Hard to tell if you're being serious or not, and maybe you should define necessary. Based on your comment I would guess you're still using a 32" Sony WEGA for entertainment, which is fine... but bear in mind most have moved up to a 65" or larger.
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Netflix Reduces Streaming Video Quality in Europe to Lower Data Usage and Ease Strain on Broadband Networks
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Hard to tell if you're being serious or not, and maybe you should define necessary. Based on your comment I would guess you're still using a 32" Sony WEGA for entertainment, which is fine... but bear in mind most have moved up to a 65" or larger.
But that's apples to oranges. You're comparing the disc bitrate to a compressed streaming bitrate.
Instead compare disc to disc, or streaming to streaming: DVD is 11Mbps compared to UHD BR can go as high as 128Mbps. Or, streaming 480p can be roughly 1.5Mbps compared to 4k streaming which can be 16Mbps.
Why do most of you believe that reducing the bitrate by 25% will end up with HD instead of 4K?
That isn't stated in the article. According to Netflix settings page, 4K video uses up to 7GB for 1 hour of streaming. HD uses 3GB. Since when does a 25% decrease result in HD video ?
Many people in Europe share their Netflix account with friends/family. The higher end subscription allows streaming on 4 screens, 4K is just an additional perk.
That isn't stated in the article. According to Netflix settings page, 4K video uses up to 7GB for 1 hour of streaming. HD uses 3GB. Since when does a 25% decrease result in HD video ?
Many people in Europe share their Netflix account with friends/family. The higher end subscription allows streaming on 4 screens, 4K is just an additional perk.
Different people have different needs, and that should be respected. Casting dispersions or denigrating someone else's preparation efforts or needs reeks of a kind of jealously that someone failed to adequately prepare or appreciate a developing situation.
Disgusting that they gave in to the EU. As a 4K subscriber I want my money back!!!
Disney+ starts here on (I think Friday) it’s 4K as standard. I have a 4K HDR telly, but if they streamed The Mandalorin in 1080p and no one told me, would I really notice? And if I did notice that the ‘Colours weren’t popping’ would it be worth any possible break down in civilisation?!
Yea a family of arseholes needs plenty of toilet paper, you tell em
The point is that more pixels does not mean more bandwidth. That is a false assumption. Rather, you have a certain amount of reasonable bandwidth, and what changes is compression algorithms and visual quality.
As I pointed out above too, looking at diagnostics of Amazon video streaming, both 1080 and 4K videos seem to stream at around 6-10 Mbps.
Pray for BGPL -not least because he doesn’t understand the difference between the words ‘most’ and ‘some.’
Actual chain of events.
Some EU Politician that has no clue says "Make all the streaming slower!"
Telekom is like "Bro, we have no issues at all and tons of capacity."
Netflix "Ok, we listen to the politician that has no clue because the story gained PR traction."
But a good thing that it dos not only get reduced at working hours but 24/7 for 30 days. What a bunch of no good geeks we got in some positions of power...
Some EU Politician that has no clue says "Make all the streaming slower!"
Telekom is like "Bro, we have no issues at all and tons of capacity."
Netflix "Ok, we listen to the politician that has no clue because the story gained PR traction."
But a good thing that it dos not only get reduced at working hours but 24/7 for 30 days. What a bunch of no good geeks we got in some positions of power...
Zero surprise if you look at their business model. I was discussing this very point last week with several people. When people are home an hour a day to watch TV, Netflix has a great model and price structure. However Netflix has zero ways to increase their income as demand for their product increases. Meanwhile they must continue to pay more and more for their bandwidth and other infrastructure. No one is giving Netflix unlimited resources on those fronts, they cost real money.
Netflix will likely need to adjust pricing structures going forward. Look form them to introduce that ad supported tier at the lower end of the price sheet. It’s been talked about for a long time. This will likely be justification for it happening. Other streaming services will likely follow along.
Netflix will likely need to adjust pricing structures going forward. Look form them to introduce that ad supported tier at the lower end of the price sheet. It’s been talked about for a long time. This will likely be justification for it happening. Other streaming services will likely follow along.
I cannot leave home unless I shop for food, I cannot go to the gym as it is closed and won’t get a refund, cannot take public transportation, no refund. The list is quite long... Netflix is the last service I’d complain about.
People need to work, if networks sucks carriers will have to be hold responsible, but we can’t expect them to improve their infrastructure in a week, so the only curse of action is cut whatever is not strictly necessary. That was the right call in these time of emergency. Hopefully Netflix will compensate its customers in some ways, but I wouldn’t take it for granted.
Bigger problem is with services like Microsoft Teams that has been absolute shambles last few days
That's the wrong way to think about it. Netflix rents out intellectual property. Like most IP, the cost of making a film is a sunk cost; it doesn't matter whether 1 or 1 million people watch it, the money has been spent and remains constant. Therefore, as more people watch the same content, the cost per user declines. There is no scarcity, as the economists call it.
This is why a lot of tech becomes a de-facto monopoly: Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Android, Intel CPUs, etc. As demand increases, cost per user decreases, making it more attractive than the competition.
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but they need to pay carriers for bandwidth, that’s the point. We don’t know the deals they have with carriers, but I doubt they have a fixed cost.
As many people are at home these days demand increases, that’s a problem for the network, but an higher cost for Netflix as well. I don’t think they cut quality only to respond to the EU request, they may have done it to save money on their end as well
Like, i cannot stress enough how silly this is.
A bunch of cellphone providers actually give bandwidth of 5-10 GB for free right now. FOR FREE. Do you think they do that because the network can't handle it?
Meanwhile the worlds biggest internet knot in Frankfurt also is like "Nah bro, we got it."
Do you people realise that your emotional "stop all the things!!!" reaction is causing this? If this gained no traction via people that don't spend a second on research this would have never been accepted.
Is there any evidence that Europe is under a bandwidth crush due to covid-19?
Simple math: If I add 25% more users, my bandwidth requirements go up by 25%, so I buy 25% more equipment or pay the same to ISPs, but my revenue goes up by 25%. So it all balances out on the infrastructure side.
Meanwhile, those users are watching the exact same films, so the cost of producing movies has not changed, so my profits have gone up.
This is the exact same as Intel or Apple. Their fixed costs are roughly half the product's cost (making the software or CPU design), the other half is variable (making the physical CPU or phone).
In fact, think about the fact that Netflix charges more for 4K. Sure, their bandwidth costs may go up, but do they pay the actors, the sound guy, or the writers more for a 4K film versus a 1080 film?
DVD quality is 720x480 NTSC making it 480p. Not too long ago, internet speeds were 56kbps, and before that movies were transmitted from your radio through your ears to your imagination.
I'm amazed (and shocked) by the number of people here who only think about themselves and do not see the bigger social issue here. We're all in this together. We got to make some little sacrifices so that everyone can enjoy Internet smoothly.
I can't even take seriously your "Oh no I can't have 4k anymore" tears. 1st world problem.
I can't even take seriously your "Oh no I can't have 4k anymore" tears. 1st world problem.
I’m sure carriers have evidence but they won’t share the data, would made them look bad.
if you work from home and the network sucks you blame your carrier, rightfully so. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that carriers in some way offered money compensation to Netflix to reduce quality and save bandwidth. I manually reduce YouTube quality at home to help my wife who works while the baby watches stuff on tv. The problem is real, with people using Remote Desktop and video calls all day long.
Have to say carriers did a good job giving away data for free at the beginning of the emergency when only a part of Italy was in quarantine. They can’t do the same for the whole country now
I think you’re missing the very valid points though that this makes absolutely no difference.