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YouTube Issuing "Report Cards" On Carriers' Streaming Speeds

Posted by Unknown on from the not-like-you-can-do-anything dept.

OakDragon (885217) writes In the shadow of the "Net Neutrality" debate, Google's YouTube has created a service to report on your carrier's usage and speed, summarizing the data in a "Lower/Standard/High Definition" graph. You may see the service offered when a video buffers or stutters. A message could display under the video asking "Experiencing interruptions? Find out why." Find your own provider's grade here.

5 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. Dupe... by by+(1706743) · · Score: 4, Informative

    Posted by samzenpus on Thursday May 29, 2014 @10:04PM from the how-do-you-stack-up? dept.

    http://tech.slashdot.org/story...

  2. Re:Good idea, but terrible implementation by mythosaz · · Score: 4, Informative

    No such button on my view of the page, which includes "Results from my location are not yet available, check back later."

  3. Great, but.... by countach · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I had a look at them a few days ago, and I had no idea how to interpret the graphs. If I'm tech savvy and I don't know what they mean, God help the average person.

  4. Re:Good idea, but terrible implementation by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's not intended to help you switch. It appears intended to send you running to your ISP to complain...

    If you are not going to switch, why should your ISP care if you complain?

  5. Re:Time Warner cable is actually better? by D'Sphitz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    There's something fishy with these results. The Google report rates the connection from my small, local ISP at "Standard Definition", and then when I compare providers in my area apparently Comcast is "HD Verified". This just doesn't add up.

    The problem with this is that I have available, and pay for, fiber broadband advertised at 90mbps, and speedtest.net concludes that I am getting what I pay for (92 up/35 down). I have a Roku or other streaming media player in every room and it's not unusual to have multiple HD movies streaming at the same time in different rooms, in addition to tablets, xbox, and other internet activity.

    So I have to conclude that either Google isn't testing my actual connection as it appears to and is instead showing an average from my ISP, or the results are fixed and the big, shitty cable companies have "sponsored" their own "HD Verified" results. The latter seems more likely, I've had Comcast internet in this area before fiber became available and it doesn't compare, and even the cheapest packages at my ISP are pretty quick.