IBC 2026: Bitmovin Rolls Out Encoder Version 3

Bitmovin is rolling out Encoder Version 3, the next major release of the technology behind its VOD and Live Encoders. Version 3 is built on a premise every streaming team will recognize: the best picture the internet can deliver should not cost more to produce, store, or ship. Bitmovin will demo the first wave of features, now open for beta testing, at stand 5.F72 in Hall 5 at IBC 2026 ahead of general availability this fall.

Same quality, up to 18% fewer bits.

Version 3 introduces new HEVC and AV1 codecs, both tuned for Bitmovin's content-aware Per-Title Encoding. In benchmark testing spanning animation, cinematic, sports, and TV content, the new HEVC codec matched the current codec's quality at 15.5% lower bitrate with per-title encoding and 17.6% lower on static ladders. Held at the same bitrate, it delivers up to 4 VMAF points more quality. On average, it does this with 25% less cloud compute time.

In the same testing, a leading public cloud encoder's per-title HEVC needed 58% more bitrate to match the quality of Bitmovin's new HEVC with Per-Title Encoding. That gap compounds through origin storage, CDN egress, and every viewer's connection.

The new AV1 codec cuts encoding time by 66% at equal quality and delivers three times the throughput of the current codec, translating directly into lower operating costs. Version 3 also adds AV1-based Dolby Vision Profile 10 and HDR10 for VP9 and AV1 as well as Real-Time VMAF (RT-VMAF) quality scoring for H.264, HEVC, and AV1.

Independently measured.

Bitmovin's per-title advantage is well documented in a June 2026 study of H.264 per-title encoding across videos in five content categories, which found that a comparable public cloud encoder would need to raise its bitrate by 10% to match the quality of Bitmovin's Encoder, while carrying a storage premium. Under a top-heavy distribution profile, the Bitmovin Encoder delivered near-identical quality at 14% lower average bitrate. Version 3 carries that lead into HEVC and AV1.

Version 3 is our biggest leap yet: better codecs, more HDR formats, lower latency, and AI-native tooling built directly into the encoding pipeline, says Stefan Lederer, co-CEO and co-founder of Bitmovin. We were first to show viable cloud-based encoding with AV1. In Version 3 we are pushing the bounds of encoding on the quality and cost vectors simultaneously.

The first encoder your AI agents can talk to.

With Version 3, why did last night's encode fail? becomes something you ask, not debug. Through the Bitmovin MCP server, coding agents and assistants such as Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot get read-only, plain-language access to your own VOD and Live encodings: list and filter recent jobs, inspect encoding parameters, explain failures, and summarize activity. No custom API integration code required.

Live, less than a second behind reality.

Version 3 introduces ultra-low-latency live streaming over Media over QUIC (MOQ), a next-generation transport built for sub-second latency at scale. For live sports, auctions, and interactive formats, viewers stop watching the past.

Premium quality. Not premium priced.

Version 3 arrives with pricing changes that remove the last reasons to hold back from better codecs and workflows

AV1 cost multipliers cut 50% for managed cloud customers, bringing AV1 in line with HEVC

HDR10 and HLG encoding priced the same as SDR

Encoder Version 3 is about making the best possible video quality accessible to more of our customers. By bringing AV1 pricing in line with HEVC and removing the cost of quality metrics altogether, we're clearing away the barriers that have kept customers from adopting the codecs and standards that deliver the best experience for their viewers, says Reinhard Grandl, Chief Product Officer at Bitmovin.

Version 3 features are planned to reach general availability for VOD production deployments later this fall, with additional features, performance, and quality improvements for Live to follow closely.

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