- Netflix’s new AV1 movie grain synthesis technique increases image quality
- It also reduces file size and improves streaming performance
- The technique has been rolled out for movies and TV shows since March 2025
Film grain is something of a ‘secret sauce’ that makes movies look good as a movie. Go to the movies and while you hardly want to notice them, these dotty imperfections flickering over the image it is a depth that is difficult to recreate digitally.
Well, now Netflix has revealed in a Techblog post that it has found a better way to do it, with a new technique that also easily improves playback stability while reducing errors and resumption. It has been rolling globally since March, with FGS-activated streams available now on supported devices.
So what has Netflix exactly done? Movies that are filmed on digital cameras can occur for clean and perfect, and even digitized versions of analog films can fight to preserve the grain correctly. This is especially true for movies on services such as Netflix that require compression to reduce file size for smooth streaming performance.
In its efforts to keep things effective, the compression process will remove grain from the original video file, which means the viewer gets a nice stable stream, but a picture that lacks the true film look.
No longer. Netflix has revealed that it is rolled out of a technology called “AV1 Film Grain Synthesis” (FGS) that delivers a pleasant grained image without increasing file size.
These are wise things: FGS analyzes the source video to determine its specific grain pattern and shape and estimate it by comparing the original video with a de-clothed version difference is the grain.
It then scales the grain intensity of different scenes and adjusts it to lighting and color. This information is then streamed together with the compressed, grain -free video file and used to recreate the grain effect on your device.
Better image quality, greater efficiency
This means that movies and TV shows on Netflix will now offer the desirable analog film look, increase the image quality and give users a more fun streaming experience.
Interestingly, during the A/B test of the Netflix feature, FGs also found significantly reduced Bitrate and Network Band Width requirements, reduced playback errors and rejection and reduced starting delay, all resulting in a more stable overall streaming experience. Double victory.
If you are excited to see FGS in action for yourself, you need a playback device that supports it. Unfortunately, it is not yet clear exactly which shows and movies will benefit from the technology, nor what the hardware requirements are – we have contacted Netflix to find out and will update this story when we hear back.
However, Netflix’s blog post describing the rollout suggests They cloned Tyrone and Department Sp are good places to start. The streaming giant says you may need to turn off HDR from the Settings menu to see these FGS streams.
