Q: Netflix quality HORRID after update

I've just done the new update. Absolutely no difference whatsoever.

I start at 235kbps and after about 30 seconds get up to 750kbps.

This is using a 100mbps line.

GaryJR4 wrote:

 

Most people know by know prime time is different.

Whatever Prime Time means. In that particular case I noticed atypically overall poorer performance for that time of day (7pm Eastern).

Thanks all you saved me from hooking up my ATV for the 11th time. Can't wait until my uncle comes then I can give him this hockey puck to sell. Back to the Chromecast and Roku 3.

For those who are still having unsatisfactory results with Netflix, here's yet another step toward happiness. It hasn't been an Apple TV problem, but simply business arrangements between Netflix and the ISP's. See below:

Netflix reaches deal with Comcast to ensure smoother streaming of TV shows, movies | Star Tribune

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/246778151.html

jimpal wrote:

 

Netflix reaches deal with Comcast to ensure smoother streaming of TV shows, movies     

Is there any anecdotal evidence that Comcast subscribers would share experiences once this is completed? (This may take several weeks to come to fruition).

Loner T wrote:

 

jimpal wrote:

 

Netflix reaches deal with Comcast to ensure smoother streaming of TV shows, movies     

Is there any anecdotal evidence that Comcast subscribers would share experiences once this is completed? (This may take several weeks to come to fruition).

I know you are looking for more anecdotes than just mine, but let me offer one:

Comcast is the ISP in Minneapolis, where I live. Soon after this thread started many of us in Minneapolis started having poor quality Netflix on our Apple TV's. Then, a couple of months ago, our ATV service became flawless again. This without any changes whatsoever such as changing DNS, changing ATV operating system, changing internet routers or servers. Nothing. It just got better. Apparently Netflix and Comcast in our area reached some sort of distribution accommodation which improved service, perhaps an incremental improvement in advance of the overall agreement mentioned in the newspaper article I provided above.

As I posted at the time, to me this indicated the problem never was with Apple TV, but was with Netflix's connectivity system including choice of CDN's, different servers for different clients (ATV, Roku, etc., etc.), and, above all, need for Netflix to update their business arrangements with the ISP's to allow for the increased load Netflix is providing with Super HD, new membership drives, etc. Now that seems to be happening (my posting above).

While all that good stuff happened in Minneapolis, I have also had good experiences in a month-long retreat here in Palm Springs, CA (served by Time Warner Cable). Service is good here, too. Again, with no changes to Apple TV or other systems. I watched all 13 episodes of House of Cards in prime time this past week, with flawless performance.

I agree with you. It will be interesting to read anecdotes from others.

jimpal wrote:

I know you are looking for more anecdotes than just mine, but let me offer one

I also have a vested interest due to the recent Comcast/TWC intent-to-merge-may-be-ratified-in-the-future announcement.

Here's another article about this new business arrangement between Netflix and Comcast:

http://tinyurl.com/nepr7gs

One more, from NYTimes:

http://tinyurl.com/l2wdxlj

Most interesting quote:

"Before the agreement, Netflix used intermediaries to deliver its content to Comcast, with uneven results. In recent months, Netflix reported that delivery speed of its content to Comcast subscribers had declined by more than 25 percent. The new arrangement will deliver an “even better user experience to consumers, while also allowing for future growth in Netflix traffic,” the companies said in their news release."

Probably enough on this for now.

Apple just released a security update to all IOS devices that include a patch for SSL connection validation.  Has zero feature or Netflix performance impact.

jimpal wrote:

As I posted at the time, to me this indicated the problem never was with Apple TV, but was with Netflix's connectivity system including choice of CDN's, different servers for different clients (ATV, Roku, etc., etc.), and, above all, need for Netflix to update their business arrangements with the ISP's to allow for the increased load Netflix is providing with Super HD, new membership drives, etc.

At my house the ATV and only the ATV has general problems.  One device out of seven.

Netflix has the bandwidth they need for superHD via Time Warner here.  I don't think my connection is special.

bodosom wrote:

 

At my house the ATV and only the ATV has general problems.  One device out of seven.

Netflix has the bandwidth they need for superHD via Time Warner here.  I don't think my connection is special.

And I have three ATV's that work fine since Comcast/Netflix improved their service a couple of months ago. Many others on this thread have also reported their ATV's work well.

Looks like your individual ATV may have a problem. You probably shouldn't generalize based on your one device, particularly since so many others (like me) have reported ours work well.

bodosom wrote:

 

jimpal wrote:

As I posted at the time, to me this indicated the problem never was with Apple TV, but was with Netflix's connectivity system including choice of CDN's, different servers for different clients (ATV, Roku, etc., etc.), and, above all, need for Netflix to update their business arrangements with the ISP's to allow for the increased load Netflix is providing with Super HD, new membership drives, etc.

 

At my house the ATV and only the ATV has general problems.  One device out of seven.

Netflix has the bandwidth they need for superHD via Time Warner here.  I don't think my connection is special.

You have done quite a bit of analysis via etherape, ifperf, etc.. Do all your devices connect to the same CDN (say LLNW), but ATV still has issues?

If that is the case, are their others who connect to the same CDN as you and do not have ATV3 issues? That is one data point. Any neighbours of yours (more than likely who would have the same ISP) could help you gather a data point about your specific connection vs ISP-related issues.

jimpal wrote:

Looks like your individual ATV may have a problem. You probably shouldn't generalize based on your one device, particularly since so many others (like me) have reported ours work well.

I'm not the only person (even on this thread) that reports the same thing.

Loner T wrote:

You have done quite a bit of analysis via etherape, ifperf, etc.. Do all your devices connect to the same CDN (say LLNW), but ATV still has issues?

Yes.  As mentioned previously.

Loner T wrote:

If that is the case, are their others who connect to the same CDN as you and do not have ATV3 issues?

I'm sure there are.  I have periods when I don't have trouble so I'm disinclined to think there's an intermittent hardware fault that only effects Netflix.

There are some of us who have looked at this carefully.  There's an ATV issue.  It may be resolved for some people and that's nice but I've only seen one report of the ATV specific problem being resolved.  The rest are people that either reported multiple devices or didn't report comparisons.  Nor do they speak to any measurable changes like using Limelight rather than Netflix.

The facts at my house:

1. Only the ATV regularly fails to perform as rated with Netflix.  It has periods of superHD but they're rare.
2. The ATV can pull over 30Mbps from Apple's CDN and in excess of 20Mbps for HBO Go (those are the only services I use on it that consume much external bandwidth).
3. All of my devices source from Netflix's New York center (nyc001.ix.nflxvideo.net) 99% of the time.
4. As one migh expect the ATV performs better in the morning that it does in the evening.  This has led some people to suggest the Netflix adaptive code is failing.  I suggested that myself but I'm less confident.

I can also stream superHD to a device while simultaneously getting sub-par service on the ATV.  A time or two I've  gotten simultaneous HD streams using the ATV and another device which suggests that good or poor performance is not a timing artifact.