AV1 playback on Windows, explained

AIX Player includes an AV1 decoder; smooth playback depends on the file, hardware and driver. Here is what it is and how to play it today.

Why AV1 exists

AV1 is a video codec supported by AIX Player.

Why it will not play

Hardware support for AV1 only arrived in recent graphics chips. An older graphics chip may lack hardware AV1 decoding; AIX can decode supported AV1 video in software.

Playing it regardless

AIX Player includes an AV1 decoder; successful and smooth playback depends on the file and PC. The video codecs page lists every codec it decodes. Where the graphics chip and driver support AV1, AIX can use hardware decoding; otherwise it uses software decoding.

How to tell whether a file is AV1

You usually cannot tell from the file name, because AV1 lives inside an MKV, MP4 or WebM container like any other video. The details page in AIX Player shows what a file actually contains — the video type, resolution, bitrate and length — which is the quickest way to know what you are dealing with. Check File info to identify the codec; playback differences alone do not identify it.

AV1 file size and playback

File size depends on the source and encoding settings; test the actual AV1 file on your PC. Software decoding can be demanding; compare the actual file on your PC before drawing performance conclusions.

Casting an AV1 file to your television

Many televisions cannot display AV1 directly even when they handle other 4K video. AIX Player checks what the television accepts and converts unsupported parts while streaming. Supported Intel, AMD and NVIDIA graphics hardware can accelerate video conversion; on Qualcomm, only H.264 encoding is hardware-assisted, and other stages use the processor. No converted copy is written to the original file.