Netflix quality HORRID after update

Matthew Brownstein wrote:

Well said! I also do not understand why some people are getting upset about "thread hijacking." This is a discussion board and while the original post does specifically call out the Apple TV, I as well feel that posting about individual user experience and testing is more than relevant.

I for one am having the same issues across all of my devices (Roku 2 XS, PS3, etc), after about 3:00PM, on ATT U-verse 24/3. I have also tried downgrading the ATV 3 to 5.3 in order to test if it was in fact Apple's update to 6.01 or 6.02 that introduced the issue. I was originally getting a wonderful SuperHD picture when it was first introduced to the Apple TV... now I get a terrible picture. It should be noted however, that if I stop and restart the stream, I will eventually get an HD picture that remains and does not degrade (as an example, when watching The Walking Dead).

In my opinion, the Netflix app needs to be updated on all of these devices to better handle how it negotiates resolution and bandwidth during peak hours on ISPs not subscribed to the Open-Connect system, that SuperHD was first available on.

If you (and I am speaking to the community) are not having issues on your other devices, well then you have an alternative until it is sorted out on the Apple TV.

It just makes it harder to to get some focus on the Apple TV specific issue if we mix the people seeing issues on all devices.

I am certain those that are seeing issue across all platforms are seeing real issues - but it is different to the one we are hoping will be resolved in this thread. Those people are also likely to get more attention to their issue if they post in a dedicated thread or maybe a more appropriate community forum.

If I go off topic I don't mind people suggesting we come back to the original point of this thread.

boylan wrote:

The Apple TV devices have always tended in my experience to perform worse than other options in terms of maintaining streaming quality.

My experience is actually the reverse. Until the infamous November 11th - or there about - my Apple TV was my most reliable Netflix player. Starting at 3000 / 3850 kbps and very quickly ramping to 5800 kbps and staying there.

Vandergraff wrote:

boylan wrote:

The Apple TV devices have always tended in my experience to perform worse than other options in terms of maintaining streaming quality.

My experience is actually the reverse. Until the infamous November 11th - or there about - my Apple TV was my most reliable Netflix player. Starting at 3000 / 3850 kbps and very quickly ramping to 5800 kbps and staying there.

This has been my experience as well. I couldn't say for sure that it started November 11th either, but no earlier than that, and never anywhere near as bad as this.

boylan wrote:

When I'm feeling incredibly patient I might try again.

Yes I hear where you are coming from.

My experience with Netflix support was painful to the point I am not keen to repeat it. As others have said it seems they are keener to come across as jovial and friendly than actually understand the root issue. Even second level support didn't really seem comfortable once beyond their scripted answers. I also spent a lot of time on hold.

Apple support was night and day. Immediately understood we didn't need to go through the script and quickly passed me to second level support and who actually listened and could converse knowledgeably about what I was seeing.

Also my Apple TV is beyond the '90 days of complimentary phone support' but Apple had no problem taking my call - so I would encourage others to call Apple as well. It may not be their problem to solve but it is affecting their product.

Yep, same issue on Century Link.

A careful reading of this thread makes it pretty clear the issue primarily being discussed here is isolated to the Netflix app on an Apple TV. It is not a bandwidth, ISP or other issue. People may in fact be having those problems too but they are different.

Bottom line. There is sufficient evidence in this thread that there is an issue with the Netflix app on the Apple TV dating back to the most recent update around early Nov. Thanks to everyone who posted the various pieces of evidence.

Vandergraff wrote:

boylan wrote:

The Apple TV devices have always tended in my experience to perform worse than other options in terms of maintaining streaming quality.

My experience is actually the reverse. Until the infamous November 11th - or there about - my Apple TV was my most reliable Netflix player. Starting at 3000 / 3850 kbps and very quickly ramping to 5800 kbps and staying there.

Interesting. I would rank it below any computer and my old iPad. In fact, I stopped using my ATV2 and used a Roku HD for about a year before getting an ATV3 and a Mac mini and now I bounce back and forth.

The Netflix people at one point explained it away as being served by different servers.

All ...

FWIW ... Netflix updated their iPad app a few hours ago. That might be a good sign ... Even though my iPad had no netflix performance issues.

Honestly, this is unreal, 37 page thread and all Apple and Netflix do is point the finger at each other.. I'm furious!! This has been looking like pure garbage since early Nov and still no fix or correction for it? There was a time I thought Super HD on Apple tv 3rd gen looked every bit as good as Blu-ray. Now I can't even stomach watching one of them! FIX THIS APPLE OR NETFLIX, BEFORE YOU LOSE ALL these customers, you freaking idiots!!!!

Hey everyone. This might be my third post in this thread and I may have said this before but I'm pretty convinced that this is an issue with Apple TV handling network traffic coming in during peak evening hours. I've been home the last few weeks during the day and all apps work fine and show very good quality high definition. Netflix. PBS. HBO GO. iTunes Radio plays seemlessly. etc. Once evening rolls around quality across all video and audio apps drops. Netflix seems to be the hardest hit for me but again, everything suffers. And like a lot of you, my other devices are fine. Which again, leads me to believe it's an overall Apple TV issue handling incoming data. Also like some have previously claimed, I too get fen quality if I airplay from my phone. I'm no genius by any means but something's are pretty black and white.

I have the same problem as everyone else here: Terrible picture quality for Netflix on Apple TV.

On the "Example Short 23.976" film, I'm getting this on Apple TV:

BITRATE: 560 kbps

RES: 512x384

On my MacBook Air, using netflix.com on Mac OS 10.9 Chrome browser, same internet connection, it's much better:

BITRATE: 3000 kbps

RES: 1280x720

I'm thinking of just getting ChromeCast for $35 to watch Netflix.

My ISP is Time Warner Cable. My connection download speed is 15,000 kbps.

I hate to disagree, but having read all 33 pages of the discussion to this point, we know this much:

- ISP does not matter. Low quality stream has happened on many different ISPs

- time of day might matter. Many purported solutions have been tried at non-peak hours, with quality problems resuming later

- no user-attempted solution has permanently solved the problem, including power cycling, resetting network settings, downgrading operating systems, changing Netflix settings, etc

But this is not just an ATV issue. I have 2 iPhone 4S', an iPad 2 and an iPad 4 and the only device with a problem is the ipad 4. Another user had a similar issue, with his ipad air showing poor quality and not his ipad 2.

It is definitely a Netflix app issue. It is definitely on Apple devices. But it is not just the ATV.

Finally, if you want a fix, do not just post here. Apple does not read forums looking for bugs. Netflix does not read this forum. You need to call/contact Apple or Netflix, a lot, if you want a fix.

Others have posted contact information already in this thread, but

I tried the 5.1 app on my ipad 4 with no change in streaming quality

Comcast, minneapolis, 25mb down on speedtest app, have only ever gotten 235kbps on Example Short

One difference with new app- example short no longer shows bit rate!

Like Indros, I am also in Minneapolis.

5.1 app no change in quality on my iPad Air. Still 235 Kbps at 9:00 pm.

Also seeing only 235 Kbps on an ATV2 and ATV3 just afterward.

Interestingly, my iPhone 5 is giving me a full 3000 Kbps before and after app update.

I have 70 down and 10 up on Comcast. I do think we are getting an inferior Netflix stream on Comcast here at peak usage times, and that exacerbates whatever is wrong with the Netflix app on ATV's and iPads. Early morning experience gives me max HD (5800 on ATV, etc.)

Nothing new to add. Just another frustrated user who once enjoyed high-quality Netflix streaming through ATV3 hard-wired Comcast connection and now for the past several weeks after 1-3 seconds of HD, quality goes to crap. I was about to try all the regular stuff like rebooting modem, ATV3, etc., but after reading these posts, it seems pointless. Netflix needs to resolve. On a side note, my Sony Blu-Ray is also experiencing the same symptoms. All other apps on the ATV3 and Sony Blu-Ray work perfectly, except Netflix. I've been with Netflix since the beginning, but combined with the increasingly poor selection of content, I might just be done with it.

Indros wrote:

But this is not just an ATV issue. I have 2 iPhone 4S', an iPad 2 and an iPad 4 and the only device with a problem is the ipad 4. Another user had a similar issue, with his ipad air showing poor quality and not his ipad 2.

It is definitely a Netflix app issue. It is definitely on Apple devices. But it is not just the ATV.

Finally, if you want a fix, do not just post here. Apple does not read forums looking for bugs. Netflix does not read this forum. You need to call/contact Apple or Netflix, a lot, if you want a fix.

There are certainly multiple Netflix issues (some platform independant) - however there is certainly an Apple TV issue that started early November.

My other devices (Chromecast, Rokus, Blu-Ray players) continue to get Netflix without issues - as do my other Apple devices (iPhone 4S, iPad 3rd generation) - all on Comcast.

Yes please keep posting here - Apple does monitor these discussions (can anybody really imagine they wouldn't!) - but obviously they don't respond directly to posts.

Keep calling them (Apple and Netflix) as well - although I am not sure I have the patience to deal with Netflix phone support.....