OPPO's VVC Deal Signals Acceleration of Next-Gen 4K and 8K Video

BOSTON & SHENZHEN, China – January 08, 2026

Global smartphone giant OPPO has deepened its commitment to next-generation video technologies by joining the VVC Advance Patent Pool as a licensee and renewing its license for the widely used HEVC standard. The agreement with licensing administrator Access Advance marks a significant step in the broader industry adoption of Versatile Video Coding (VVC/H.266), the successor to High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC/H.265), promising a future of higher-quality streaming and more immersive digital experiences for consumers worldwide.

This move solidifies a multifaceted relationship between the two companies, with OPPO now participating across all three of Access Advance's video codec licensing programs. The smartphone manufacturer has been a licensee in the HEVC Advance pool since 2020 and recently became a licensor in the Advance Video Distribution Patent (VDP) Pool, contributing its own intellectual property to the ecosystem.

The Dawn of the VVC Era

At the heart of the agreement is the VVC/H.266 standard, a technological leap designed to handle the ever-increasing demands of modern video. Finalized in 2020, VVC offers approximately 50% greater compression efficiency than its predecessor, HEVC. This means that video files of the same visual quality can be half the size, enabling smoother streaming of 4K, 8K, and High Dynamic Range (HDR) content, even over limited bandwidth. For consumers, this translates to faster downloads, lower latency in interactive applications, and the ability to enjoy ultra-high-definition video on mobile devices without quickly depleting data plans.

While the promise of VVC is substantial, its market adoption has been a gradual process. The ecosystem is steadily expanding, with major chipmakers like Apple, Qualcomm, and Samsung integrating native VVC decoding into their latest flagship processors. This hardware support is critical, enabling efficient playback on new smartphones and tablets. However, the standard faces competition from the royalty-free AV1 codec, backed by a consortium of tech giants including Google and Netflix, which has seen significant growth.

OPPO's commitment as a major device manufacturer is a powerful endorsement that could help accelerate VVC's rollout. By securing access to a portfolio of over 4,500 essential patents through the VVC Advance pool, the company ensures it can legally and efficiently implement the technology in its future range of smart devices, which are sold in over 70 countries.

Navigating the Complex World of Patent Pools

For any global technology company, navigating the landscape of intellectual property is a critical and complex challenge. Video codecs are built upon thousands of patented inventions from dozens of companies. Patent pools, like those administered by Access Advance, are designed to simplify this by offering a "one-stop-shop" license to a vast portfolio of essential patents under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms.

This model aims to prevent the kind of licensing fragmentation that plagued the early rollout of HEVC, where multiple competing pools and holdouts created uncertainty and higher costs for implementers. By bringing major patent owners and implementers under a single administrative umbrella, Access Advance seeks to create a more stable and predictable environment for innovation.

"We are pleased to welcome OPPO to the VVC Advance Patent Pool," said Peter Moller, CEO of Access Advance. "OPPO's participation...demonstrates the value our pools provide to companies that are simultaneously driving innovation and implementing these critical video technologies. This comprehensive engagement underscores the industry's recognition that our balanced approach serves the interests of patent owners and implementers alike."

The move by OPPO, a top-five global smartphone vendor, lends significant weight to Access Advance's model in a competitive field that also includes the Via Licensing Alliance, which formed after acquiring the long-standing MPEG LA. For the industry, such endorsements are crucial for building the consensus needed for a new standard to thrive.

OPPO's Strategic IP Balancing Act

The agreement highlights OPPO's sophisticated, dual-pronged IP strategy. The company is not merely a passive implementer of technology; it is also a major innovator. With over 115,000 patent applications filed globally and more than 63,000 patents granted, OPPO invests heavily in R&D, including significant contributions to video coding standards.

By acting as a licensee in the HEVC and VVC pools, OPPO gains efficient access to foundational technologies it needs for its products. Simultaneously, by acting as a licensor in the Video Distribution Patent (VDP) Pool, it contributes its own standard-essential patents, generating a return on its R&D investments. This balancing act allows the company to both build upon the work of others and shape the future of the industry.

"OPPO's decision to join the VVC Advance Patent Pool reflects our continued commitment to supporting balanced patent pool that benefits the entire video codec ecosystem," stated Vincent Lin, Head of Patent Licensing at OPPO. "As both a technology innovator and implementer, we look forward to the collaborative licensing frameworks which supports long-term and healthy IP ecosystem for video technologies and provides clear and efficient pathways for adoption."

This philosophy is further evidenced by OPPO's active participation in standardization bodies. The company has sent numerous delegates to the Joint Video Experts Team (JVET) meetings that developed and continue to refine the VVC standard, directly influencing the technology's evolution.

A Bridge to a Multi-Codec Future

Recognizing that the transition between codec generations is not instantaneous, the agreement also makes OPPO eligible for Access Advance's Multi-Codec Bridging Agreement (MCBA). This framework is designed for a world where devices must support multiple codecs simultaneously. For products that include both VVC and HEVC, the MCBA provides a single, discounted royalty rate structure, streamlining administrative overhead and reducing the financial burden for manufacturers.

This pragmatic approach is essential in today's market. While VVC is the future, HEVC remains the dominant codec for 4K content and will be relevant for years to come. The MCBA provides an efficient pathway for companies like OPPO to support both legacy and next-generation standards on their devices without facing punitive, additive royalty costs.

This strategic partnership between OPPO and Access Advance serves as a key indicator of the direction of the video technology industry. While challenges remain in the "codec wars," with ongoing competition between patented standards like VVC and royalty-free alternatives, collaborative licensing frameworks are proving essential. Such agreements are critical for building the momentum needed to move beyond technical specifications and place the next generation of immersive video experiences directly into the hands of consumers around the globe.