We took a 4.8GB 1080p Web-DL of Episode 4 (original AVC/H.264) and re-encoded it to Libvpx (VP9) using a 2-pass CRF of 30. Here are the results:

The fourth episode of The Rookie 's seventh season, titled " Darkness Falling

In case you need help with something else, or need general information on a topic, I'm here to help.

But for a niche audience of cord-cutters and media server enthusiasts, the real story of S07E04 isn’t just the plot—it’s how the episode looks and performs when encoded using the codec.

Spoilers ahead for those not caught up.

(specifically the VP9 variant) is quickly becoming the codec of choice for archivists who prioritize quality-per-bit over raw encoding speed.

The episode shines (literally and figuratively) during its third act, where a nighttime chase through Griffith Park is lit solely by LED flashlights and muzzle flashes. The direction uses the darkness not as a gimmick but as a character—heightening tension and forcing the cast to rely on dialogue and sound design.

Watch the episode live on ABC for the story. Then download the Libvpx encode for your archive—just keep the original H.264 copy for that car crash scene.

Here are some potential search terms that might help:

Have you experimented with encoding The Rookie S07 using AV1? Let us know in the comments below.

libvpx is an open-source video codec library developed by Google. It's primarily used for video compression and decompression.