Netflix explains how it's quietly upgraded the image quality of your favorite movies and TV shows and it's all about film grain

Date:
Sun, 06 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Description:
Netflixs AV1 Film Grain Synthesis technology, which brings an evocative cinematic look to video content while improving streaming performance, is being rolled out worldwide.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Netflix' s new AV1 Film Grain Synthesis tech boosts image quality It also reduces file size and improves streaming performance The tech has been rolling out to movies and TV shows since March 2025

Film grain is something of a 'secret sauce' that makes movies look, well,
like movies. Go to the cinema and, while youll hardly notice them, these
dotty imperfections flickering across the image lend it a depth thats tricky to recreate digitally.

Well, now Netflix has revealed in a Techblog post that it's found a better
way to do it, with a new technique that also handily improves playback stability, while reducing errors and rebuffering. It's been rolling out globally since March, with FGS-enabled streams available now on supported devices.

So what exactly has Netflix done? Movies filmed on digital cameras can appear too clean and perfect, and even digitized versions of analog films can struggle to properly retain the grain. This is particularly true for movies
on services like Netflix, which require compression to reduce file size for smooth streaming performance.

In its efforts to keep things efficient, the compression process will remove grain from the original video file, meaning the viewer gets a nice steady stream but an image that lacks that true movie look.

Not anymore. Netflix has revealed that it's rolled out a technology called
AV1 Film Grain Synthesis (FGS), which delivers a pleasingly grainy image without increasing file size.

Its clever stuff: FGS analyses the source video to determine its specific grain pattern and shape, estimating it by comparing the original video with a de-noised version the difference being the grain.

It then scales the grain intensity for different scenes, adjusting it for lighting and color. This information is then streamed alongside the compressed, grain-free video file, and used to recreate the grain effect on your device. Better picture quality, greater efficiency (Image credit: Netflix)

This means movies and TV shows on Netflix will now offer that desirable
analog film look, boosting image quality and giving users a more enjoyable streaming experience.

Interestingly, during A/B testing of the feature Netflix also found that FGS significantly reduced bitrate and network bandwidth requirements, decreased playback errors and rebuffering, and reduced start-up delay, all of which result in a more stable overall streaming experience. Double win.

If youre excited to see FGS in action for yourself, youll need a playback device that supports it. Unfortunately, it isn't yet clear exactly which
shows and movies will benefit from the tech, nor what the hardware requirements are we've contacted Netflix to find out and will update this story when we hear back.

However, Netflixs blog post detailing the roll-out suggests They Cloned
Tyrone and Dept. Q are good places to start. The streaming giant says you may need to toggle off HDR from the settings menu to see those FGS streams. You might also like 7 new movies and TV shows to watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more this weekend (July 4) Netflix just canceled 2 of its most-watched shows but Ive already found better replacements streaming elsewhere Dont scroll Netflix endlessly to find something to watch use these secret codes to find stuff youll love instead



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/streaming/netflix-explains-how-its-quietly-upgraded- the-image-quality-of-your-favorite-movies-and-tv-shows-and-its-all-about-film- grain


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