time on standard hardware.

Meanwhile, Google demonstrated playback of AV2 videos streamed from YouTube using Chrome on a gaming laptop. This demonstration used a pre-release bitstream generated with the libavm reference encoder and featured real-time playback at 1080p and 24fps.

Through their demonstrations with Google and VideoLAN, AOMedia argued that 'AV2 decoding is already working in real-world playback environments using a reference implementation. Real-time decoding at common resolutions has been achieved on laptop-class hardware, and a complete pipeline from encoding to decoding has been confirmed to work on consumer hardware using a custom browser incorporating the libavm decoder. AV2 can be integrated through multiple implementation processes, including native applications and web-based streaming stacks.'

According to AOMedia, at the time of writing, the focus is on the feasibility of AV2 implementation rather than optimization or benchmarking. Future efforts will focus on performance optimization, expanding supported platforms, and developing a production-level implementation. AOMedia also stated that they will continue to share technical updates to promote the widespread adoption of AV2.