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Netflix Is Killing BitTorrent in The US

torrentfreak.com

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Re: Netflix Is Killing BitTorrent in The US

#62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds like a network issue – though that doesn't take away from your point. In my case, I can Watch Instantly for an entire movie, in HD, without any trouble at all, and it does start almost instantly. If you're getting the bone, though, that points to the limitations any bandwidth-intensive business has to contend with as they scale. A decent number of potential customers are stuck with sloppy internet. I wond…

It could be a network issue - but one that has followed me through two apartments, three routers, and four computers. The only constants in the equation have been Time Warner Cable and me. No matter what the cause, however, the fact is that streaming media is vulnerable to network issues, and downloaded media is not. It may take longer to get, but once you have it, you know you have it. I think your point about slopp…

Well, Time Warner Cable is a terrible network. So I think his point still stands. It might not seem like a big deal but IMO, the difference between occasional High speed internet and Actual High speed internet is huge. I am literally willing to pay several hundred a month extra to have an apartment connected to FIOS on top of what FIOS actually costs.

Re: Netflix Is Killing BitTorrent in The US

#64
post #10

Easy trumps free.

Flat rate also trumps free. That's why Netflix is better than Comcast on-demand (at $1 to $5 per movie) -- I want the ability to turn off a movie after 20 minutes if it is junk, without feeling like I just wasted a couple Washingtons or a Lincoln.

Since the headlines the other day about Netflix overtaking Comcast, I predict that price is going to change very soon (but not so soon that it's seen as a proximate cause).

Re: Netflix Is Killing BitTorrent in The US

#65
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's really only one answer to that problem: full downloads. I would tolerate a fair amount of DRM for that functionality. I have to compare it to Steam, where streaming a game isn't an option. Steam's convenience simply leaves no reason for complaint.

> There's really only one answer to that problem: full downloads. I hope you're wrong. The real answer should be world-class broadband, instead of the nonsense we're dealing with now. Full downloads are a bandaid but there's no technical reason why streaming can't work perfectly for the people who want it. Telcos are just lazy and have built-in monopolies. In the meantime, what you're describing isn't a bad bandaid,…

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Re: Netflix Is Killing BitTorrent in The US

#66
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There's really only one answer to that problem: full downloads. I hope you're wrong. The real answer should be world-class broadband, instead of the nonsense we're dealing with now. Full downloads are a bandaid but there's no technical reason why streaming can't work perfectly for the people who want it. Telcos are just lazy and have built-in monopolies. In the meantime, what you're describing isn't a bad bandaid,…

I agree that adequate broadband would solve this, and so many more problems. I don't think that will happen for years at best, and then only for urban areas. For the bulk of the population, downloads are the only long term solution. Let's be honest though, there's no real justification in ignoring the option to download. Again I compare to Steam and their model.

IMO, the short term solution is for Netflix to let you buffer more of the movie. There is a lot to be said for instant play, but if they reserved a reasonable slice of your bandwidth to an ever larger buffer they could all but eliminate stuttering after the first few minute of a movie. I mean they already have adaptive quality based on bandwidth, so I see no reason they can't do the same thing while trying to build up a 10+ minute buffer by the middle of the movie if that's more important to people than a minor change in quality.

Re: Netflix Is Killing BitTorrent in The US

#67
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It could be a network issue - but one that has followed me through two apartments, three routers, and four computers. The only constants in the equation have been Time Warner Cable and me. No matter what the cause, however, the fact is that streaming media is vulnerable to network issues, and downloaded media is not. It may take longer to get, but once you have it, you know you have it. I think your point about slopp…

Well, Time Warner Cable is a terrible network. So I think his point still stands. It might not seem like a big deal but IMO, the difference between occasional High speed internet and Actual High speed internet is huge. I am literally willing to pay several hundred a month extra to have an apartment connected to FIOS on top of what FIOS actually costs.

My favorite (and I do mean my favorite) part of Time Warner is that to connect to my servers at CWRU a 5 min walk away I have to go through an public exchange node in DC. Seriously, Time Warner you and Level3 need to get that peering thing sorted out!

Re: Netflix Is Killing BitTorrent in The US

#69
post #49
post #48

Netflix is not significantly killing BitTorrent directly. For one, mainstream BT users are afraid of using BT. Non-mainstream BT users are using usenet 'cause it's just so insanely fast. People's favorite trackers are being shut down left and right and then there's the people who're now streaming legally. As much as I love Netflix, I still DL for any content it doesn't have (HBO and such), currently airing seasons, a…

There are plenty of non-mainstream BT users that use private trackers. Private trackers are superior to Usenet.

I didn't rule out private trackers, I just failed to mention it.

In any case, I personally find Usenet superior to private trackers but I can see it from the other side. They both have pros and cons.

My main gripe with private trackers is that it's not as fast and I have to constantly worry about my ratio and seed. Granted, I pay for Usenet so it's a trade-off.

Re: Netflix Is Killing BitTorrent in The US

#70

Us Netflix users should do everything in our power to show that Netflix reduces piracy. Then, the studios, which own all of the IP, will work out a reasonable deal and we will have a larger streaming library. I don't care if it's true or false, i'm just tired of the MPAA not getting with the program!

No, reducing piracy actually means nothing to studios. What they care about is making money. If piracy disappeared tomorrow but revenues did not go up, that is a worst-case scenario for the studios. They actually like having an scapegoat for their flagging sales, especially when it's illegal and opens up the opportunity for legal recompense.

The truth is that the content companies are willing to play ball with Netflix because they make money, but they are also scared of Netflix's market power and the fact that they make much less per unit than they do from cable or DVD sales. The fact is Netflix is already capable of slashing someone's cable bill by 90%, and the effect on DVD/Bluray sales is potentially even more dramatic for certain consumers.

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