iQIYI’s QAV1 Encoder Achieves High Compression and Bandwidth Savings Using AV1 and Deep Learning

Dynamic eyes, clear skin texture, realistic scenery… the desire of every viewer is to experience immersive 4K ultra‑HD quality on phones, computers, and TVs.

With the professionalization of online movies and series, video platforms launch high‑quality audio‑visual technologies to create immersive cinema experiences.

How can ultra‑high‑definition video be delivered while using less traffic?

iQIYI’s mission is to ensure high‑quality viewing while saving traffic. Efficient encoding, compression, and transmission are key technical optimization directions.

During streaming, video passes through capture, upload, encoding, decoding, etc. Encoding compression directly impacts picture quality and bandwidth.

With 5G infrastructure widespread, video encoding continues to evolve. Balancing user experience, storage, compute, and bandwidth is essential. iQIYI explores advanced codecs to promote 4K/8K content.

In this year’s MSU Codec Competition, iQIYI was the only team using the next‑generation AV1 standard in the fast‑track (30 fps) and achieved the best SSIM‑based performance.

The new codec reduces video file size by about 20%, cutting bandwidth and user data consumption by the same proportion.

Compression reduces the video volume (Box A → Box B), maintaining quality while lowering bandwidth cost.

Since 2020, iQIYI has deployed AV1 on Android and PC Web. Leveraging deep‑learning techniques, the QAV1 encoder has achieved significant speed breakthroughs while maintaining high compression.

QAV1 reaches encoding speed comparable to x265 ultrafast (60 fps) with much higher compression efficiency, suitable for both offline encoding and real‑time live streaming.

Compression efficiency results:

1080p fast (30 fps): QAV1 saves 29.9% bandwidth vs x265.

1080p slow (1 fps): saves 32.8%.

4K 8‑/10‑bit fast (30 fps): saves 36.6%.

4K 8‑/10‑bit slow (1 fps): saves 27.2%.

Low complexity also enables QAV1 in live streaming, improving video quality across scenarios.

In the ultrafast track (1080p@60 fps) of the MSU competition, QAV1 reduces bitrate by 42.6% compared with x265, with similar resource consumption.

iQIYI also entered the AVS3‑based QAVS3 encoder, which offers higher compression than H.265/HEVC.

iQIYI will continue to explore new technologies and standards to enhance user experience across devices.