Q: Netflix quality HORRID after update

Is there anyone here NOT running 6.0.1, or later, that is having the issue?

I do acknowledge that if they aren't, then it would be almost certain they won't be reading this thread though.

The reason I ask is that I did not do the 6.0.2 update (on my ATV2) when it came out. But, as soon as I did (just a day ago) the issue began for me. Hence, me finding this discussion.

Up until the update, everything was fine. This would reinforce that it is specific to the most recent update.

The issue started for me two weeks ago along with most everyone else here, and at the time, I was only on 6.0.1. The problem seemed somewhat intermittent. A few days later I tried the update to 6.0.2 and the issue seemed to become constant. Somewhere in this same time period was when the Netflix app got its own update - when we started seeing the progress bars to the right of shows/movies in lists to show how much of it you've viewed.

Still running 6.0 on our ATV2.  Same problem as everyone here. I really don't think the update had anything to do with it. 

Dave_K. wrote:

 

Still running 6.0 on our ATV2.  Same problem as everyone here. I really don't think the update had anything to do with it. 

You didn't mention if your other Netflix devices run at full speed at the same time of day you're having problems on your ATV2.  You need a comparison.

Dave_K. wrote:

 

Still running 6.0 on our ATV2.  Same problem as everyone here. I really don't think the update had anything to do with it. 

Dave, did your low quality problems also start around 2 weeks ago? What's the download speed/bandwidth of your home network?

I first saw it 11 November - I know exactly when because Netflix had just posted some titles I wanted to see. I was surprised by the drop in picture quality that evening and the fact I couldn't get about 1750 kbps on Example Short. Something I had never seen before.

I didn't get the 6.0.2 update until a few days later (see my post in this thread on 18 November saying I saw the issue before 6.0.2). However it now seems Netflix may have updated their Apple TV App around the time I first saw the problem.

Just to show some insight into the new people finding this thread and others that may not be informed of certain problems associated with Netflix, Apple TV and ISPs.

The reason for some of the confusion is as to the source of this Apple TV netflix problem has to do with the fact that there has been another issue plagging Netflix, and that has to with the business relationship of Netflix and some of the major ISPs/Cable providers in the country.

I came across this after googling around when I noticed that after moving to a new apartment, I transfered my Comcast 50mb Blast! Plus service and noticed that all of the sudden the stream quality of Netflix on multiple devices (Windows 7 computer, PS3, Apple TV) were all stuck at the lowest possible stream at around 480p. This happened during evenings, weekends and prime time TV times, but also during the day.

Like everyone else, I tested my entire network, double  checked everything, ran speed tests and everything was fine. My 50/10 connection worked fine and all my other streaming apps worked fine like Hulu/Youtube/Browsers etc.

I was scratching my head since this didn't happen at my old apartment and I also had the same Comcast plan. So I did some googling and came across some topics over at ADSLReport forums and some of the like. I learned that Netflix puts all their content up on CDNs also known as Content providers. These CDNs are the ones that we connect to to get all our media from Netflix streamed. So what happens with some ISPs (like Comcast in this example) is that during peak hours or just high usage the CDN bandwidth gets congested and neither Netflix nor Comcast assume responsibility towards improving that data flow.

So this means that some Comcast users, depending on what city they are in, may experience this "throttled" effect when using Netflix, specially at peak hours. It doesn't affect everyone, it is a case by case and to me it seems to be that the more populated area you are in, the worse it is. I moved to a Metropolitan downtown area for example.

To my knowledge Comcast is one of the most popular ISPs to be currently suffering from this congestion in the whole Netflix thing but they are not the only one. I also believe Netflix had this Open Connect CDN network which included some ISPs, and the ones that did not want to join like Comcast and AT&T were left out in the cold, but I believe that has changed. Not sure that changes anything with the current CDN issue though.

For those that have experienced the low stream quality problem on multiple devices and not just Apple TV, and at random times of the day, specially evenings, this will shed some light as to why. Do some google searches on "bad quality Netflix with Comcast CDN" and you will come across some more technical forum discussions elaborating on the problem more in depth.

To see for yourself that you are having a problem directly connected with the ISP, do what I did. When I get extremely bad stream quality on my desktop PC (ethernet connection), I just connect to my VPN service and connect to a local server in my city, and behold, all the sudden I get max quality without a hitch.

However, keep in mind that this is a separate issue aside from the specific Netflix-AppleTV problem. Currently my streams on my Comcast connection for Netflix apps is working flawlessly all but on the AppleTV. There is indeed a problem directly involving Netflix and AppleTV app. Just like everyone else, since the beginning of November I have not been able to get beyond 480p on Apple TV. Could be a software issue or perhaps something to do with CDN or bad hand shaking as someone posted earlier. Needless to say it is something we can assume will (hopefully) ge fixed soon.

As far as the ISP-Netflix ordeal, that is still out in the open and it seems to be affecting, many many people's experience.

Zoddie wrote:

 

To see for yourself that you are having a problem directly connected with the ISP, do what I did. When I get extremely bad stream quality on my desktop PC (ethernet connection), I just connect to my VPN service and connect to a local server in my city, and behold, all the sudden I get max quality without a hitch.

Zoddie - can you elaborate on that? How do you connect to "your VPN and a local server"?

I have been on AT&T U-Verse (20 down) for about a year now. I have never ever had a drastic drop in Netflix picture quality on my Apple TV - ever - until 2 weeks ago. I understand AT&T may not be part of the Netflix Open Connect Network, but why do these dramatic drops in quality all of a sudden happen now? These issues may not have anything to do with each other, unless something else has changed behind the scenes about 2 weeks ago.

"Last night I was able to get a movie to play in 1080p. Not Super HD but close and the only time anything has been acceptable quality for me in two weeks. It took me two tries of the same movie but the second time it played in HD. So maybe we're getting somewhere, but still no Super HD."

How do you know if you are in Super HD, 1080p, or what?

I just started with ATV so am learning these things.

Thanks!

Netflix was working fine before update and that's the only thing that has changed.

Markus Wernig wrote:

 

Dave_K. wrote:

 

Still running 6.0 on our ATV2.  Same problem as everyone here. I really don't think the update had anything to do with it. 

 

Dave, did your low quality problems also start around 2 weeks ago? What's the download speed/bandwidth of your home network?

Hi Markus-

Yep- around mid-November- same as everyone.  I posted my benchmarks earlier in this thread, but here's the short story:

Comcast Cable 25 Mbps down/5 Mbps up.  Speedtest/Pingtest scores consistently run solidly in that range- with Pingtest score of A.

Apple TV 2 running 6.0- not 6.0.1 or 6.0.2.  Connected to Airport Extreme via Ethernet- no wifi involved anywhere.

Predominant resolution I am getting now on Apple TV is 1,050 kbps, but very frequently degrades to 750 or even 375 kbps.  Occasional 235 kbps.

For comparison, my iPad 2 running the Netflix app runs steady at 1,750 kbps.  I'm thinking that might be the max for the iPad 2- not sure.

Lots of variables here...but my Apple TV system software is the same as before the problem when I was consistently getting a crystal clear image.  So for me, I'm inclined to suspect some issue between the new Netflix sytem architecture that was rolled out mid-November and the Apple TV Netflix app.  But as to whether the problem began with 6.0.1 or 6.0.2...I can tell you it is definitely there with 6.0 which I've been running since it came out.

No doubt lots of finger pointing probably going on right now between Apple and Netflix.  

Dave

Dave_K. wrote:

 

Lots of variables here...but my Apple TV system software is the same as before the problem when I was consistently getting a crystal clear image.  So for me, I'm inclined to suspect some issue between the new Netflix sytem architecture that was rolled out mid-November and the Apple TV Netflix app.  But as to whether the problem began with 6.0.1 or 6.0.2...I can tell you it is definitely there with 6.0 which I've been running since it came out.

Thanks for the update, Dave. I am sure you also spoke to someone at Netflix about this issue. You seem to have the clearest idea of all of us as to where the issue really is hidden.

Comcast (as in your case), AT&T (as in my case), Apple TV 6.0, 6.01, 6.02 - it really does not seem to matter.

The only thing that seems to be consistant is the mid-November time frame from which on Netflix streaming quality went down for lots of AppleTV users nation-wide.

Winston is my dog wrote:

 

Netflix was working fine before update and that's the only thing that has changed.

Winston-

If you are referring to the Apple TV system software update, that is not true.  There was another huge change. Netflix in mid-November rolled out a major change in system architecture- trumpeted throughout the tech world as a "good thing".  Just look at the date on this article and when everyone's Apple TV problems began:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/13/tech/web/netflix-tv-streaming/

Gotta love the second to last paragraph- you can almost hear Netflix's sneer.

I shuddered when I read that...recalling that Netflix has screwed up pretty much every major change they've tried.  Thinking now of when they doubled their subscription price.   Or even better remember Qwikster- their aborted DVD rental site?   Or how about the "upgrade" to version 3.0 of their iPad app that locked out most users for about 3 weeks.

I was soooo not surprised to learn that Netflix had broken things with this change as well.  Same old...

Dave

Netflix in mid-November rolled out a major change in system architecture- trumpeted throughout the tech world as a "good thing".  Just look at the date on this article and when everyone's Apple TV problems began:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/13/tech/web/netflix-tv-streaming/

 

Thanks for pointing this out, Dave. The one interesting detail in this article is this:

"One set-top box that won't be getting the update is Apple TV."

For what it's worth, I am getting terrible quality on both my ATV3 and Roku 2 XS this evening. I have u-verse 24Mb down and have been experiencing the drop in quality since mid November and version 6.0 of ATV IOS (since updated to 6.02). For the first time since this all began, I tried netflix on my Panasonic blu-ray player, which does NOT offer Super HD, and it looked great. The Example clip doesn't show bitrate, so I can't quantify the quality, but it appeared to be playing in HD.