What Is an AV1 Video
Before learning how to play AV1 video files, let’s briefly introduce the basics of AV1 video files.
AV1, the abbreviation of AOMedia Video 1, is a relatively new, open, and royalty-free video coding format. This video codec was developed as a successor to VP9, but it achieves higher data compression. By the way, AV1 has better compression efficiency than H.264 and H.265 while producing better image quality.
An AV1 video is a video encoded using AV1 compression algorithms and saved in container formats including MP4, WebM, and MKV.
How to Play AV1 Video on Windows and Mac
After learning the basics of AV1 video, let’s see how to play AV1 video files on Windows and Mac.
#1. Install the AV1 Video Extension on Windows 10/11
AV1 is not one of the native formats of Microsoft Windows. When you’re trying to open an AV1 video with the new Media Player, Movies & TV, Photos, or Windows Media Player, you’ll encounter a codec issue and be asked to install the free AV1 Video Extension codec pack from the Microsoft Store to play this video.
With the AV1 Video Extension add-on installed on Windows 10/11, you can play AV1 videos saved in MP4, WebM, and MKV formats.
#2. Directly Play AV1 Video on Mac
Apple added support for AV1 codec in 2023, which means all new Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV) come with the compatibility for AV1. In other words, you can play AV1-encoded videos natively without installing an additional codec pack or software.
More specifically, AV1 support is available on Macs running macOS Big Sur or later, iPhones and iPads running iOS 15 or later, and Apple TVs running tvOS 14 or up. Therefore, you can easily play AV1 videos with Safari browser and QuickTime saved in MP4 and WebM formats on Mac.
#3. Play AV1 Video in Web Browsers
Additionally, many web browsers support the AV1 codec, so you can simply drag and drop AV1 videos onto the browser’s tab to play them, including Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Brave, and Safari.
#4. Use an AV1 Video Player
Alternatively, you can open AV1 videos using some third-party video players like MiniTool MovieMaker. You can play your AV1-encoded MP4 videos in this application without installing any codec pack. Besides, if you need a video editor to edit AV1 videos, MiniTool MovieMaker is also a good option. It has many editing tools and effects such as trimming, cropping, filters, transitions, and more to take your video to the next level.
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In addition, you can use other AV1 players, including VLC media player, mpv, PotPlayer, Media Player Classic, MX Player, etc.
Can You Play AV1 Video on Android and iOS
As we mentioned above, you can play AV1 videos on your iPhone due to the Apple AV1 support. Android users can play AV1 videos on devices running Android 10 or later, and the supported container formats include MP4 and MKV.
What to Do If You Can’t Play AV1 Videos
AV1 is a popular video codec that is now supported by many devices, platforms, and media players. However, sometimes you may still encounter problems with opening AV1 videos. In this case, you can use an AV1 converter like MiniTool Video Converter to convert an AV1 video to the more common H.264 MP4 file to play it.
MiniTool Video Converter is a free video converter without watermarks and size limits, allowing you to convert videos to any format you want.
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Conclusion
Due to the video compression efficiency, AV1 is increasingly popular and common, so there will be more chances that you may get AV1 videos. That’s why you should know how to play AV1 video files on various platforms. Now, it’s your turn. Select the correct way to open your AV1 videos.
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