8.6 Misc - Can I stream movies or television from Hulu or
Netflix?
Generally speaking, yes, you can
stream video through our
service. However, it is important to read the requirements from Hulu or
Netflix
as streaming video is a very bandwidth intensive application.
Hulu's
website lists the recommendations for streaming video
as follows:
720p - a minimum of 3.5Mbps
downstream bandwidth is
recommended
480p - a minimum of 1.5Mbps downstream bandwidth is recommended
360p - a minimum of 1.0Mbps downstream bandwidth is recommended
Netflix does not list any
requirements on their website.
Their partners list differing numbers. The general consensus from
various
review sites lists the recommendations for streaming video as follows:
SD/480p - a
minimum of 2.5Mbps downstream bandwidth is
recommended
HD/720p - a minimum of 8Mbps downstream bandwidth is recommended
In addition the device to decode
the transmission and
display it requires a CoreDuo or better processor.
9/19/2011 - new information from
Netflix
Netflix users can control the
speed at which movies are transmitted to them. This allows users to
better match the speed of their connection with Netflix ultimately
providing a better experience.
- Login to your Netflix account;
- Select "Your account & help";
- Then select "Manage Video Quality"
- Set the option to "Good Quality"
If you do the math 2.3GB
per
hour for “Best Quality” breaks down like this…
2.3 GB per hour = 2300 MB
per
Hour divided by 60 minutes in an hour gives us 38.33 MB per
Minute
Now notice that big ‘B’ is
not a little ‘b’
8 bits to a Byte,
so
let’s multiply that 38.33MB per minute times 8 for bits, so
now we have
306,640,000 bits of video to deliver in 1 minute.
Now Let’s add 20%
overhead(addressing, error checking, etc.) to the 306 Million
so the bits
so that the bits can actually find their way from Netflix to our TV
So now we have 367,968,000
bits of video that your Netflix box wants to receive every minute!
We divide that by 60 to
give
us the bandwidth that this movie will need to be fed every Second and
we get 6.13
mbps that this one player will need to be fed nonstop for the entire
duration
of the movie, that’s not buffering, that’s not getting ahead,
that is
real-time streaming or everything stops, period.
If anyone else in the home
is
doing anything, surfing the web, getting email, listening to streaming
music,
anything, this will need to be added to the 6.13Mbps or the movie will
stall
out, it is just that simple, it is not the network’s fault, or a lousy
connection, it is just an incredible amount of data to deliver nonstop
for
hours on end.
Keep in mind that this is
Continuous bandwidth not “Burst”, the burst would only last for a few
seconds
at this rate.
On the other hand, .3GB
their “Good” quality, using the same calculation translates
to about .8
Mbps (800 Kbps)
