Netflix quality HORRID after update

Went to netflix.com and logged in, changed streaming speed, working so far:

I'm having the same problem.

Here is my two cents. My Internet is provided by Mediacom Cable. I have never have any quality issues from shows and movies that I stream from Apple/iTunes.

Last night, the quality of streaming Netflix on an Apple TV 3 with the most recent iOS was terrible all evening (and has been for some time). When I looked at the exact same episode this morning, the quality was perfect, in full high definition glory.

I agree with others that this seemed to have started in November.

J.N.L wrote:

I checked Netflix_com and under Playback Settings Data Usage was set to Auto. I changed it to High (HD video quality...) and voila! Now the default stream is HD.

Many of us have tried this without it making any difference.

I, too, have been having this same quality issue since around November 11th (and I've posted here a couple times previously).

However, starting on Sunday, December 1st, my experience seems to have improved. That week (last week), starting on Sunday, I streamed from Netflix every single evening, at prime time, and every time the stream either locked in at Super HD right from the start and stayed there, or did so after just one or two stop/starts of the stream. Not perfect, but a huge improvement over what I was experiencing previously (and a situation I can live with, at least temporarily).

I was wracking my brain trying to think if there was anything I had done that could have impacted this. The one thing that stands out was that on Saturday, November 30th (the day before the improvement), my power was out about 45 minutes while I had electrical work done.

It could have just been a coicidence, but I wonder if a complete shut off, unplugged from the wall, for a solid amount of time may be helpful. It's worth trying.

I just spoke with Apple Support (wireless multimedia dept) and a senior tech support person said they are experiencing the same problems as everyone else and until Netflix owns up to the software problem that exists with the Netflix app on ATV (and according to them other devices like Roku) nothing we do will change the streaming quality.

Call Netflix, call Apple, and if you're great with social media, create a buzz.

I just tested it for 15 minutes streaming different HD content. Works for me. Before it was a fuzzy mess, not I can see individual dust particles floating around on the set of Wilfred. Good detail. I had changed from AUTO to HIGH.

It's still not BluRay but it is watchable 720p now, until they fix it.

boylan wrote:

Normally when this happens we can bypass the problem using a computer, mac mini, switching to a

Roku which performs better with marginal bandwidth, but this time everything is impacted.

Again, running Comcast who is an OpenConnect hold-out according to what I've read.

If all your devices are failing to produce HD it's not a/the ATV3 problem. Having a Netflix cache (OpenConnect) is not directly relevant to the "recent" ATV3 problem.

MrZeebo wrote:

However, starting on Sunday, December 1st, my experience seems to have improved. That week (last week), starting on Sunday, I streamed from Netflix every single evening, at prime time, and every time the stream either locked in at Super HD right from the start and stayed there, or did so after just one or two stop/starts of the stream.

How do you know what the resolution is?

J.N.L wrote:

I just tested it for 15 minutes streaming different HD content. Works for me. Before it was a fuzzy mess, not I can see individual dust particles floating around on the set of Wilfred. Good detail. I had changed from AUTO to HIGH.

It's still not BluRay but it is watchable 720p now, until they fix it.

Changing from AUTO to HIGH or vice versa doesn't fix the problem. Any changes are coincidental.

How do you know what the resolution is?

If all your devices are failing to produce HD it's not a/the ATV3 problem. Having a Netflix cache (OpenConnect) is not directly relevant to the "recent" ATV3 problem.

Agreed.

There appears to be several simultaneous Netflix problems.

My Mac mini Netflix streaming apparently only started misbehaving some days after the Apple TV problem first appeared.

It's not at all clear how many users who are experiencing the ATV problem have tested to see if they get HD streaming on their computer or if they get the dreaded 235kbps stream of Short Example 23.xxx there as well.

Markus Wernig wrote:

Netflix needs these low resolutions because their streaming technology doesn't work like YouTube, where you pick a resolution and you just have to wait until most of the video has been downloaded.

I rather the stream takes longer to buffer because that 240p trash is so bad I can't even make out faces. They look like blobs. I remember watching Eureka when they first introduced Zane and it started at 240p and I could not make what was on the computer screen that he was hacking. After about 30 seconds when it ramped up I was able to see what was on the screen.

That what I liked about the ATV the week and a half I had flawless service until November 9th. The stream use to start out in HD and I was able to make out what was on the screen. Now I rather use my PS3 or Roku 3 which starts out really bad but at least ramps up even if it requires a couple or restarts to do so.

Vandergraff wrote:

My Chromecast works great (though my AV receiver) but isn't family friendly. With the Apple TV (also through the AV receiver) everything can be controlled from our Harmony remote - not so with the Chromecast.

Yes it can. Just add it as another Watch TV activity.

Your internet proably slowed down for some reason. Just give it a while and should go back to normal.

Tony Ramirez wrote:

I rather the stream takes longer to buffer

I believe Netflix hopes to maximize common code. Some devices have gigabytes to buffer content. Others don't.

Presumably their market research and client measurements tells them people would rather watch lesser quality than wait.

bodosom wrote:

Tony Ramirez wrote:

I rather the stream takes longer to buffer

I believe Netflix hopes to maximize common code. Some devices have gigabytes to buffer content. Others don't.

Presumably their market research and client measurements tells them people would rather watch lesser quality than wait.

I'll bet they've never done that survey. They should. I'd totally drop extra $$$ to get streaming with a big fat buffer. Like I want to watch a 235kbps stream on my 56" plasma display? I don't want to watch that on an iPhone.

boylan wrote:

It's not at all clear how many users who are experiencing the ATV problem have tested

It doesn't matter how many have tested. Despite many/most of the comments on this thread various people have made reasonably careful comparisons and the problem we're talking about is the problem noted by the OP. An issue in the ATV3. Probably a bug in the Netflix app but certainly an ATV3 specific issue.

I don't want to appear brusque but people should carefully read the entire thread before posting. This is not an ISP issue, this is not a prime time non-prime time issue, this is not an ATV hardware or home network issue. I have at least seven Netflix enabled devices in my house. Only the ATV3 is having consistent Netflix problems but it does HBO Go, PBS, iTunes stream(down)loads etc. just fine.