AV1 is the most significant video codec shift since H.264 replaced MPEG-2. It delivers 30–50% smaller files at the same quality compared to H.265/HEVC, it’s royalty-free, and hardware decode support is finally hitting mainstream devices. But for Plex server operators, AV1 creates both opportunities and headaches. Here’s what you need to know.
Why AV1 Matters for Media Servers
The efficiency gains are real. A typical 4K HDR movie encoded in HEVC at reference quality is roughly 15–25 GB. The same movie in AV1 at equivalent perceptual quality is 10–17 GB. For a library of 500 movies, that’s potentially 3–4 TB of storage savings — meaningful when you’re filling $120 hard drives.
AV1 also handles HDR better than HEVC for streaming. Its grain synthesis tool lets encoders strip film grain during compression and re-apply it during playback, which dramatically reduces bitrate for grainy content (horror films, vintage footage) without the smeared look you get from HEVC at similar bitrates.
Hardware Decode Support in 2026
AV1 hardware decoding is now available on:
- Intel Arc GPUs and 12th+ Gen iGPUs: Full AV1 decode and encode (Quick Sync)
- NVIDIA RTX 40-series and newer: Full AV1 decode (NVDEC) and encode (NVENC)
- AMD RX 7000-series: AV1 decode and encode (VCN 4.0)
- Apple M3+ chips: Hardware AV1 decode (Apple TV 4K 3rd gen, all M3+ Macs)
- Most 2024+ smart TVs: Samsung, LG, and Sony flagship TVs have AV1 decode
- Chromecast with Google TV (4K): AV1 decode supported
- iPhone 15 Pro and newer: Hardware AV1 decode
The gap is older devices: Roku Ultra (pre-2024), older Fire TV Sticks, pre-M3 Apple devices, and all PS4/PS5 consoles (no AV1 support). If any of your users stream on these devices, Plex will need to transcode AV1 to H.264 — and that’s where things get expensive.
The Transcoding Problem
AV1 is computationally expensive to decode in software. A typical Plex server CPU can handle 2–3 simultaneous H.264 software transcodes, but only 1 AV1 software transcode before stuttering. The codec was designed with hardware acceleration in mind — software fallback is a worst case, not a design target.
Hardware transcoding AV1 is better but still limited. Even on supported GPUs, AV1 transcode (decode AV1, encode to H.264 for incompatible clients) is roughly 40% slower than HEVC-to-H.264 transcode. An NVIDIA RTX 4060 that handles 8 simultaneous HEVC transcodes might handle 5 AV1 transcodes.
This is exactly the scenario where PlexBeam’s remote GPU offloading shines. Your NAS or low-power server can’t transcode AV1 at all — but a remote GPU worker with an RTX 4090 can handle a dozen simultaneous AV1 streams without breaking a sweat.
Should You Re-Encode Your Library?
The short answer: not yet, unless storage is your primary constraint.
Re-encoding an existing H.265 library to AV1 is:
- Slow: Encoding a 2-hour 4K movie to AV1 with SVT-AV1 (the fastest good encoder) takes 4–8 hours on a modern CPU, or 1–2 hours with GPU encoding (lower quality). For 500 movies, that’s weeks of compute time
- Generationally lossy: Transcoding from one lossy codec (HEVC) to another (AV1) always loses quality. The savings are smaller than encoding from the original source, and you introduce artifacts that weren’t in the HEVC version
- Compatibility risk: Until every device in your household and every friend’s device supports AV1 decode, you’re trading storage savings for higher transcoding demand
The better strategy: acquire new content in AV1 when available, keep your existing HEVC library as-is, and re-evaluate in 12–18 months when device support is more universal.
Plex’s AV1 Support Status
Plex handles AV1 files today — it recognizes the codec, displays metadata correctly, and generates thumbnails. Direct play works on supported clients. Hardware transcoding of AV1 content works on servers with Intel Quick Sync (12th Gen+), NVIDIA NVDEC (RTX 40+), and AMD VCN 4.0+.
What Plex doesn’t support yet: encoding to AV1 during transcoding. If a client needs transcoding, Plex outputs H.264 or HEVC, not AV1. This matters less than you’d think — the clients that need transcoding are usually the ones that can’t decode AV1 anyway, so transcoding to H.264 is the right behavior.
The Bottom Line
AV1 is the future of media encoding — smaller files, better HDR handling, no licensing fees. But for Plex operators in 2026, it’s a transitional period. Grab new content in AV1 when the quality is right, make sure your server or GPU service can transcode it for incompatible clients, and don’t re-encode your existing library unless you’re desperate for storage.