Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion HiFi & HT Chat Streaming Video Services Compared

Hi Ken,
Hope you're well.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "Valid measurement"?

That Test video simply shows the Bitrate and Res that you are achieving when using Netflix.

As you know, they claim 1080p (soon to be 4k) and 5.1 Audio... and yet even on your 50Mbps connection, they still only deliver 3Mbps.

And while you may find the results to be acceptable (which is fine), it's quite simply a long way short of the 20-40Mbps that you get on 1080p Bluray discs... and also short of the 8-11Mbps that you get from Satellite and some Cable systems.

I know Netflix focus on saying that Resolution (720p and 1080p) is "HD"... but to me that is akin to iTunes et al saying that the music they sell is '16/44' (which is true), and using that one simple spec to imply that the music they sell is equivalent to CD.

I take issue with iTunes and other MP3 Sites when they directly or indirectly claim "CD Quality Downloads", but luckily most people here are now aware as to what these sites offer and can still make 'informed' buying decisions, as they know that '16/44' does not mean 'CD'.

Similarly with Netflix, they sometime claim 'HD Quality' and "Bluray Quality' and it simply isn't true. It's important to understand that 720p and 1080p streaming are just one small aspect of "HD Video'.

You're fortunate to be using an Oppo for streaming, as that appears to be one of the better devices for Netlfix audio and video quality.

I think that little Test video is useful to show people what Netflix are actually delivering, so that they can then make informed buying decisions... or to possibly search out better performing streaming solutions such as Vudu.

Not sure if that helps?

Part of it could be contention with other users. Typical uk ADSL have contention ratios of 20:1 (business) and 50:1 (home) which means that on an adsl line, you could be sharing the connection with up to 50 other users, depending on time of day. However BT infinity at present probably has far less users than standard ADSL so depending on how Infinity deals with contention (I have not come across any published contention ratios for infinity) you may find that connection speed slows as it becomes more popular in your neighbourhood.

I think we agree whole-heartedly Ronnie.

It is now eight years since I worked in the telecomms/internet industry (for one of the US names you mentioned). At the time IP interconnect billing was emerging as a significant issue and I remember having discussions about wholesale tariffs related to QoS and tunnelling with network engineers; meanwhile the product development people were still trying to squeeze the last drop out of voice services.

Network operators can of course get revenue streams at both ends; charging high rates to streaming services and charging high rates to ISPs whose customers consume those services, which of course has a knock-on effect on the ISP customers' bills. I suspect that some network operators, including a certain British telecommunications company, are waking up to those commerical opportunities.

Two further general points:

What does the Par 1:1 represent?

Beware! The embedded audio frequency sweeps are VERY loud. I started at 54 (for comparison: normal TV volume is 60-65, film is 65-70, music 70-75) but wound down to 40 and eventually muted them.

Just remember, you did ask

Pixel Aspect Ratio

I asked!

Thanks

Thanks Ronnie. What I meant was doing the test on my desktop rather than through the Oppo and TV. Since its the same network I assume the results would be the same?

Ken

Hi Ken
Netflix and other Streaming services are very influenced by the Time of Day, as well as what Device is used

So it would be worth trying the same test on your Oppo to see what results

I think that Vudu streaming service is the best when it comes audio and video. I just recently rented Gravity and the sound and picture blows anything else streaming wise out of the water.

Given that Netflix say that a constant connection of 4,800kbps is necessary to achieve 1080p, you can read in this link what they themselves said was achieved in March in the US... and This Link to see what is available in other countries

Given that the US seems to average <3Mbps and all the other countries only marginally above that, it does make their 1080p claim appear spurious (at best) for most users.

As for how they think most users will be able to avail of the 15Mbps they say is necessary to enjoy their new 4k material, I have no idea.

So, is the conclusion that VoD services are always going to be at a disadvantage to simulcast services (where everyone receives the same data at the same time)? Funnily enough I can conceptualise a distributed distribution model similar to BitTorrent (where people watching the same material at similar but not identical times can share the contents of their local buffer) - that would really screw up your ISP's backhaul!

Per a recent post on AVS, are studios getting tricky to promote the sale of Bluray? Hunger Games aspect ratio shift