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Netflix to cut streaming quality in Europe for 30 days

bbc.co.uk

721–730 of 763 posts

Re: Netflix to cut streaming quality in Europe for 30 days

#721
post #367

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This law does not apply to queueing as encountered in routers. It assumes unbounded queues and a poisson arrival process (i.e. a memoryless channel); both assumptions don't hold for packet routers and senders using congestion control (TCP or otherwise). There is, however, a high chance of encountering buffer bloat if countermeasures are not taken at the chokepoint: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bufferbloat Modern cab…

I have an older modem (DCM476) and it definitely doesn't have this or doesn't have it enabled. I have to use/tune queue management myself on the router side.

Yes, it's mandatory only as of DOCSIS 3.1, and yours seems to be 3.0. (Supposedly it has been "backported" to 3.0, but that obviously would not apply to existing devices certified before that amendment to the spec.)

Re: Netflix to cut streaming quality in Europe for 30 days

#722

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't even have a problem with Netflix not reducing the price. It think they should take the hit in place of their customers, but whatever, if your problem right now is that you're paying for 4k and not getting it, suck it up. But really the praise for Netflix is a bit off tone - they're not making any sacrifice at all.

"If you don't get what you pay for, then suck it up." Remember some Netflix clients pay MORE to enjoy higher quality. If Netflix artificially limits that quality, no matter the reason, then they shouldn't be charging that full price. Netflix is getting the best part of it: charging the same money, paying less for bandwidth, and they excuse themselves because the EU asked them to do it. It's the ISPs that should be so…

I am looking at their plans (at least how it appears in Europe) and the difference between the plans are:

- video quality

- number of screens

I for example play for both differences. So if they reduce only one for me it is still good.

Their pricing plans are not black and white only about video quality. Each plan increases both video quality and screen numbers.

Re: Netflix to cut streaming quality in Europe for 30 days

#724
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know, right now is not a time to be thinking about your ability to get the luxury service and goods you're used to. It's about us all staying alive and keeping each other alive and making it through this. Maybe you have to do with a little bit less than you're used to, maybe you don't think it's fair because you've paid $5 extra for your extra stream quality. None of us think what's happening is fair, but we have…

First of all, that kind of tone is not appreciated here. But beyond your tone, why do you think right now "staying alive" means that a business should be collecting an extra $5 per person, instead of it staying with people? Considering the difficulties many people are going to have making rent etc... it seems like the default sympathetic position here should lie with the customer , not the business. To me, that's "ge…

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Re: Netflix to cut streaming quality in Europe for 30 days

#725

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the point was, i believe, that the techs frequently don't know what they are talking about.

A lot of techs for large orgs don’t. I had a grid electrician in a while ago, replacing unshielded triple phase from the pole, who was convinced that they only use AC in the US, and that here in Europe it’s all DC, so safer, and this is why I can work on it without shutting it down, mate. The mind boggles. These people maintain our infrastructure.

Wow, that's wrong on several different levels. I can't even begin...

I understand that you don't need an electrical engineering degree to be an electrician, but still, these are some fairly basic concepts in the electric power industry, especially the safety aspects, so you'd think someone working on live wires would know better.

Honestly, any halfway-intelligent person who travels internationally should know that Europe runs at 240VAC/60Hz, because this is really important if you want to use your American electronics there without a transformer. (When I went to Europe last, I brought my laptop, and an adapter which does not convert voltage, only the prongs, but that's OK because the laptop's power brick says it works on everything from 100VAC to 240VAC, as do a lot of electronics these days. But you have to check this first, you can't assume! Plugging a 120V-only device into this adapter could cause a fire.)

Re: Netflix to cut streaming quality in Europe for 30 days

#727
post #397

Netflix is full of BS anyway. I have yet to see a single instance of 4K despite paying for it & having suitable gear and fiber line.

Go to http://fast.com and see what bandwidth you're getting. There is a good chance your ISP is limiting your bandwidth to Netflix, preventing you from getting 4K. If you get a good speed from that test, you should call Netflix customer service to help you diagnose.

970 mbps.

>good chance your ISP is limiting your bandwidth to Netflix

Possible, but unlikely. Forunate enough to be in a jurisdiction where broadband generally does what it says on the tin.

Also using the netflix win10 app and hdcp screen so that I can get all that juicy DRM.

>you should call Netflix customer service to help you diagnose.

Yeah probably a good idea

Re: Netflix to cut streaming quality in Europe for 30 days

#728

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guarantee you that a switch from activities which use gasoline and aviation fuel, to those which use wall power, is a net positive for CO2 emission.

Yes, I suppose it would work like that when you set up a false dichotomy.

Not a false dichotomy at all.

People have about 18 hours in a day to do stuff. Basically all of it has a carbon footprint.

Which do you think is higher: commuting to and from school/work and using electricity for eight hours, or just the using electricity part? Flying to a business meeting, or conducting it with videoconferencing?

The answer is obvious. Also, this is exactly what responsible climate activists advocate for: shift activity to lower total emissions, and electrify everything which can be, while titrating off fossil fuels and ramping up renewable electricity.

Sent from a house with solar panels on a bright and sunny day.

Re: Netflix to cut streaming quality in Europe for 30 days

#730

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could think about the opposite way: it's good that Netflix was using so much bandwidth because it encouraged network upgrades. Now, when we need to use this capacity for something else, Netflix can flip a switch and it's available. Excess usage for luxuries like 4k video in good times is a way of preparing for bad times. Ideally we would treat hospital capacity the same way. In good times, everyone gets a private…

The difference being that networks and Netflix servers don't cost a lot of money or take up space when they're idling, and/or they can sell the capacity and switch rapidly when they need it, whereas hospital capacity does. I mean I'm all for having excess hospital capacity (and excess capacity for a lot of things), but at the same time who is going to pay for it? This has been the problem before cloud computing; comp…

Yeah, I think it would have to be used as a way to get people to pay extra. Like, some private rooms are available for an extra charge, but when the crisis hits, they aren't available anymore?
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