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Comcast Will Limit Xfinity Mobile Video Streaming Resolution (engadget.com)

Posted by msmash on from the up-next dept.

Xfinity Mobile customers will soon see a change to their video streams. From a report: In the coming weeks, videos streamed using cellular data will be limited to 480p resolution, a move that other carriers including T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint have implemented for certain plans in the past. Videos streamed over WiFi won't be affected by the change and Comcast says that it will offer the option to stream 720p video over cellular data for an added fee later this year. Until that plan becomes available, customers who would like to continue streaming video at 720p will be able to do so for no charge, they'll just have to call the carrier in order to set that up. Additionally, users with an unlimited plan will see their hotspot speeds capped at 600 Kbps.

5 of 87 comments (clear)

  1. People will freak out at this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yet they'll not realize that it is essentially pointless because mobiles don't have a decent resolutions for useful HD, it's just crushed in to such a small screen.,
    480p is fine for mobiles.
    Only if you have a >10inch screen would HD make sense to even want.
    Of course, people will say "but I am using my phone as an internet connection for laptop", yeah well pay up bucko, that wasn't in your terms.

    Still a dick move, but this is what you get when you stand back and let your communications regulator fuck your country over instead of taking the incompetent scummy corrupt pricks to supreme court.

    1. Re:People will freak out at this by 110010001000 · · Score: 2

      Isn't that what Moses brought down from the mountain? Old tech.

    2. Re:People will freak out at this by MightyYar · · Score: 2

      Honestly this is just Comcast marketing being completely inept. T-Mobile manages to sell this behavior as a feature: Use our amazing video shrinkifyer and save your data! Comcast comes off more like: YOU USE TOO MUCH DATA. COMCAST SMASH. GIVE MORE MONEY.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  2. Re:Quick question by r_naked · · Score: 2

    Probably not. They could probably use the "reasonable network management" clause to justify this.

    However, what Title II would have prevented was what is going to come next: "Pay $XX.YY and get the Comcast Streaming Service(c) package! Stream in GLORIOUS HD! Package includes Netfix, and HBO. Package subject to change without notice."

    Paid fast lanes.....

    -- Brian

    --
    -- http://anonet.org -- The internet the way it was meant to be. Check it out, you may be surprised.
  3. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2

    Comment removed based on user account deletion