Overview: VPx and AV1

VP8, VP9 and AV1 are distinct video coding formats with different tools and decoder requirements.

A web-oriented format label does not identify one universal decoder. VP8, VP9 and AV1 use their own coded-picture definitions, and support depends on the particular player or processing path. The pages here explain each format separately so container choice and codec capability can be compared without merging the two.

• VP8
  VP8 is an 8-bit 4:2:0 video coding format associated with WebM and real-time web media.

• VP9
  VP9 is a video coding format whose profiles distinguish supported bit depths and color sampling.

• AV1
  AV1 is a video coding format defined by the Alliance for Open Media with profiles, levels, and optional film-grain signaling.

References

• RFC 6386: VP8 data format and decoding guide
• WebM Project: VP9 bitstream and decoding specification (draft)
• AOMedia: AV1 bitstream and decoding process specification