# Netflix and Verizon "make a deal"



## ustavio (Oct 19, 2013)

According to Engadget Netflix and Verizon have reached an agreement similar to the one Netflix and Comcast established. SuperHD streaming is just a flipped switch away. Renewing my 2 year Fios contract will cost me $15 a month more and Netflix will ultimately tag on 2-5 bucks so it's a win win for Corporate America.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

ustavio said:


> According to Engadget Netflix and Verizon have reached an agreement similar to the one Netflix and Comcast established. SuperHD streaming is just a flipped switch away. Renewing my 2 year Fios contract will cost me $15 a month more and Netflix will ultimately tag on 2-5 bucks so it's a win win for Corporate America.


I've been getting SUperHD streaming from FiOS most of the time. The only issues I've had sometimes were during the peak times at night. Otherwise getting SuperHD was not an issue. So hopefully this will fix the inconsistency getting SuperHD during Prime viewing hours on FiOS.


----------



## ustavio (Oct 19, 2013)

We get SuperHD until about 5-6 pm then it drops to 480p SD or worse until about Midnight. Some titles will struggle to to 720p but not for long. Other titles will pop right up at SuperHD for a nano second or two then quickly back off to 480 or less. Some start well below 480 and struggle to get 480. Sometimes if I rewind a bit, it will notch up. But since Net Neutrality went out the window, these last few months, SuperHD is basically for the wee hours of the morning. After finally getting (knock on wood) my Roamio to a place where it doesn't reboot every time I watch Netflix, it has been frustrating to have such poor quality. Hopefully, this "deal" will improve things.


----------



## ustavio (Oct 19, 2013)

Well, seeing it is believing it. I've been getting a smattering of SuperHD during prime time this evening. Some shows will kick in right at SuperHD, some will ramp up, some linger at 720p, and others that were paused mid show took a little backwinding but ramped up to SuperHD. Until "the deal", it was pretty much 384-480p between 5 and midnight. 

Coincidentally just today, Netflix raised my rate by five dollars a month and Verizon raised my rates by $25 and added a one time Netflix Surcharge of $100.
Just kidding......


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

ustavio said:


> Well, seeing it is believing it. I've been getting a smattering of SuperHD during prime time this evening. Some shows will kick in right at SuperHD, some will ramp up, some linger at 720p, and others that were paused mid show took a little backwinding but ramped up to SuperHD. Until "the deal", it was pretty much 384-480p between 5 and midnight.
> 
> Coincidentally just today, Netflix raised my rate by five dollars a month and Verizon raised my rates by $25 and added a one time Netflix Surcharge of $100.
> Just kidding......


Well Netflix needs to raise your rates to help them pay Verizon for the internet connection that you are already paying Verizon for. Feels good to pay for something twice, doesn't it?


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

I was wondering if this had taken effect yet. On Wednesday night when I was setting up a Mini, I had four Netflix streams running concurrently and all four were playing a SuperHD bitrate. This was around 9PM which typically in the past had been inconsistent with just playing one Netflix stream during prime time.


----------



## sneagle (Jun 12, 2002)

What defines SuperHD?

I have FIOS 75/35. On my computer, using the test video, I am getting 3000kbps--1280x720.

Test video: http://www.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=70136810&trkid=497045


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

sneagle said:


> What defines SuperHD?
> 
> I have FIOS 75/35. On my computer, using the test video, I am getting 3000kbps--1280x720.
> 
> Test video: http://www.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=70136810&trkid=497045


The super HD bitrates are something like 4600kbps and 5300kbps. I can't remember exactly though. The non SuperHD , 1080P bitrate is 3800kbps. The TiVo shows you when you are getting the 1080p bitrate and when you are getting the superhd 1080P bitrate when you hit the info button. But it doesn't show you the actual superhd bitrate , only that it is Superhd.


----------



## ustavio (Oct 19, 2013)

As I understand it, the SuperHD tops out at 5800kbps. Audio is better at this bitrate as well. I have my Roamio set to 1080p/1080p-24fps. Don't think it affects the delivery of the stream itself but I am assuming that the content is being displayed as delivered (vs. having it set to 1080i) or upverted when the bitrate drops. I also have a Sony TV that can process Dolby so I have that enabled over PCM, although I'm not sure it makes all that much difference.The Netflix audio stream defaults to Dolby unless you change it in each show you watch to Stereo.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

ustavio said:


> As I understand it, the SuperHD tops out at 5800kbps. Audio is better at this bitrate as well. I have my Roamio set to 1080p/1080p-24fps. Don't think it affects the delivery of the stream itself but I am assuming that the content is being displayed as delivered (vs. having it set to 1080i) or upverted when the bitrate drops. I also have a Sony TV that can process Dolby so I have that enabled over PCM, although I'm not sure it makes all that much difference.The Netflix audio stream defaults to Dolby unless you change it in each show you watch to Stereo.


The Roamios and Minis upconvert Netflix now to 108P24 when it's checked in the video options. It isn't just a pass through any more. (At least this is the behavior I have seen from all my Minis and Roamios since the last update.)

So when 1080P60 and 1080P24 are checked in the options, when you first start the Netflix app it will be outputting in 1080P60. But as soon as you start streaming a title it will switch to 1080P24 output.

So even if it's playing a 288kbps SD bitrate, it will be outputting at 1080P24 and will stay there until the stream is stopped. Then it will switch back to 1080P 60 output. I know previously it would start out at 1080P60 and as soon as it hit the 1080P bitrate it would switch to 1080P24. When it was actually passing through the 1080p24 video.


----------



## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

aaronwt said:


> I've been getting SUperHD streaming from FiOS most of the time. The only issues I've had sometimes were during the peak times at night. Otherwise getting SuperHD was not an issue. So hopefully this will fix the inconsistency getting SuperHD during Prime viewing hours on FiOS.


Must vary by area then. I cancelled Netflix a month or two ago because I only saw HD on the weekends midafternoon. I would usually run below 480 and I have the 75/35.


----------



## ShoutingMan (Jan 6, 2008)

aaronwt said:


> I've been getting SUperHD streaming from FiOS most of the time. The only issues I've had sometimes were during the peak times at night. Otherwise getting SuperHD was not an issue. So hopefully this will fix the inconsistency getting SuperHD during Prime viewing hours on FiOS.


I'm in Ashburn, VA and never get above 288 SD in the evenings with 15Mbps Fios

I hope the Netflix deal helps. .


----------



## ustavio (Oct 19, 2013)

Well, dang. Perhaps I was a bit premature and/or giddy with anticipatory glee over the prospect or regular SuperHD. Last night Netflix was back to it's old self. Some shows might slowly ramp to 720p, most stayed at SD/480 during the prime time....again. Not until well after midnight did stuff pop right in at SuperHD. I did notice that Netflix changed their Saphire UI once again. Zipping through the menu got a little sluggish/clunky at times with the previous one. This one is zippy but the streaming is, well, not. I know I'm being impatient and it will take time to fully implement "the deal" but once you experience instant and consistent SuperHD, it's hard to go back to the old same old. Now if Sprint would actually implement 4G in my area as promised.......


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

I've been getting SuperHD every time I stream something from Netflix now. Even Saturday night(last night) during the Prime viewing period, the Netflix app on my Roamio ramped up to SuperHD in a few seconds. So at least in my area, I have not run into the previous issues since the announcement.


----------



## BigJimOutlaw (Mar 21, 2004)

I'm in ustavio's boat. In the morning hours I can hit 5.7mbps SuperHD pretty easily. Right now (10:30 pm et) I can't get past 1.7mbps 480p for more than a couple seconds at a time.

1.7mbps is right on the watchable, DVD-quality line. Anything lower looks junky.

VHO8 territory.


----------



## ustavio (Oct 19, 2013)

Got the Notice from Netflix via email today. Gonna bump the monthly fee up one dollar. However, they're going to wait two years because of my loyalty or something. I can live with one dollar/twelve dollars (annual). However, my stream quality since "the deal" is still all over the place and inconsistent. It ranges from 240p to 1080p throughout prime time (even during the day now, which never happened before). 

I'm also getting all manner of strange variations with closed captions. Since we were given the ability to choose our caption size and color, it seems that only shows first viewed after that fact work that way. Shows previously viewed or in the queue are old style bold yellow caps. One or two flicks even changed from old to new style in the middle of a a viewing! I've been yacking at them and since sending in screen shots, nothing has changed as of yet. They seem quite baffled because personalizing closed captions is supposed to be retroactive on all titles across all platforms. Interestingly, I seem to be the ONLY one, according to Netflix that is having this issue. I think I may be the only one who reported it. It took me a while to even notice. Wife and kids didn't notice until I pointed it out. Wonder just how many even use closed captions, know they can change them, notice that some have changed and some not and then bothered to report it? 

Anyway, off on a tangent. Sorry folks. Ultimately, I had SuperHD for one day, maybe two (including prime time) following the deal but it's mostly back to the same old thing. Netflix changed their UI during that time and it is quite coincidental but dubious that it would derail the upgraded streaming.


----------

