Intel Releases SVT-AV1 0.8.5 With More AV1 Encoder Improvements

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Intel Releases SVT-AV1 0.8.5 With More AV1 Encoder Improvements

Intel's open-source SVT-AV1 encoder that is now being used as the basis for the AV1 Software Working Group and used by Netflix and other organizations for being one of the most performant CPU-based AV1 encoders is out with a new release...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=SVT-AV1-0.8.5-Released

[milkylainen]

Still waiting for Intel SVT to add basic h264...

[MadeUpName]

Michael did you do any testing with 4K content to see if the trend was the same?

[brad0]

Still waiting for Intel SVT to add basic h264...

Good luck waiting for something no one is going to work on.

[milkylainen]

Good luck waiting for something no one is going to work on.

Unfortunately you're right.
When I talked to the SVT team it gave me all the hints I needed (Please observe, personal opinion).

- "Latest video encoding tech! Netflix! Steaming companies! Sell hardware and use SVT AV1! $$$!"
- "Um. But the mainstay is still h264 for a lot of people? For a lot of reasons too?"
- "We don't care! We are Intel $$$VT. Go use something else!"
- "But adding a mainstay codec would make the library way more complete? A very nice addition?"
- "Bzzzt!"

So yes. Intel SVT is never going to encompass h264 because it doesn't pay.
Intel pays engineers to do work with streaming services.
Making SVT a better library with more supported codecs and a uniform interface isn't on the priority list.

[smitty3268]

Unfortunately you're right.
When I talked to the SVT team it gave me all the hints I needed (Please observe, personal opinion).

- "Latest video encoding tech! Netflix! Steaming companies! Sell hardware and use SVT AV1! $$$!"
- "Um. But the mainstay is still h264 for a lot of people? For a lot of reasons too?"
- "We don't care! We are Intel $$$VT. Go use something else!"
- "But adding a mainstay codec would make the library way more complete? A very nice addition?"
- "Bzzzt!"

So yes. Intel SVT is never going to encompass h264 because it doesn't pay.
Intel pays engineers to do work with streaming services.
Making SVT a better library with more supported codecs and a uniform interface isn't on the priority list.

There's already a great h264 encoder. Not sure why you'd want to use anything else.

[milkylainen]

There's already a great h264 encoder. Not sure why you'd want to use anything else.

The point with a codec library, being a codec library.
With that mentality, why should Intel have developed anything to begin with?
There were already alternatives. Intel SVT wasn't exactly known for it's excellent quality...
Intel SVT is just that. Software Video Technology. An umbrella for modern video codecs.
Proving that encoding/decoding can be done faster (hopefully better too).
A codec library where you can move data easily from one codec to another with a uniform interface is nothing to sneeze at.

Oh well. I think it's an omission.

[topolinik]

Want an excellent h264 encoder? grab x264.
Want a codec library? grab ffmpeg.
Want both? build ffmpeg including libx264.

Intel developers give their efforts into AV1 both because streaming services need it and because there are better choices for any other codecs out there.

[smitty3268]

Intel developers give their efforts into AV1 both because streaming services need it and because there are better choices for any other codecs out there.

Exactly. Anyone not using x264 for that codec is just making poor decisions, and Intel would just be putting out an inferior product and giving their brand a bad reputation.

I don't think they're interested in that, they only want to work on codecs where they believe they have something to contribute that lets them claim they are the best option available, for at least some specific segment of users.

[wswartzendruber]

How is this license not simply BSD-2?