Intel’s new chips have the latest video format that could solve the biggest problem facing streaming services, but it may be a while before your TV gets it
What if I told you there was a way to improve the quality of the movies and TV shows you watch on the best streaming services, even if your Wi-Fi isn’t the best? Sounds ideal, right? Well, I’ve got good news and bad news…
The good news is that the next generation video codec, Versatile Video Codec (VVC), also known as H.266, has arrived in Intel’s latest chips (as reported by FlatpanelsHD). The bad news? These chips, part of the Intel Core 200 series launched at IFA 2024 (also known as Lunar Lake, which takes on AMD and Qualcomm), will be coming first to a range of “AI PCs” from companies like Lenovo, Asus, Acer, Dell, Samsung and more in late September 2024.
While there has been no official announcement yet on when these chips will appear in TVs, we are hoping that it will happen eventually, as it would improve video encoding by making it more efficient, resulting in better quality video streaming even for those with sub-par Wi-Fi strength. The unfortunate reality, however, is that it is unlikely we will see VVC in TVs anytime soon.
Currently, TVs use the older High Efficiency Video Encoding (HEVC), or H.265, and in some cases the higher quality AOMedia Video 1 (AV1) video codec. These video codecs compress video files to make them easier to send over the internet, with AV1 offering higher efficiency and better video quality at lower bitrates, resulting in smoother streaming. However, AV1 performs at a slower speed and has longer encoding times due to its complex algorithms.
HEVC has been used in TVs for years, and AV1 was finally introduced first on 8K TVs – such as the best 8K TVs – in 2020 and then on 4K TVs in 2021. Some of Sony and Samsung’s top TVs also support it, while others have continued to use HEVC. That said, how much better could VVC be and what impact could it have?
A Hope for the Future of Streaming
According to FlatpanelsHD’s report, VVC has been found to offer 30-50% more compression efficiency than HEVC and 10-20% more than AV1 at 4K resolution. Meanwhile, at 8K resolution, VVC is said to offer 50-60% more efficiency than HEVC and 20-30% more than AV1. Bitmovin tested HEVC with VVC in its own Bitmovin Player app and found that VVC performed better on faster-moving scenes and showed more detail compared to the same scene using the HEVC codec.
This bitrate reduction means that higher quality videos can be played without using as much data, which again means that those on weaker Wi-Fi can still enjoy high-quality 4K and 8K (when it becomes available) streaming. But it should also mean an improvement in performance, with less buffering for those on slower Wi-Fi. Plus, it’s great news for streaming services, as the increased efficiency of VVC will mean lower bandwidth costs, which is likely to be welcomed with open arms.
One of the most frustrating things about streaming is the sometimes inconsistent video quality. If you’re watching one of Netflix’s best movies, for example, the last thing you want is a drop in quality, resulting in blurry textures and washed-out colors and contrasts.
As I found out when testing Blu-ray vs Netflix and Disney Plus, streaming already has a disadvantage, as it typically hits a bitrate of 25Mbps during a 4K stream (Apple TV Plus can handle 40Mbps), compared to a 4K Blu-ray, which runs at around 128Mbps. This means that 4K streams are roughly the same quality as an HD (1080p) Blu-ray, so imagine this being further compromised by a less efficient codec. The implementation of VVC doesn’t automatically mean that 4K streaming will be as high quality as 4K Blu-ray, but it should at least make 4K, and in the future even 8K streaming, a better experience.
Worth the wait
While it is estimated that it could be a while before we see VVC fully implemented on TVs and streaming platforms, possibly years, at first glance VVC seems worth the wait. With streaming service prices constantly rising, with Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu raising their prices, another expected Netflix price increase, and Max also raising its own prices, to name a few, the least we can expect is consistent performance and quality.
With the VVC codec, it looks like we’re headed in the right direction. General testing has shown that the increased efficiency over HEVC is significant, and while it’s a stronger competitor between AV1 and VVC (according to reports from WinXDVD), it seems that VVC is more likely to be adopted by TVs in the future, which is good news for streaming services looking to improve efficiency and thus cost.
Of course, this is also excellent news for users. If you’re sitting at home with one of the best OLED TVs, you’re going to want the best possible quality when streaming. So while it may not be in sight yet, integration into Intel’s Lunar Lake chips bodes well for wider commercial use, and hopefully means TVs are the next step. Now we just have to wait.
