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Netflix Admits To Capping Video Streams On Wireless Networks (variety.com)

Posted by msmash on from the nobody-likes-throttling dept.

An anonymous reader cites a story on Variety: Company says it plans to launch feature to give users control over mobile-video usage in May. Netflix has enforced a maximum limit on the quality of video streamed over AT&T and Verizon wireless networks for years, the company acknowledged Thursday. But Netflix also said it's working on a way to give users control over how much bandwidth they wish to use to access the service. The No. 1 subscription-streaming service said its default bit rate for viewing over mobile networks has been capped at 600 kilobits per second. That's 'in an effort to protect our members from overage charges when they exceed mobile-data caps,' according to a Netflix spokeswoman.

9 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. No limits on Sprint or T-Mobile by davide+marney · · Score: 4, Insightful

    According to the article, Sprint or T-Mobile aren't limited because those ISPs don't charge customers for overage. Maybe what needs to change are Verizon and AT&T's fee structures.

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    "We receive as friendly that which agrees with, we resist with dislike that which opposes us" - Faraday
    1. Re:No limits on Sprint or T-Mobile by SNRatio · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I don't see how it is a violation of net neutrality when you are just throttling your own content as opposed to throttling the content of third parties that you are charged with delivering.

    2. Re:No limits on Sprint or T-Mobile by guises · · Score: 2

      If it really is something that Netflix is doing to keep the telcos from screwing their customers, then yes. I think the implication was of some collusion between Netflix and the telcos here, and that would be a violation of net neutrality.

    3. Re:No limits on Sprint or T-Mobile by hawguy · · Score: 5, Funny

      What collusion? Netflix doesn't want its customers screwed with overage costs, because they might drop netflix. AT$T and Verizon are just mad they didn't get to reap sweet sweet profit from its customers. The only dubious thing is Netflix not sending a polite email to its customers explaining why they are throttled and letting them know it is to stop their phone companies F-ing their A$$holes raw.

      Sounds like collusion between Netflix and its customers to deprive AT&T & Verizon out of bandwidth overage charges they deserve.

      I hope AT&T & Verizon file a class action suit against those customers to get payment for all of the bandwidth they should have overused.

  2. Is this a bad thing? by Galaga88 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't see this as a bad thing. They were only doing it on providers that normally charged for data overages, so it seems likely that they were doing it for the right reasons.

    It is a problem that they weren't disclosing it, but it's not a *huge* problem. This change they're making is what they should have done to begin with, but still - as a user I'm *glad* to see they were dynamically adjusting their data usage when I was on mobile. I wish more applications would do that.

  3. Re:Netflix supported net-neutrality by kimvette · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They were not "deliberately degrading videos for certain customers" but rather trying to be consumer-friendly by helping customers avoid costly data cap overruns.

    It would be nice however if this were a configurable option in the player right next to the cc/subtitles option; I have an unlimited plan so I'd toggle it off.

    --
    The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
  4. Yes Please! by fatboy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    But Netflix also said it's working on a way to give users control over how much bandwidth they wish to use to access the service.

    For the love of God please implement this. There is no reason for my kids to eat hundreds of gigs of data so that they can watch Power Rangers Dino Thunder in full 1080P on their Kindles. The Disney Jr app has this feature and you can't tell that Doc McStuffins is on the lowest bandwidth setting.

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    --fatboy
    1. Re:Yes Please! by sims+2 · · Score: 2

      No not device specific but they are profile specific.

      https://help.netflix.com/en/no...

      Which is still much easier to deal with than changing the setting on the account each time.

      Hopefully your devices have profiles support.

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      Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!
  5. Re:I wish Netflix will throttle my traffic by literaldeluxe · · Score: 2

    FYI, if you're using Chrome, Firefox, or Opera, you can't get anything higher than 720p (https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23742).