AV1 is the latest video codec that offers a slew of advantages over Android’s VP9 standard. Most importantly VP9 offers nearly 30% better compression without any loss in quality. Now Netflix has announced that it will offer AV1 natively on Android devices.
Earlier Netflix used VP6 on Android and the new codec should offer better quality streaming while consuming less data. The new codec comes as a boon in regions where cellular networks are not reliable. It is also useful for Android users who are on a limited data plan. Select titles are already available for streaming in AV1 on Netflix. However, the only way to get the codec is by activating “Save Data” feature on the Netflix app. Netflix is aiming to make AV1 standard across all platforms and is currently working with device and chip partners to implement the same. It is worth noting that Chrome and Android natively support AV1 format.
