AVIF, AV1 Image File Format (.avif)

The AVIF Raster image file format

With the development of the AV1 codec, February 2019 saw the emergence of a new image file format that uses the compression provided by this codec. The AVIF file format is used to store image data in the HEIF format but with the usage of AV1 for compressing the image sequences.

Technical details of AVIF files

AVIF images support a wide range of features such as HDR (high dynamic range), lossless and lossy compression, different color-spaces, film grain, chroma subsampling, and more. The end of 2018 marked the start of support for AVIF files with Netflix being one of the first. VLC, Microsoft as well as the Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browser followed.

More information about the AVIF file format

File extension	.avif
File category	Raster image
Associated programs	Microsoft Paint Paint.net VLC Windows File Explorer some web browsers
Useful links	More Information on AV1 and AVIF
Developer	The Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia)