AV1
Also known as: AOMedia Video 1, AV1 codec
A modern royalty-free video codec that compresses even better than HEVC. Streaming platforms use it widely, though few action cameras record it.
Updated
What it means
AV1 was developed by an alliance of tech and streaming companies as an open, royalty-free successor to codecs like VP9 and an alternative to HEVC. At the same visual quality it can produce smaller files, which saves bandwidth for platforms serving huge amounts of video.
You meet AV1 mostly as a viewer. Large video platforms re-encode uploads into several codecs, and AV1 is one of them for many devices. Hardware decoding is now common in newer phones, laptops and TVs, which makes playback efficient and saves battery on mobile devices. On older hardware, platforms simply fall back to another codec, so viewers rarely notice the difference.
How it works in practice
For creators, AV1 shows up as an export option in some editing apps and encoders. It can make sense for archive copies or web delivery where small size matters. Encoding is slower than older codecs unless you have hardware support, so long exports can take a while. Test a short clip first to see how long your machine needs.
Cameras still mostly record H.264 and HEVC, because AV1 encoding in a small, battery-powered device is demanding. When you upload footage to a platform, it is fine to send H.264 or HEVC at a good Bitrate and let the platform create its own AV1 version during recompression.
What to watch out for
Compatibility is the main risk. Older computers, editing apps and devices may not decode AV1 at all, or only in software, which is slow and drains battery. Before choosing AV1 for files you share, check that the recipient can play them.
Like every efficient codec, AV1 works by throwing away detail it predicts you will not notice. Exporting AV1 at a very low bitrate still produces smearing and blocky artifacts in fast motion, so smaller files are not free. For master copies, a higher-quality, widely supported codec is the safer choice.
How RawClip handles it
RawClip accepts H.264 and H.265 video in MP4 or MOV. If you have AV1 files, export them to HEVC or H.264 before upload, then the AI builds your highlight and delivers it as MP4 in 4K and 1080p.