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 Posted:   Nov 26, 2013 - 10:59 AM   
 By:   Solium   (Member)

Forgive me for starting another Netflix thread but I can't find the previous one I was posting in.
Anyway the last week or so Ive been getting very poor reception from Netflix, both wired and wireless. The picture quality even on some HD content looks like VHS video or worse yet youtube quality video. Often the quality changes as the program is playing.

Note: I changed the title of this thread.

 
 Posted:   Nov 26, 2013 - 11:30 AM   
 By:   mgh   (Member)

I have had no problems like that. Picture quality and streaming are fine.

 
 
 Posted:   Nov 26, 2013 - 11:33 AM   
 By:   Membership Expired   (Member)

How fast is your internet?

 
 Posted:   Nov 26, 2013 - 11:49 AM   
 By:   Solium   (Member)

Thanks for responding guys. My speed is 12mbps. I'm using an Apple TV to stream Netflix. Though I tried other services via Apple TV like movie previews and the HD looked HD without a drop out in picture quality. Though it had problems streaming smoothly. Previews started and stopped then started again. The video quality on Netflix is really bad.

 
 
 Posted:   Nov 26, 2013 - 12:15 PM   
 By:   Membership Expired   (Member)

Its probably your internet speed. I had issues before i upgraded to faster internet

 
 Posted:   Nov 26, 2013 - 5:44 PM   
 By:   Solium   (Member)

I just hooked up an internet cable directly to my HD television and used the TV's Hub app to connect to Netflix directly, (bye passing Apple TV) and the image quality is still awful. So I can rule out a bad Apple TV box. It might be internet speed. What would you recommend? Netflix claims the minimum one needs is 8mbps, and mine is 12mbps.

 
 Posted:   Nov 26, 2013 - 5:58 PM   
 By:   Sirusjr   (Member)

Have you run speed tests to see if you actually get 12mbps? It could be the time when you are watching it as well if it is a peak time and the load on the servers from your area is high.

 
 Posted:   Nov 26, 2013 - 6:05 PM   
 By:   Solium   (Member)

Have you run speed tests to see if you actually get 12mbps? It could be the time when you are watching it as well if it is a peak time and the load on the servers from your area is high.

Thxs for the suggestion. Yes I have. It's between 11 and 12. Guess I'll have to give Netflix CS a call.

 
 
 Posted:   Nov 27, 2013 - 9:32 AM   
 By:   Membership Expired   (Member)

Try running a speed test at various intervals during the day, it's possible it may differ at various times.

Also you say you have 11 or 12, and Netflix requires 8. If bandwith is used for anything else while watching it can go quite fast.

 
 Posted:   Nov 27, 2013 - 11:12 AM   
 By:   Solium   (Member)

The only other thing I have on is one Mac. But it's not doing anything at the time I stream from Netflix.

 
 Posted:   Nov 27, 2013 - 11:37 AM   
 By:   Sirusjr   (Member)

I agree that you should run speed tests to see what actual speed you are getting. It could be that when you have issues there are other loads on the network in your area that would prevent you from getting full speed.

 
 Posted:   Nov 27, 2013 - 1:14 PM   
 By:   Penelope Pineapple   (Member)

I have a Mac and watch Netflix through an Apple TV and have the same issues you do. Like most have suggested, run some speed tests during various times throughout the day. There are some timeframes when I can't stream anything because it's just a high-traffic period.

I don't know what my average connection speed is off the top of my head, but we did just have AT&T check our system (inside and outside our home) and were told that even if we upgraded to AT&T's top of the line Internet package it would have no effect on our connection speed because the infrastructure in our area doesn't support it (yet).

I've noticed that our picture quality varies depending on the time of day for the most part. Sometimes it can look VHS-ish, other times it looks perfectly fine. Good luck! smile

 
 Posted:   Nov 27, 2013 - 1:27 PM   
 By:   Solium   (Member)

Thanks for chiming in! The quality fluctuated a bit the first two weeks but it was still good to great. Just the last two weeks its been awful.

My internet speed is consistently around 11 and 12. I have to assume the issue is with Netflix, and they simply can't handle the bandwidth from their end.

Here's the site I used to check my speed:
http://www.speedtest.net/

 
 Posted:   Nov 28, 2013 - 3:30 PM   
 By:   TominAtl   (Member)

You can certainly contact Netflix but they will invariably tell you to contact your service provider. It does sound perhaps like service degradation that may be due to how many people are on and watching cable in your neighborhood. But that is just a guess. It may be that you need someone to come and do some testing.

I assume you have also done the usual: turn off the modem/cable box, unplug the cable completely from the wall and then reconnect it, then also asking your cable service to send to send a signal to try and clear anything that may be corrupting your signal. If so, then a visit by a tech may be in order, which sucks.

 
 Posted:   Nov 29, 2013 - 7:21 AM   
 By:   Solium   (Member)

Sadly your probably right and I am going to get the run around. I already had my service provider come out and check my connections. I have concluded it's not an Apple TV problem. Ive not seen a drop in bandwidth during any particular parts of the day. Also I helped a friend set up Netflix on their television last night and the quality of the video was awful on their set up as well. Ive concluded it's a Netflix problem. They just don't have the technology to provide proper streaming nation wide.

 
 Posted:   Nov 29, 2013 - 7:31 AM   
 By:   mastadge   (Member)

This is one of the reasons I don't have Netflix streaming. In theory my service is lightning fast, and at times it actually is, but in the evenings, when everyone in my building is home from work and on the internet, it sometimes slows to a crawl. Just not worth it.

 
 Posted:   Nov 29, 2013 - 10:19 AM   
 By:   RoryR   (Member)

Picture quality issues has been what's kept me from jumping on the streaming video bandwagon. I just feel that after all the effort and expense it'll take to get it to play on my 46" plasma TV, which is the only way I like to look at movies and HD TV shows (that and my 37" LCD in the bedroom -- forget watching on anything smaller), I'll just end up not being satisfied with the picture and regret the whole thing. And then there's the fact that I don't have the time to watch even that which I am watching. My satellite DVR is full of recordings I have yet to get to, and I have Blu-rays I bought at least two or three years ago -- and still haven't watched!

Sometimes, enough is too much already.

 
 Posted:   Nov 29, 2013 - 10:59 AM   
 By:   Solium   (Member)

As far as HD streaming the experience is awful. Not the way to go. However for $8 dollars a month I get to watch quite a few series I am interested in but never saw. So it's kinda worth the fee I guess if you don't want to blindly buy the disc sets. If I find I like the series I will buy them on DVD's or BluRays then drop Netflix. On a side note I tried iTunes streaming and while the video quality was good, programs would just stop playing half the time. So I don't trust their streaming service either.

 
 Posted:   Jan 23, 2014 - 1:06 PM   
 By:   Solium   (Member)

Netflix flirting with raising rates again. Wasn't it just announced a day ago their stock went way up? Go figure...

I'm finding enough interesting things to watch, though their content is very limited in the grand scheme of things. Streaming quality has been better the last month. But I can't see paying more unless they solve streaming issues completely. Ive had months where the quality looked like YouTube videos.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/22/netflix-price-increase_n_4647065.html?1390428814

 
 Posted:   Jan 23, 2014 - 1:29 PM   
 By:   Ron Hardcastle   (Member)

I've had both streaming and mail service through Netflix for many years, and while I've had little problem with their picture quality, I would often go weeks, sometimes even months, without streaming anything. Last week, after not using it for about 2 weeks, I had so much trouble getting it on my big TV (even after having to change my password by email), I got fed up and cancelled the streaming service, which is, at best, quite limited anyway. Enough already!

 
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