Mumbai: Agora, a platform for real-time engagement APIs, today unveiled its latest innovation, Adaptive Video Optimisation (AVO) along with support for the AV1 video codec. This advanced technology harnesses the power of machine learning to adjust parameters at every step from capture to playback. The goal is to deliver what it calls an enhanced live video streaming experience.
In today’s fast-paced digital world, live video calling and streaming often encounters hurdles such as unstable network conditions, packet loss, and limited bandwidth. These challenges can result in freezing, stuttering, grainy video, and dropped connections, diminishing the real-time video experience and negatively impacting user engagement. Adaptive Video Optimisation uses advanced machine learning algorithms to address these common issues. By optimising video quality in real time based on network conditions, device capabilities, and available bandwidth, AVO looks to ensure the highest possible video quality and optimal performance even under varying network scenarios.
“Reliable and high-quality live streaming is essential in today’s video-dominated media landscape. Our Adaptive Video Optimisation technology enables smooth delivery of every video call and livestream—despite network variability, user’s location or device type. These improvements empower Agora’s customers to provide the highest-quality live video user experience” stated CEO, co-founder Agora Tony Zhao.
Agora explains that its commitment to delivering a seamless real-time video experience with AVO rests on three core pillars:
Optimised Image Quality: The goal is to ensure that every frame is crisp, with enhanced contrast and vibrant details that make the viewing experience clearer and more engaging.
Video Fluency: The aim is to eliminate common streaming issues like buffering and stuttering, providing a smooth and natural flow.
Ultra-Low Latency: The goal is to allow users to interact in real-time, whether with hosts or other viewers, and enjoy quick loading times and instant first-frame rendering for seamless transitions between video streams.
AVO the company added takes a machine learning approach to ensure the highest quality video streaming experience by optimising every stage of the video processing pipeline — pre-processing, encoding, transmission, decoding, and post-processing. A key component of this solution is Agora’s Coding Technology (ACT), designed to optimise user experiences by dynamically selecting the best video codec (like AV1 or VP9) based on device capabilities and interoperability requirements. By employing advanced techniques and cutting-edge compression methods, the technology adapts, configuring parameters dynamically and ensures what it said are crisp visuals, efficient bandwidth utilisation, and a consistent, high-quality experience for all users, from the moment the video is captured to the final display on the viewer’s screen.
From video capture through playback, the technology the company explains continuously adapts to changing network conditions and device capabilities, guaranteeing a seamless streaming experience. Any imperfections that may arise during transmission are rapidly mitigated, and the final video is polished to provide lifelike clarity, delivering a superior real-time video experience for scenarios ranging from telehealth consultations to live shopping and social media.
“Agora’s Adaptive Video OptimizationTM (AVO) drastically improved the real-time video experience in our app. Users get smooth, high-quality video without freezes—even on slow connections and older devices. Since implementing AVO, we’ve seen a 30% increase in session length and engagement” said Ellard Capiral, VP engineering at social live streaming app Kumu.
