Apple TV 3 Bad Streaming Quality

I'm glad to have found this post. I've been having the same issue with my ATV2 and ATV3. My ISP is AT&T u-verse 12Mb speed.

The issue happens generally during the day and evening time, very frustrating. Sometimes it happens at the beginning of the movie, and sometimes a few seconds after pressing play.

Itunes, Crackle, youtube, and other apps streams HD without any problem. I have contacted Netflix through the website and phone and still no luck getting the problem resolved. I tend to think the problem is with either Netflix or ISP or both.

This problem started to happen I think about a month ago. I can't wait for the solution. In the meantime, I have downgraded my Netflix plan from 2 DVD+streaming to streaming only.

plcm123 wrote:

I tend to think the problem is with either Netflix or ISP or both.

This discussion thread will explain why most people think this is because of the 6.0.2 update.

Briefly: every other Netflix device is working as expected. On the same network, same ISP, same connection type even the same company and OS (comparing an iPad to an ATV).

E.g. I just ran the test clip on my ATV and my TiVo. The ATV slowly ramped from 1050 to 4300. The TiVo immediately jumped from 1750 to 5800. The average data rate for the TiVo during the middle five minutes was 8Mbps (Netflix says you need 7 for 5800).

Myself aswell for several weeks now quality video playback using Apple TV has been unsatisfactory...Blurry video...When I use the Netflix app through our PS 3 it plays just fine I have AT&T Uverse and had one of their techs come out and trouble shoot a possible internet connection problem needless to say everything checks out fine Netflix blames the problem on Apple and Apple blames the problem on Netflix...I would hope at some point soon that the two companies get together and come up with a solution and not point the problem at each other.

bodosom wrote:

plcm123 wrote:

I tend to think the problem is with either Netflix or ISP or both.

This discussion thread will explain why most people think this is because of the 6.0.2 update.

Briefly: every other Netflix device is working as expected. On the same network, same ISP, same connection type even the same company and OS (comparing an iPad to an ATV).

E.g. I just ran the test clip on my ATV and my TiVo. The ATV slowly ramped from 1050 to 4300. The TiVo immediately jumped from 1750 to 5800. The average data rate for the TiVo during the middle five minutes was 8Mbps (Netflix says you need 7 for 5800).

Some of us are having problems with Netflix on all of our devices, and not just on Apple TV, so for us, it appears to be a Netflix issue.

Some of us also don't experience the problem during the day, but mainly during prime time, which suggests that Netflix is having a hard time delivering a solid signal during times of high usage.

Most people seem to have eliminated their ISP as the problem, since they are able to get HD streaming video using other services besides Netflix.

I realize, however, that others are only experiencing problems on Apple TV, so for them, it make sense to assume the ATV upgrade is to blame.

Phil M2 wrote:

Some of us are having problems with Netflix on all of our devices, and not just on Apple TV, so for us, it appears to be a Netflix issue.

Some of us also don't experience the problem during the day, but mainly during prime time, which suggests that Netflix is having a hard time delivering a solid signal during times of high usage.

If you're having trouble during prime time and I'm not it may suggest an ISP issue. In the sense that your ISP hasn't provisioned enough bandwidth to Netflix (unless of course they're in Open Connect).

I've certainly had Netflix performance issues on all my devices, even complete failures. But the testing that's been done points fairly reliably to the ATV Netflix app. The fact that someone is having generic problems doesn't mean the ATV app isn't contributing to the problem. If you're not looking at traffic rates it's very difficult to assess the stream bandwidth and the test clip is too short to characterize 30 to 120 minutes of traffic.

bodosom wrote:

Phil M2 wrote:

Some of us are having problems with Netflix on all of our devices, and not just on Apple TV, so for us, it appears to be a Netflix issue.

Some of us also don't experience the problem during the day, but mainly during prime time, which suggests that Netflix is having a hard time delivering a solid signal during times of high usage.

If you're having trouble during prime time and I'm not it may suggest an ISP issue. In the sense that your ISP hasn't provisioned enough bandwidth to Netflix (unless of course they're in Open Connect).

I've certainly had Netflix performance issues on all my devices, even complete failures. But the testing that's been done points fairly reliably to the ATV Netflix app. The fact that someone is having generic problems doesn't mean the ATV app isn't contributing to the problem. If you're not looking at traffic rates it's very difficult to assess the stream bandwidth and the test clip is too short to characterize 30 to 120 minutes of traffic.

Thanks for your reply. I can see what you mean about the prime time problems suggesting an ISP issue. And you're certainly right that ATV's Netflix app could be contributing to the problem even if it's not the only device that isn't streaming Netflix properly.

I don't know much about the way that ISPs allocate bandwidth. I called Comcast when I started having Netflix issues, and they assured me that they were not throttling Netflix, just as Netflix assured me that they are providing a robust signal. Since I have no problem getting HD streaming video from Amazon and Hulu Plus, I have been assuming that Netflix is at fault. Also, I have had the same problem streaming Netflix over my iPhone 5 even when I use LTE. However, none of this proves that the ISP isn't also at fault.

That is what's so frustrating about trouble-shooting this problem: there are too many variables over which the consumer not only has no control, we cannot even be sure that we are getting accurate information from the service providers. In this case, the problem *could* be any of the following:

1. Netflix

2. The ISP

3. Apple TV and/or other devices that have problems streaming Netflix

4. The consumer's home network (hardware, as well as network settings)

5. A combination of the above

I'm hoping for a fix, but if the providers really believe what they're saying, which is that it's not their problem, I'm not too optimistic.

Having to restart over and over again to get good quality stream is ridiculous

Today my ATV3 streams Netflix HD fine from morning until around 5:30pm it starts to go low res. I then quickly went and checked my ATV3 and confirmed it also streamed Netflix in low res.

I then tried the following and so far it us working:

-Stop the movie on ATV.

-Play the movie on iphone (which sadly streams at low res as well) and airplay to ATV (still in low res).

-Stop playing the movie on iphone.

-Go to ATV and play it directly on ATV.

I'll try to repeat the steps the next time the problem reoccurs and let you guys know.

Just here to post that for at least a month, I have been experiencing the same issues noted above. Netflix is blurry on all my apple tv's regardless of proximity to wireless router or Comcast bandwidth. It appears to happen during peak hours (evenings/weekends).

This is incredibly annoying and I hope to see a fix soon.

Philly30 wrote:

Having to restart over and over again to get good quality stream is ridiculous

I agree, and in fact all of the fixes are unacceptable except as temporary work-arounds. I can't believe that this problem hasn't been solved yet, but aside from a few discussion threads like this one, I haven't seen any reports about the problem, so maybe it's not very widespread.

I have pretty much stopped watching Netflix because it is so unreliable, and am watching Xfinity On Demand, Amazon videos, DVDs and Blu-Rays.

nwa122 wrote:

Just here to post that for at least a month, I have been experiencing the same issues noted above. Netflix is blurry on all my apple tv's regardless of proximity to wireless router or Comcast bandwidth. It appears to happen during peak hours (evenings/weekends).

This is incredibly annoying and I hope to see a fix soon.

I'm also hoping for a fix, but since the companies involved all deny that they are responsible for the problem, I'm not sure we can expect any solutions. If large numbers of Netflix customers were having problems, then I think it would have been fixed weeks ago, but apparently it's not very widespread. Maybe some viewers don't notice or don't care if the video is poor quality.

Same issue here with Time Warner Cable as ISP. I too, have done speed checks on all my devices and Netflix via Apple TV (3) is the only app performing poorly. I can stream all other video at HD quality. Netflix sometimes starts HD for about 30secs-1 minute at the most and then becomes SD or worse. This just starting happeing at same time as others on this thread, after most recent Apple TV update. I have stremed many HD quality shows on Netflix via Apple TV (3) in the past but now it is not possible to acheive this quality.

Just wanted to add another frustrated voice here.

I too am having problems with my AppleTV three playing Netflix. Netflix streams in HD quality on all of my other devices. I have Comcast Internet which is incredibly fast. Obviously the problem is with my ATV3, which has also been freezing every other day.

I am so incredibly frustrated with this. Netflix does not admit that there is a problem. They think it is with my Apple TV and home network. I've gone through the whole "let's reset your system and network" nonsense 4 times. They told me they did not know of any issues with Apple TV. I sent them a link to this thread, and they would not look at it. I also sent a report in to Apple, but have yet to hear anything back from them.

If anyone at Apple actually reads this forum, you NEED to fix this issue, and do it NOW.

Just an FYI... I to just reported the issue to Netflix and of course they had no record of any problem relating to this matter so I just asked them to at least report it to their technicians... we'll see how it turns out I suppose if we all started contacting Netflix maybe they will be like Sherlock Holmes and get a clue... LOL!