Dav2d (jbkempf.com)

Article summary

The VideoLAN community has announced dav2d, a fast decoder for the new AV2 codec, which is the successor to AV1 and offers 25% better compression efficiency. AV2 decoding is roughly five times more complex than AV1 decoding, requiring careful optimization for real-time decoding on current hardware. The dav2d project aims to provide a small, fast, portable, and correct decoder for AV2, building on the experience gained from the dav1d project. The decoder is already functional and supports most major parts of the AV2 codec.

Main themes

• AV2 codec
• dav2d decoder
• Video compression
• Decoding complexity
• Open source development

What commenters say

• The 25% improvement in compression efficiency of AV2 over AV1 comes at the cost of increased decoding complexity, which may lead to performance issues on current hardware.
• Some argue that the increased complexity of AV2 decoding may limit its adoption, especially on lower-end devices or in areas with limited internet connectivity.
• Others believe that the benefits of AV2, such as improved compression efficiency, outweigh the increased complexity and that optimization efforts will eventually make it viable on a wide range of devices.
• There is a need for local encoding, as uploading raw or lightly compressed video footage can be impractical due to storage and bandwidth constraints, and encoding locally can help reduce the burden on content creators.
• The use of intermediate formats like ProRes or Avid DNxHD can help reduce storage requirements during editing, but may not be suitable for final distribution due to quality loss.
• Some argue that encoding can be done remotely, especially with the advent of 5G networks and cloud computing, but others point out that data caps, storage constraints, and quality loss during transcoding can make local encoding a more practical solution.
• The development of dav2d and other open-source decoders is crucial for the widespread adoption of new video codecs like AV2, as it provides a reference implementation and helps ensure interoperability across different platforms.