Popular media player VLC 4.0 adopts AV2 format

Popular Media Player VLC 4.0 Embraces AV2 Format

At the CES 2026 electronics exhibition, the VideoLAN project team presented a preliminary build of the VLC 4.0 media player. The main innovation was full support for the promising video encoding format — AV2.

During the demonstration, the developers showed the player handling 1080p content. The key point of the demo was that a standard laptop without hardware decoding acceleration was used for the test: all video processing was performed via software methods. This clearly confirmed the viability of AV2 under conditions close to typical user scenarios.

The official release date for VLC 4.0 remains unknown for now. However, enthusiasts can already try out the new features: the current version of the code is available in the master branch of the Git repository — those interested can compile it themselves.

The AV2 format is being developed by the Open Media alliance as a free alternative to AV1. Its key advantages are:

• Optimization for streaming services;
• Improved prediction of changes between frames;
• A noticeable performance gain in video compression compared to AV1;
• Expanded capabilities for virtual and augmented reality applications.

Furthermore, AV2 supports a wide range of visual quality and allows for the transmission of multiple video streams simultaneously — for example, for separate display on different devices or screens.

The format also includes specialized filters: they effectively suppress digital noise and preserve fine image details, which is particularly important for high-resolution and dynamic content.