Netflix to cut streaming quality in Europe for 30 days

Commissario
Joined
23 Nov 2004
Posts
41,899
Location
Herts
Watched a couple of Webinars recently; about 25% involved stuttering sound or video; you frequently notice the same with outside broadcasts on radio and TV.

Whatever Netflix has done, there are still Internet bandwidth problems; frankly I haven't noticed much problem with Netflix \shrug\
Same, Netflix hasn't changed for me the last few weeks (unless I don't have 20/20 vision any more...)
 
Associate
Joined
17 Jan 2015
Posts
1,547
I for one am glad they've done it. I moved house and moved in on the day they closed the pubs (lockdown occurred just 3 days later).

I have been unable to get broadband installed until mid June so I've had to rely on a mobile hotspot on the edge of the countryside and limited data allowance. It's been very difficult but measures like this help.
 
Associate
Joined
27 Aug 2003
Posts
2,231
I’ve noticed a difference. Picture is a little softer. In comparison to amazon it’s night and day. Amazon have managed to maintain quality, and Disney+... it’s just Netflix being cheap...
 
Associate
Joined
27 Aug 2003
Posts
2,231
Does higher compression reduces their costs? I assume Netflix's bandwidth share is significant over Amazon and Disney+, so no real need for them to alter their consumption.

edit: I don't really know enough about it to question the methods however I am still miffed that I am back to HD-Ready picture for the same price...
 
Associate
Joined
6 Oct 2016
Posts
79
so what are these netflix boxes ? links ?... I thought they had capacity (who doesn't, like bbc too ... ) courtesy of amazon data sevices aws ...at their data centres;
that we discussed earlier in the thread.

... for the aforementioned swapping to 1080p/fhd ... is the bandwidth not reduced across all levels of subscription

edit yes ok some further isp distribution was touched on earlier ... but, wouldn't they be managed by amazon .. otherwise the delivery chain is netflix - aws - netflix ?

Netflix use a mix of AWS/S3 and their own open connect hardware for content delivery.

Pre launch, all title packages are held in S3, then when ready for release they are deployed to their open connect CDN appliances across the globe, once there are enough clusters with enough copies of a title, that title is then served to (local) customers. S3 is then removed from that scenario once titles are live.

Everything you see before you press play is held on AWS. (title cards, menus, etc)

That being said, would be nice to hear when they plan on upping bit rate levels again :rolleyes:
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Mar 2010
Posts
21,875
Netflix use a mix of AWS/S3 and their own open connect hardware for content delivery.
Thanks, now found this article https://blog.apnic.net/2018/06/20/netflix-content-distribution-through-open-connect/

49861991443_85d3ac6331_w_d.jpg
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Nov 2008
Posts
4,413
I for one am glad they've done it. I moved house and moved in on the day they closed the pubs (lockdown occurred just 3 days later).

I have been unable to get broadband installed until mid June so I've had to rely on a mobile hotspot on the edge of the countryside and limited data allowance. It's been very difficult but measures like this help.

You’ve always been able to lower the quality yourself in the settings if you’re on a restricted connection.
 
Soldato
Joined
16 Jan 2010
Posts
8,529
Location
Cumbria
I for one am glad they've done it. I moved house and moved in on the day they closed the pubs (lockdown occurred just 3 days later).

I have been unable to get broadband installed until mid June so I've had to rely on a mobile hotspot on the edge of the countryside and limited data allowance. It's been very difficult but measures like this help.

That's not our problem though, unlucky for you and unlucky for us who want our full service restored,.
 
Capodecina
Soldato
Joined
30 Jul 2006
Posts
12,129
I’ve noticed a difference. Picture is a little softer. In comparison to amazon it’s night and day. Amazon have managed to maintain quality, and Disney+... it’s just Netflix being cheap...
I imagine that it must be very depressing for actors, writers and directors to think that there are people who base a judgement as to the "quality" of their output on bandwidth - except that they probably just have a good laugh about people's fickleness.

Never mind the quality, feel the bandwidth!
 
Associate
Joined
17 Jan 2015
Posts
1,547
You’ve always been able to lower the quality yourself in the settings if you’re on a restricted connection.

Well... today I learned...

That's not our problem though, unlucky for you and unlucky for us who want our full service restored,.

Pretty selfish point of view. Besides, when I was watching it other day the quality seemed pretty damn good anyway for the most part. They obviously did for a reason, no?
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
3,552
Location
Nottingham
So this reduction in bitrate - how does it work? I was watching Into the Night and it was perfectly acceptable at 4mbps, then switched to The Thing which somebody had mentioned as being pretty poor and it was at 1mbps.
 
Caporegime
Joined
11 Nov 2002
Posts
83,143
Location
Barcelona
So this reduction in bitrate - how does it work? I was watching Into the Night and it was perfectly acceptable at 4mbps, then switched to The Thing which somebody had mentioned as being pretty poor and it was at 1mbps.
Different content has different bitrates. I think all 4k content was 15.62Mbps and is now 7.82 or something. Not sure why you are getting 4Mbps for Into The Night which is 4k content (unless you are on the HD plan, which I can't test).

1080p Content has a variety of bitrates (not sure why!) The Thing is showing 0.81Mbps for me, so was probably 1.62Mbps originally. Generally older films are lower bitrate, but there are exceptions as I just tried Event Horizon and that's showing 5.52Mbps so that used to be 11Mbps which is the top end for 1080p content.



rp2000
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Dec 2017
Posts
8,443
Location
Beds
Different content has different bitrates. I think all 4k content was 15.62Mbps and is now 7.82 or something. Not sure why you are getting 4Mbps for Into The Night which is 4k content (unless you are on the HD plan, which I can't test).

1080p Content has a variety of bitrates (not sure why!) The Thing is showing 0.81Mbps for me, so was probably 1.62Mbps originally. Generally older films are lower bitrate, but there are exceptions as I just tried Event Horizon and that's showing 5.52Mbps so that used to be 11Mbps which is the top end for 1080p content.



rp2000
In a nutshell:

Adaptive streaming has several quality levels known as representations. Generally these will use both high resolutions, AND higher overall bitrates/compression levels to improve image quality. The point is to have lots of different size streams in order to adapt to available bandwidth. So for example you might have for a 1080p video:

1080p high quality
1080p lower quality
720p high quality
720p lower quality
480p medium quality
360p medium quality

So you may well see different bitrates at full resolution due to different compression methods. Presumably this is also how they can send 4k content to a user on the 1080p plan - send a different list of available representations.
 
Caporegime
Joined
11 Nov 2002
Posts
83,143
Location
Barcelona
In a nutshell:

Adaptive streaming has several quality levels known as representations. Generally these will use both high resolutions, AND higher overall bitrates/compression levels to improve image quality. The point is to have lots of different size streams in order to adapt to available bandwidth. So for example you might have for a 1080p video:

1080p high quality
1080p lower quality
720p high quality
720p lower quality
480p medium quality
360p medium quality

So you may well see different bitrates at full resolution due to different compression methods. Presumably this is also how they can send 4k content to a user on the 1080p plan - send a different list of available representations.
Weird though it's exactly 50% less for people on fast connections :)

On the dog and bone to them now for 1 last attempt at a discount :D

Edit: Nothing! They suggested dropping my plan, which would take effect next billing cycle. I guess that is all that can be done for now.


rp2000
 
Last edited:
Caporegime
Joined
4 Jun 2009
Posts
31,014
I wouldn't even be dropping package tbh, just get the content elsewhere and cancel, it's the only way they will give back the max quality or a discount.
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Jun 2006
Posts
12,364
Location
Not here
I wouldn't even be dropping package tbh, just get the content elsewhere and cancel, it's the only way they will give back the max quality or a discount.

That's the plan for many looking at other peoples comments.

I always buy physical and never stop. No low bitrate, no "This content is unavailable in your country", no films randomly disappearing due to studio disagreements or moving elsewhere.
 
Soldato
Joined
31 Jan 2004
Posts
11,297
Location
Matakana New Zealand
I bet if everyone cancelled their subs, Netflix would soon revert back to high quality - Aimed at those who complain yet continue to pay for poor service. As long as Netflix know they can get away with it, they will!
 
Caporegime
Joined
4 Jun 2009
Posts
31,014
^^

Definitely would be reverting back to the normal!

Amazon tried the same a while back iirc and had to quickly revert because of the up roar and cancellations.
 
Back
Top Bottom