AV1 Video Extensions

If you're into streaming or just love watching high quality videos without eating up all your data, you've probably heard about AV1. It's this awesome, free video codec that’s changing the game when it comes to compression. Seriously, video makes up more than 70% of all internet traffic thanks, Netflix and YouTube! and that number is only going up. By next year, some experts think it could hit over 80%. That’s a lot of pixels flying around.

What’s cool about AV1 is that it’s open source. Unlike some older codecs that were locked behind patents and licensing fees, this one’s totally free forever. No hidden costs, no legal headaches. It was developed by the Alliance for Open Media big names like Google, Amazon, and Netflix are behind it and they’re all about making video smaller without losing quality. Think sharper images and faster streaming, even on slower connections.

So how do you get it working on Windows? First, you gotta install the AV1 Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store. Once it’s on your device, head over to Settings > Apps > Video Playback. If your hardware supports it (and a lot of newer devices do), you’ll see an option for AV1. Just enable it and you’re good to go. Fair warning though: since it’s still in beta on some systems, you might run into a glitch here and there. Don’t panic it’s still being fine tuned.

Looking ahead, AV1 is pretty much destined to become the next big standard. You’ll start seeing it built into new phones, TVs, and graphics cards before you know it. But yeah, it’s not perfect yet. Older devices might struggle, and not every app supports it fully. Still, if you’re all about that high quality, buffer free life, keeping an eye on AV1 is totally worth it.