Netflix Admits to Throttling Mobile Video, Announces 'Data Saver' Feature for Smartphone Apps

[kas23]

My question is if people are so horrified they've been getting lower quality streams on their mobile device, why didn't they notice this a long time ago and cancel their service? Is it because they themselves couldn't even tell the difference? And if not, why are they hurt now?
[doublepost=1459034697][/doublepost]

Netflix is pretty cavalier about "knowing" what's best for their customers, e.g. rearranging queues, sorry My List, randomly and not implementing downloadable content, which would bolster their stance on protecting the customer, because "it would confuse the customer."

I find it amazing you would say this on a board devoted to Apple products. Don't you find that ironic?

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

So a big company has been secretly throttling people giving a lower quality product without saying anything and people are OK with it because heck, they're doing us a favor and saving us from data overages? Is everyone here high? I don't care as much because I don't stream Netflix, but take any other news story and company that has screwed over the customers "for the customer's own good" gets raked over the coals.

Everyone must be in a very forgiving mood today.

 

[7thson]

My question is if people are so horrified they've been getting lower quality streams on their mobile device, why didn't they notice this a long time ago and cancel their service? Is it because they themselves couldn't even tell the difference? And if not, why are they hurt now?
[doublepost=1459034697][/doublepost]

I find it amazing you would say this on a board devoted to Apple products. Don't you find that ironic?

If by that, you mean that the same could be said of Apple, I suppose one could read it that way. In no way did I say that Apple is a paragon of perfection, however, so I don't see the irony. I use Netflix and see room for improvement in their UX. I use Apple products and see room for improvement in their software and hardware. This article has nothing to do with Apple so I don't see the correlation. Or maybe I missed the irony altogether.

 

[vooke]

Consumers are paranoid about their freedoms..Netflix, just give them options.

 

[jthesssin]

*sniff sniff* you smell that rabbit?

Laawssuuit

nice reference!

 

[sudo1996]

Sounds like Netflix and T-Mobile are (illegally) in bed. But I agree, it's stupid to stream Netflix over cell data.
[doublepost=1459124115][/doublepost]

I hate how many other other news stories on this are painting it as a net neutrality issue. It's not. As the provider of the content, Netflix can choose to deliver it however fast or slow they want.

Because websites aren't supposed to care what your ISP is, and vice versa.
[doublepost=1459124932][/doublepost]

People should be thankful that Netflix tried to keep them from the greed of Verizon and AT&T overages. I solely blame Verizon & AT&T for caping data. The caps are BS they know it.

If you don't want a cap, you can use Sprint's horrendously slow service. It's probably horrendously slow because there's no cap, so people are wasting bandwidth. Maybe there's a reason for the cap.

 

[kas23]

If by that, you mean that the same could be said of Apple, I suppose one could read it that way. In no way did I say that Apple is a paragon of perfection, however, so I don't see the irony. I use Netflix and see room for improvement in their UX. I use Apple products and see room for improvement in their software and hardware. This article has nothing to do with Apple so I don't see the correlation. Or maybe I missed the irony altogether.

Especially under Jobs, Apple is the epitome of a corporation making executive decisions of what is best for their consumers regardless of their desires or choices. Would you hold Apple to the same criticism you are giving Netflix? If not, then you have to wonder why. And if you don't see the connection between you comment and Apple, remind yourself on what website you are posting your comment.

 

[sudo1996]

I use Netflix and see room for improvement in their UX.

Yes. They could stop making us install Microsoft Silverlight.

 

[7thson]

Especially under Jobs, Apple is the epitome of a corporation making executive decisions of what is best for their consumers regardless of their desires or choices. Would you hold Apple to the same criticism you are giving Netflix? If not, then you have to wonder why. And if you don't see the connection between you comment and Apple, remind yourself on what website you are posting your comment.

Again you are comparing Netflix to Apple. One provides a limited scope of service and the other provides a variety of hardware and software products, some of which actually support the other. I don't see the connection, other than Netflix drastically benefits more from the business relationship than Apple does. I've probably been using Apple stuff longer than Netflix and I know the difference between controlling the user interface to provide a more stable experience and blatantly limiting the user interface because of the "concern" that "it will confuse the customer." Apple deserves criticism for their faults and short comings, just like Netflix does. I've shopped around for alternatives to iOS but haven't taken the leap because of the tight integration it provides between devices. I've also put our Netflix on hold for months at a time because I just felt like it wasn't worth paying for something that frustrates me. As far as lacking goes, Netflix has Apple beat hands down, but that's comparing apples to oranges. No pun intended.
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Yes. They could stop making us install Microsoft Silverlight.

No kidding. It's 2016 for crying out loud.

 

[zaphon]

Sounds like Netflix and T-Mobile are (illegally) in bed. But I agree, it's stupid to stream Netflix over cell data.

Wait what??? How exactly did you make this jump? And I stream video over my cell data plan all the time, with no downgrading either (T-Mobile customer, have unlimited LTE, binge-on disabled). And no my service isn't horrendously slow, I see 10-20Mbps at my slow points, with 100+ in some of the areas I frequent (though I do agree Sprint's is, it's why I left them years ago, what good was having unlimited dial-up) And yes according to T-Mobile, I use 25-35GB of data a month, my son uses a bit more, and even my wife manages to go over 10..

 

[delegagtor]

I'm more interested in why they haven't caught up to Amazon's ability to download videos to a device for offline viewing. As a frequent traveler this is a bit reason why Amazon trumps Netflix in usability. Of course content is king, but when there is a choice I'll go with Amazon every time.

 

[sudo1996]

Wait what??? How exactly did you make this jump?

Because Netflix and T-Mobile are partners for Binge-On, so maybe Netflix is giving T-Mobile preferential treatment while making AT&T and others look bad. "Hey, people, you're wasting your cell data if you aren't using T-Mobile." It gets people to look into Binge-On. It's only a theory. Generally, as a consumer, I don't want to see the ISP even talking to website managers; same goes with web browsers.

 

[jlc1978]

I've been a Netflix customer for several years. I assumed mobile bandwidth was limited, just as many other services do.

I'm with you on this one. Adjusting video quality based on bandwidth and connection type makes sense. I've never had a problem with video quality from Netflix on my iPhone, and I bet most users don't either. Adjusting data rates so more users get a good experience is better than higher quality and buffering.

[/quote]Who, in their right mind, streams HD video over their cellular connection, even it is unlimited.[/QUOTE]

There are always measurabaters who believe numbers alone define the user experience, many of whom post I'm MR and other tech sites.