Netflix Query

[Wr@1th]

Good Day,

I am looking into Wireless broadband for home use and one of the main reasons is for viewing Netflix.

Now I have been doing some research and I would like for you to please comment below on my findings

They say, as a guideline,the following minimum internet speeds for Netflix:

1 Mb/s for viewing on a laptop computer
2 Mb/s for viewing standard definition video on a TV
4 Mb/s for viewing High Definition video
5 Mb/s or more for the best audio and video experience

Can anyone agree to this?
How does shaping vs unshaping effect my viewing?
I also realise that uncapped package is a best effort service and that you do share with other users.

I am looking at a 2mbps, uncapped, shaped link as it is within my budget.
Will this be suffice for Netflix or am I wasting my time.

Thanks

 

[LCBXX]

Can anyone agree to this?
Yes, those Bitrate numbers are correct. Even though Netflix HD (720p) without DD5.1 needs only 2350Kb/s + IP Overhead.

How does shaping vs unshaping effect my viewing?
Yes, unless your ISP doesn't shape Netflix/Streaming. Afrihost is rumored to do this on their uncapped accounts but I wouldn't bargain on it.

I am looking at a 2mbps, uncapped, shaped link as it is within my budget.
Will this be suffice for Netflix or am I wasting my time.
Yes, not time wasting. I had a 2Mb line running the R99pm uncapped promo from Connection. As long as it was after hours (17:00-07:00) and on weekends, I could watch Netflix in 480p with DD5.1 as the account was largely unshaped/throttled then; not sure about how things are with that ISP lately. I recently moved to a 4Meg line with the 50+50GB Capped promo from Afrihost (R200pm) and am having a hard time hitting 100GB's just watching Netflix (avg. 58GB/m).

 

[@udiS3]

Have a look at this internet streaming FAQ

Uncapped is a good option but are subject to fair usage policies i.e. you will be throttled beyond a certain amount of data consumed. The amount varies between ISP's

 

[quiksilver]

I have a Telkom "upgraded 4mb capped adsl" (note the quotes) account, but it was too unreliable to watch netflix. I rarely get more than 2Mb speed during peakhours. 17:00 to about 22:00.

Netflix is awesome, Telkom sucks.

 

[Wasp_21]

Can anyone agree to this?
Yes, those Bitrate numbers are correct. Even though Netflix HD (720p) without DD5.1 needs only 2350Kb/s + IP Overhead.

How does shaping vs unshaping effect my viewing?
Yes, unless your ISP doesn't shape Netflix/Streaming. Afrihost is rumored to do this on their uncapped accounts but I wouldn't bargain on it.

I am looking at a 2mbps, uncapped, shaped link as it is within my budget.
Will this be suffice for Netflix or am I wasting my time.
Yes, not time wasting. I had a 2Mb line running the R99pm uncapped promo from Connection. As long as it was after hours (17:00-07:00) and on weekends, I could watch Netflix in 480p with DD5.1 as the account was largely unshaped/throttled then; not sure about how things are with that ISP lately. I recently moved to a 4Meg line with the 50+50GB Capped promo from Afrihost (R200pm) and am having a hard time hitting 100GB's just watching Netflix (avg. 58GB/m).

Seriously? I am on 4meg uncapped, and Netflix only over the weekend. I have considered capped, but am worried i will run out of cap during the month.

 

[AdrianH]

Seriously? I am on 4meg uncapped, and Netflix only over the weekend. I have considered capped, but am worried i will run out of cap during the month.

If you worried about your cap, just watch Netflix television series in SD like I do for the most part. I find that Netflix SD is better quality than DSTV SD and is quite good. I have yet to go over 100GB per month yet and that includes watching BBC, NowTV and a couple others.

Movies I watch in HD though.

 

[Frikkenator]

Seriously? I am on 4meg uncapped, and Netflix only over the weekend. I have considered capped, but am worried i will run out of cap during the month.

Netflix Full HD use about 3GB per hour of watching. Next step down is 700MB per hour for SD but to be honest it looks more like 720p which is good enough for me.

 

[LCBXX]

Seriously? I am on 4meg uncapped, and Netflix only over the weekend. I have considered capped, but am worried i will run out of cap during the month.

Unless you seriously binge on Netflix 100GB might be a little thin. My quality setting is auto and I would say that, based on the PS3's statistics, it runs at 720p HD 85%+ of the time with DD5.1. It is hard to specifically calculate but I figure one 1h30min stream in 720p HD with DD5.1 eats about 1.1-1.5GB

 

[kianm]

Seriously? I am on 4meg uncapped, and Netflix only over the weekend. I have considered capped, but am worried i will run out of cap during the month.

For weekends only Netflix you can survive with 100gigs, i personally use less than that though i've set my account to run at 480p, which looks lekker anyways . If you cant do without your HD then that's another story

 

[Wasp_21]

I should make it on 100gigs then. i stream via wifi at night and that never clocks 720, and again its only really weekends. uncapped for streaming just sucks at the moment.

 

[Napalm]

The thing with south-african internet, it won't run full speed constantly. Netflix uses a variable bitrate streaming. So it will go lower if it see's that your line is not coping.

Obviously that will then lower the mb/hour for streaming. If it's starts looking very pixelated. you know there's trouble.


I think by default a fairly stable 2mbit line should be good enaugh for some 480p/veriable 720p streaming. (might be lower bitrate 720p).