Let's clear up some confusion and understand why AV1 is a superior codec, especially for low bitrate media.
Firstly, the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) was founded by several leading tech companies, including:
1.

Google
2.

Mozilla
3.

Netflix
4.

Amazon
5.

Microsoft
These companies came together to develop AV1, aiming to create a more efficient, open, and royalty-free video codec.
Now, let's talk about why AV1 is superior for low bitrate media:
1.

Higher Compression Efficiency: AV1 offers significantly better compression than older codecs like HEVC (H.265). This means you can get similar or even better video quality at a much lower bitrate, saving bandwidth and storage.
2.

Enhanced Visual Quality: AV1 includes advanced techniques like adaptive quantization and directional filtering, which improve visual quality, especially at lower bitrates.
3.

Open and Royalty-Free: Unlike HEVC, AV1 is royalty-free, which means anyone can use it without paying licensing fees. This encourages broader adoption and innovation.
4.

Wide Support: Major platforms and browsers are already supporting AV1, ensuring that content encoded with AV1 can be widely accessed and enjoyed.
5.

Future-Proofing: AV1 is designed with future advancements in mind, ensuring it remains relevant and effective as technology evolves.
In conclusion, while HEVC (x265) has its merits, AV1 offers a more efficient, higher quality, and cost-effective solution for low bitrate media. The collaboration of industry giants behind AV1 further underscores its potential and reliability.
Let's keep our discussions informed and constructive.

So keeping all of that in mind, if you think a 1080p hevc 200MB (average mini size) anime episode looks better than av1, without providing a slow.pics comparison that proves your point, you therefore forfeit your masters degree in yaponomics.