The next generation of video is here. AV2, the new codec from the Alliance for Open Media, promises a royalty-free future for 4K/8K streaming, AR/VR, and immersive media.
But GreyB’s AV2 Patent Landscape analysis reveals a critical disconnect between that promise and the technical reality. AV2 wasn’t built from scratch; it’s built on a foundation of concepts pioneered in licensed standards like HEVC and VVC.
This hidden overlap creates a patent minefield for adopters and a potential goldmine for patent holders.
The AV2 intelligence report provides the definitive technical breakdown you need to navigate this landscape, de-risk your roadmap, and find the patents that will define the next decade of video.
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What’s Changing in AV2 (Insights from the Report)
AV2 is not a superficial upgrade over AV1. It introduces meaningful changes across the entire coding pipeline:
- More adaptive partitioning
Larger superblocks (up to 256×256) and fully recursive partitioning allow better alignment with object shapes, improving compression efficiency for high-resolution content. - Data-driven and multi-reference prediction
Techniques like Multiple Reference Line Selection (MRLS) and Data-Driven Intra Prediction (DIP) improve accuracy in complex textures and noisy regions. - Advanced motion modeling
Features such as Temporal Interpolated Prediction (TIP) and motion trajectory tracking enable better handling of non-linear and high-speed motion. - Smarter quantization and transforms
Trellis-coded quantization and matrix-based transforms reduce bitrate while preserving perceptual quality. - Enhanced in-loop filtering and coefficient coding
New filtering techniques and region-based coding improve visual quality and coding efficiency at scale.
Together, these changes represent a step-change in compression capability rather than incremental refinement.
Why This Matters Now
AV2 follows a royalty-free model, but its architecture still borrows heavily from prior standards like HEVC and VVC. That creates a narrow window:
- Existing portfolios can still map to AV2-relevant techniques
- Foundational innovations are already embedded in the standard
- Early movers can define licensing narratives before the ecosystem matures
Where the Opportunity Lies
The report identifies three areas where strategic advantage will emerge:
- Technical leverage: Features like MRLS and SDP deliver immediate efficiency gains
- IP positioning: Legacy patents linked to partitioning, prediction, and motion tracking remain critical
- Ecosystem alignment: Hardware constraints will shape which technologies scale
Get the full report to identify where AV2 creates real leverage, not just technical change.
