To achieve a good experience when playing video content both locally and via streaming, we must take into account several factors. Apart from the software we use as a player, the codecs and standards used also play a key role.
Hence the importance of the launch that the technological giant Intel has just carried out, which almost all of you know. Specifically, we are referring to the new version of the codec now called Versatile Video Coding or VVC. Also known as H.266, as you can imagine, it is the successor to the H.265 that has been with us for so long.
Let’s start from the premise that video standards are currently evolving significantly. 4K quality is already the order of the day, and 8K is beginning to emerge. Furthermore, this type of playback is already carried out even through different streaming platforms. Hence, having a sufficiently efficient codec improves the viewing of these multimedia contents, as is the case in this case.
This is the main objective, as it could not be otherwise, of the new VVC or H.266 codec, that is, to optimize the efficiency of current video compression to the maximum. This will be extended to both local and online content. That is precisely why the new H.266 is expected to revolutionize the use of video streaming platforms in a few months.
Advantages of the new H.266 or VVC codec
Before its release, it is clear that this video codec has passed a multitude of tests and studies carried out on it. So much so that we can now offer you a series of comparative data with respect to previous versions. This will help us to get an idea of the potential it will offer us in the coming years.
As a clear example of all this, VVC is around 40% more efficient than HEVC when it comes to 4K video compression. Not only that, it also improves the efficiency of the popular AV1 codec by 10-20%. Not to mention the latest and most advanced video standards such as 8K resolution, where H.266 improves efficiency by around 60% compared to the aforementioned HEVC.
As you can imagine, these figures will directly influence our experience when playing these video contents. Better encoding allows the transmission of these contents in high definition on poorer connections. This is precisely why VVC will be so important on current streaming platforms.
Users with more limited connections will still be able to enjoy high-resolution 4K and 8K content. In some cases, this will even translate into reduced storage when dealing with videos. It is also worth knowing that this new codec will gradually reach all types of devices and platforms.
Intel plans to start with the most powerful computers, but H.266 will also be coming to our smart TVs and all kinds of media playback products.
