Q: pad air keeps pausing when I play netflix

This is so frustrating.  My Apple TV is working fine with super HD quality. My iPad air can't even get to 500. Hold study at 235 Kbps.  What is going on? 10 feet away (direct line of sight) from my wireless router. Every test I do indicate's that's the ping and bandwidth are great on the wireless router..  This could be a netflix issue. I deleted the Netflix app on my iPad air. I restarted my iPad air. I downloaded the Netflix app. Signed then did the 'example short' test video again. No improvement.  If you haven't viewed the Netflix's "example short" do so.  I should say that I have gone to watching shows on Amazon instant on the iPad. Amazon instant appears to be giving me HD quality. Occasionally dropping down to DVD quality during prime time, but not for the whole show. 

All this makes me really mad. I haul out my old iPad 1 load up the Netflix app. Get a bit rate of 1750 kbps resolution of 720 x 480. Held for 2:30 and then turn on Apple TV. Quality is high, daughter's show.  iPad one still at 1750.  Can anyone please explain this to me (a guy thinks of himself as a geek but obviously isn't technically literate enough to understand what's going on.)

Please please wishing they fix this. IPhone 4S plays Netflix example short at1750 Kbps while brand new ipad air never changes from 235 Kbps. Sometimes it starts movies ok but freezes right away to buffer I guess then downgrades image and resolution is terrible. Can see pixels. Every other device is good: PS3, Apple TV, iPod touch, ipad mini, and even wife's ipad 3rd gen. THIS IS FRUSTRATING AND SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE.

I'm having same exact issue. Ipad air is showing 235 Kbps on example video, and iPhone 5 sitting 2 inches away playing same video is running at 3000 Kbps.  This definitely seems to be an ipad air/netflix compatibility issue.  Would be very interested to hear if anyone has resolved this

Having same issue within iPad Air and iPhone 5s and Netflix. ATV seems fine. Using Netflix test video, start out at 1750 then freeze after a few seconds and come back at 235. Using AirPort Extreme latest version with Comcast @ 50-70 download. All other services are at HD level, HBOGO etc. This is major reason I got Air and Netflix. Not a happy customer at the moment. Perhaps some technical collaboration between Apple and Netflix would work better than the finger pointing at each other I have seen from customer service reports across multiple threads on multiple services.

I'm rather suprised but it would appear few (very small number) have a problem with the iPad Air and Netflix. Just look at the 'views' number up top (255 at this time).

Verus 59235 views for Netflix under Apple Tv.  https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5565870?start=990&tstart=0

Granted this thread recently started but still only 255 and no comments since the 4th?

Try this  - Reset the iPad by holding down on the Sleep and Home buttons at the same time for about 10-15 seconds until the Apple Logo appears - ignore the red slider - let go of the buttons. (This is equivalent to rebooting your computer.) No data/files will be erased.

Fix Slow WiFi Issue https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2398063?start=60&tstart=0

You may have many apps open which can possibly cause the slowdown and possibly the loss of wifi. In iOS 4-6 double tap your Home button & at the bottom of the screen you will see the icons of all open apps. Close those you are not using by pressing on an icon until all icons wiggle - then tap the minus sign. For iOS 7 users, there’s an easy way to see which apps are open in order to close them. By double-tapping the home button on your iPhone or iPad, the new multitasking feature in iOS 7 shows full page previews of all your open apps. Simply scroll horizontally to see all your apps, and close the apps with a simple flick towards the top of the screen.

How to Fix a Slow iPad

http://ipad.about.com/od/iPad_Troubleshooting/ss/How-To-Fix-A-Slow-iPad.htm

iPad running slow? How to speed up a slow iPad

http://appletoolbox.com/2012/07/ipad-running-slow-how-to-speed-up-a-slow-ipad/

If You Think iOS 7 Feels Slow Here’s How to Speed It Up

http://osxdaily.com/2013/09/23/ios-7-slow-speed-it-up/

 Cheers, Tom

Tom I've done what you have suggested (links) several times.

Everything else but Netflix runs fine.  Including Amazon Instant & Hulu.  This is a problem with the way Netflix interacts with iPad air.

I've tried it 10 feet away from my wireless router with no other internet usage.  I've done speedtests, bandwidth test. I recommend multimeter app (an iPhone app for testing bandwidth).

The only thing I've haven't done is look at where the Netflix app is trying to stream from.  I don't have a router that I can place the open source firmware on - so one could look at the exact location(s) Netflix is trying to stream from.

So I may have found a work around for this but I really can't explain why this would fix the issue on my ipad air when every other apple device we have in the house streams netflix at full resolution (2 iphone 5's, 2011 macbook air and ipad mini).

  By using any free vpn service, netflix steams at or near HD on the ipad air.  Watching the example 23.976 video, the bitrate without vpn service connected is consistently at 235 kbps.  I first tried using an app called hotspot shield and as soon as it was connected the same example 23.976 video bitrate was 3000 kbps!  The only issue with all the vpn apps in the app store is they are only free for limited time and then you have to start paying.

  I then found a free service called freehotspotvpn.com.  This is free through the broswer, but must be data limited as netflix would only run at 1050 kbps.  That being said, still much better than the 235 kbps.

  Although this has helped my situation, it is still an annoyance and makes no sense that all my other devices which are not running through vpn services stream at 3000 kbps.

Milleam, it's commonly known that using a VPN improves Netflix.  However as you said it cost money.

Thanks for the free VPN that you mentioned.  I've bookmarked this page.  If it's truely free it'll be usefull when I'm away and accessing stuff (work, bank, etc...) that I want to be sure is secure.

Anyways this morning I just ran Example Short on my iPad Air and it started at 3000kbps and after 15 seconds jumped to 4300kbps. Yesterday it was at 235.

Wonder what happended.  I hope it stays this way.

Improvement lasted a very short period time.  Back to 235kbps. Very odd. iPhone 5s & iPad air both drop to 235kbps.  iPad 1 steady at 1750kbps. Apple TV steady at 5800!  Tested both Apple TV and iPad 1 and both stayed at peak kbps!  It is a problem with the way Netflix app interacts. Don't know who's fault it is. Just wish it would be fixed.

I thought I was the only one with poor quality while watching Netflix on my new ipad Air. Picked up my ipad 2 no problems.

So another interesting data point on this issue.  I connected the iPad air through my iphone 5 hotspot (verizon LTE) and netflix quality improved to 1050-1750 Kbps.  Now I'm wondering if there is some kind of relationship between my ISP (comcast) the air and netflix.  It really doesn't make a lot of sense since all my other Apple devices working through my wifi connection work fine .. Anyway, I'm going to try another test by taking the air to a family members who has a different ISP and see what the outcome is