The Alliance for Open Media just released the final v1.0 specification for AV2, the successor to the AV1 codec. This new standard targets higher compression efficiency to deliver high-quality video at much lower bitrates. It specifically optimizes delivery for broadcasting, streaming, and real-time video conferencing needs.

Developers can now access the complete bitstream syntax and decoding processes through the official documentation. To simplify the build process, the group provides C header files containing lookup tables and a specialized syntax browser. This tool allows engineers to navigate syntax structures and semantics via a split-pane interface.

Technical improvements focus on AR/VR applications and split-screen delivery for multiple programs. The standard also improves how software handles screen content and expands the visual quality range. Implementers should use the AVM reference software tag v1.0.0 to ensure their implementations meet the full conformance requirements.

This release replaces all previous working drafts, including the v13 milestone. The final specification provides the definitive technical reference for all future AV2 implementations across the industry.