MediaTek Announces First SoC with AV1 Hardware Acceleration

[btarunr]

MediaTek has announced it will enable YouTube video streams using the cutting-edge AV1 video codec on the MediaTek Dimensity 1000 5G SoC. The MediaTek Dimensity 1000 is the world's first smartphone SoC to integrate an AV1 hardware video decoder, enabling it to play back AV1 video streams up to 4K resolution at 60 fps. With its improved compression efficiency, AV1 gives users incredible visual quality and smoother video experiences, while using less data.

Video streaming is the number one activity in smartphone use, so by using the Dimensity 1000's more power efficient hardware-based AV1 video decoder, users can enjoy longer battery life while still streaming at the best quality settings. Combined with its ultra-fast 5G connectivity in a single chip, the Dimensity 1000 leads the industry in design and capability.



"MediaTek is engaged in consistently upgrading its offerings to enhance user experience, and AV1 technology is a prime example. Video is now the most used form of communication, with 70% of Millennials and Gen Z reportedly using streaming services," said Dr. Yenchi Lee, Assistant General Manager of MediaTek's Wireless Business Unit. "Industry reports state that the video streaming market is likely to expand at a CAGR of 19.6% and touch $124.57 billion by 2025, and it is one of the principle drivers of 5G services. MediaTek is leading the way in enabling effective video streaming with AV1."

The AV1 video codec is creating a landmark change in the video streaming industry. First released in 2018 by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), AV1 is royalty-free, crafted to replace the VP9 codec and become the Internet Video Codec (NETVC) standard. AV1 is an ultra-high-performance video codec technology that delivers 30% more compression efficiency over existing VP9.

"AV1 has become an increasingly important format to allow high-resolution playback on handheld devices, and we're excited that MediaTek has implemented dedicated AV1 hardware to advance its adoption, such as what's included in their Dimensity 1000 5G SoC," said Matt Frost, Director of Product Management of Google Chrome. "As mobile video streaming becomes more prevalent, new use cases like MediaTek's emphasize the important work of developing next-generation codecs."

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Ferrum Master]

with 70% of Millennials and Gen Z reportedly using streaming services

Basically Gen X peps are ordering only coffins and using old mags? A bit short minded PR is being sent here.

 

[ARF]

with 70% of Millennials and Gen Z reportedly using streaming services," said Dr. Yenchi Lee, Assistant General Manager of MediaTek's Wireless Business Unit

Gen Y is people BORN between 1981 - 1996
Gen Z is people BORN b/n 1997 - 2014

I don't know what this guy is smoking - Gen Y in its majority for sure doesn't use streaming services.
Gen Y is the generation that had grown with CD Audio, and conventional TV and Radio stations.

 

[Ferrum Master]

Gen Y is people BORN between 1981 - 1996
Gen Z is people BORN b/n 1997 - 2014

I don't know what this guy is smoking - Gen Y in its majority for sure doesn't use streaming services.
Gen Y is the generation that had grown with CD Audio, and conventional TV and Radio stations.

Actually it is vice versa... the older X Gen TV generation uses and will use AV1 the most, because of the old habit. It was firstly designed for TV and first IC's are being made for TV boxes or TV's themselves in order to see crap propaganda TV and other leisure stuff. Looks like someone is late to the party, you almost cannot buy a dumb domestic TV panel anymore, those all are smart devices... having the same feature set and often same CPU just with higher TDP, basically leftovers as they are not fit for low power to be in a mobile.. AV1 is targeted for 8K and HDR in the mind in the first place. Marketing AV1 as something for the newer people is pretty stupid and short minded. I agree that majority of my friends are not using streaming as such... because of work, family and simply taste... most people are not drawn to tech at all... dudes go to the garage and fix their cars... like it was for decades.

 

[Baum]

with generation y it depends on education and work surroundings, anyone born from 1981 to 1993 is about to be in the workforce and have kids or not..

sometimes it is easier to use streaming than tv if you have limited time and the timerame in itself, streaming is on its highest rise with covid19 and everyone at home.

The ordinary tv is flooded with reports from the crisis which no one wants to hear in a loop, so nothing beats binge watching every late evening on amazon!
It is BS marketing to think that tv still has a place, only for old people but not generation Y or any younger one, it is just still there to keep people paying for the old tv networks
(it doesn't matter if you pay with commercial watch time or directly like in germany).

The "old" reputable networks just keep us europeans from "fox" news style of "alternative" facts other than that feature i say: "Torch them all"

 

[danbert2000]

I don't know how AV1 is going to catch up to HEVC any time soon. All the major streamers are already using it. All the major TVs already decode it. 4k Bluray is HEVC. All new processors and GPUs decode it. In 5 years, I would assume that people would be moving to a next generation codec rather than using a (presumably) royalty-free version of the same thing they already have.

Is there ever room for two mainstream video codecs at the same time? Seems more like we get the old codec and the new codec coexisting until the new becomes the old and we switch to the new. AV1 is niche.

At least with MediaTek putting this in their chips, TV makers can easily allow it for streaming. I still doubt that supporting HEVC and AV1 would reduce costs for streaming companies at all.

 

[btarunr]

I don't know how AV1 is going to catch up to HEVC any time soon. All the major streamers are already using it. All the major TVs already decode it. 4k Bluray is HEVC.

MediaTek adding AV1 hardware acceleration is big because it supplies SoCs to Google Chromecast, Amazon FireStick, and many other streaming devices and DVRs. Netflix is already on board with AV1, to escape HEVC tax while meeting its bandwidth-conservation goals. I'm sure many other OTT platforms will follow suit.

Blu-ray (physical media) is so 2010s. And the latest TVs will escape the HEVC tax by switching to AV1. There's a financial incentive.

 

[seronx]

Also, AV1 is competing against VVC(h266), not HEVC(h265).

 

[R0H1T]

As of now AV1 is not competing against anything because it's essentially free, not to mention Google's added support for it in YouTube & chrome! In order for VVC or any other alternative to challenge AV1 in the future it'd have to be technologically superior &/or royalty free ~ which let's face it ain't what MPEG-LA or other leeches do.

 

[Wshlist]

I don't know what this guy is smoking - Gen Y in its majority for sure doesn't use streaming services.
Gen Y is the generation that had grown with CD Audio, and conventional TV and Radio stations.

You think people of around 30 to 40 don't watch youtubes? WTF!
Or do you theorize they don't use mobile phones? Ha ha
Oh and also not use tv-boxes or media players or anything.

I just hope nobody hires you for advising on any market based stuff - while not expecting to go bankrupt.

 

[ARF]

You think people of around 30 to 40 don't watch youtubes? WTF!
Or do you theorize they don't use mobile phones? Ha ha
Oh and also not use tv-boxes or media players or anything.

I just hope nobody hires you for advising on any market based stuff - while not expecting to go bankrupt.

Gen Z are still kids - age between 6 and 23.
So, many of them play with their parents' old phones and maybe tablets, but they for sure don't care about quality.

You can't get quality out of a phone, I mean you need a high-end audio system.

Because they said:

Whatever, forget it ....... they speak about visual quality and don't give a about sound quality, anyways.



And yeah, marketing is very far from my competencies ... I am an honest person

"streaming at the best quality settings"

 

[Wshlist]

Mediatek is not commonly used for high end anyway, snapdragons and Apple's own chips rule the roost there.
As for audio, in high end they all abandoned the audio connector and you are expected to use wireless audio, which often has a quality drawback - apart from the endless recharging issue.
Mind you, wires CAN be annoying sometimes.

So I think it's nice for Mediatek that they can scoop on AV1 support.
And talking of Mediatek, I hope they don't bow down to Trump's BS because I'd be so disappointed.