TL;DR
- A Qualcomm consultant instructed that the corporate will skip AV1 encoding.
- The consultant hinted that Qualcomm may skip to VVC encoding as an alternative.
- This can permit for a lot smaller file sizes when recording video on cell.
Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset in November 2022, and it’s powering the top-end smartphones from a wide range of manufacturers. One notable multimedia-related addition is AV1 decode/playback assist.
Why AV1 playback issues
The AV1 codec is a royalty-free, open-source video codec that provides higher video high quality and as much as 30% smaller file sizes than the Excessive Effectivity Video Codec (HEVC) utilized by many corporations and content material companies in the present day. Extra particularly, you need to anticipate both the identical high quality with the smaller file measurement or higher high quality for a similar file measurement.
These benefits have resulted in cell chipsets from Samsung, Google, MediaTek, and now Qualcomm all providing AV1 decode/playback assist. Moreover, Netflix and YouTube have been providing AV1 video streams to supported Android telephones since 2020, utilizing this codec to save lots of bandwidth for customers.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and chipsets from different manufacturers nonetheless depend on the older HEVC codec for recording movies on telephones although, however will we really see AV1 encode (e.g. recording) capabilities come to cell chipsets? Sadly, it sounds such as you shouldn’t maintain out for Qualcomm to implement this characteristic.
Qualcomm to skip AV1 encoding?
Qualcomm vice chairman of product administration for cameras Judd Heape instructed to Android Authority that the corporate will skip AV1 encoding in favor of a future video codec.
“I don’t see AV1 encode getting a variety of traction in cell, let me put it that manner,” Heape famous in an interview, including that the corporate thought VVC (Versatile Video Codec) might be higher than AV1 by way of encoding effectivity.
There’s not that a lot demand for it (AV1). And in cell, I believe our subsequent codec that we’ll in all probability implement is not going to be AV1 encode. It will likely be one thing else like VVC, sure. I can’t let you know when, I can’t let you know the merchandise, however I believe as an entire, Qualcomm could be very fascinated with VVC going ahead.
Heape additionally defined that the AV1 encoder is “fairly sophisticated” and that the “value versus return” for it seemingly isn’t as engaging on cell in comparison with the present HEVC encoding assist.
The Qualcomm consultant famous that it’ll supply AV1 encoding assist in different product segments, however that the legacy H.264 and HEVC encoding capabilities “are gonna final us for just a few extra years” on cell.
It appears unusual for Qualcomm and different chipmakers to keep away from AV1 encoding proper now, given its free and open-source nature. Nevertheless, HEVC nonetheless appears to do a fairly good job in the meanwhile. Moreover, Heape’s feedback relating to effectivity recommend that your telephone’s battery life could be impacted by recording a video with AV1 encoding.
What’s the take care of VVC?
There may be certainly a brand new codec within the works dubbed VVC or H.266. This guarantees to ship the identical video high quality as HEVC at half the file measurement. Moreover, it’s claimed that VVC will allow 4K video content material supply at file sizes at present used for HD content material. In saying so, VVC isn’t a free and open-source codec (not like AV1), so corporations might want to pay to make use of it.
However, we’re eager to see smartphones and SoCs adopting this codec sooner or later, because it ought to allow a lot smaller file sizes when recording video. This codec is especially vital in gentle of smartphone video developments like 8K recording, 4K/120fps video, and different superior video choices.
