dav2d is VideoLAN’s new AV2 decoder, targeting speed, small size, and portability across all platforms.
Key Takeaways
Successor to dav1d, built for AV2, the next-gen AOMedia codec designed for superior compression over AV1 at lower bitrates.
Explicitly claims to be the fastest AV2 decoder on all platforms.
Codebase is primarily ASM with C as glue, following the same architecture as dav1d.
AV2 spec is not yet widely adopted; encoder tooling (like SVT-AV1’s equivalent) will lag behind the decoder.
Hacker News Comment Review
Commenters flagged a potential patent threat: Sisvel is already preparing AV2 licensing claims, raising questions about whether AV2 can avoid AV1’s licensing friction.
The C-plus-ASM implementation drew both appreciation for performance and criticism for memory safety, with one commenter calling default-unsafe a near-negligence choice for media codec software.
Optimism for AV2 quality gains is tempered by realism: usable encoders historically arrive years after decoders, as seen with SVT-AV1.
Notable Comments
@tux3: dav1d and dav2d are mostly ASM; C is glue or placeholder for functions without optimized ASM yet.
@delfinom: Points to Sisvel preparing AV2 patent licensing, suggesting AV2 may face the same IP headwinds as prior open codecs.
