What is AV1?
AV1 is an open video coding format developed by the Alliance for Open Media for efficient internet video, modern high-resolution delivery and HDR-capable workflows.
AV1 profiles, bit depth and chroma
| Profile | Bit depth | Chroma |
|---|---|---|
| Main (0) | 8 or 10-bit | 4:2:0 or monochrome |
| High (1) | 8 or 10-bit | 4:4:4 |
| Professional (2) | 8/10-bit 4:2:2; 12-bit 4:2:0, 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 | Up to 4:4:4 |
Levels describe decoder workload
AV1 defines levels from 2.x through 7.x. A level constrains picture dimensions, display/decode rate and other resource requirements; profile alone does not tell you whether a particular TV, browser or GPU can decode a specific AV1 stream.
What does av01 mean?
In MP4 and web codec strings, av01 identifies AV1. A fuller codec string can also encode profile, level/tier, bit depth and colour information. This is why a player may support “AV1” generally but reject a particular AV1 profile or level.
Where AV1 fits
AV1 is particularly attractive for large-scale streaming where bandwidth savings matter. Modern hardware support is increasingly common, but older devices may require software decoding or a fallback codec.
See H.264 vs AV1 and AV1 vs H.265.