At the QoMEX (Quality of Multimedia Experience) conference, a report presented the results of testing the AV2 video coding format, developed by the Open Media Alliance (AOMedia) and the successor to AV1. Using the VMAF (Video Multi-Method Assessment Fusion) quality assessment metrics developed by Netflix, the AV2 codec achieved a 32.59% bitrate reduction compared to the AV1 codec at the same quality level. Using the PSRN-YUV (Peak-Signal-to-Noise Ratio 14:1:1) metric, the bitrate was reduced by 28.63%. The testing utilized AVM 11.0, the reference implementation of AV2.
The AV2 video coding format is royalty-free and allows for the free use of associated technologies, patents, and intellectual property. AV2 features include: optimization for streaming; significant improvement in compression performance compared to AV1; expanded support for virtual and augmented reality; support for a wider range of visual qualities; and the ability to simultaneously deliver multiple videos within a single video stream with support for their separate display on the screen.
AV2 continues to use a hybrid block-oriented structure, but unlike AV1, it supports larger 256x256 superblocks, fully recursive partitioning, and more efficient separation of luminance and chrominance parameters. AV2 employs a unified exponential quantizer, which covers a wider luminance range and provides greater quantization accuracy for 8-, 10-, and 12-bit video, as well as better handling of low bitrates.
Expanded interframe prediction capabilities better model brightness and color changes, consider up to seven previous frames when building the model, support temporal interpolation, and improve motion handling in high-resolution video or rapidly changing content. Additional filters have been added to suppress noise, reduce compression artifacts, and preserve detail. Work on the AV2 codec and its reference implementation is already complete, but the specification remains to be refined, with the final version planned for publication by the end of the year.
Source: opennet.ru
