
How to Test Your Netflix Streaming Speed - nehap429
http://www.wired.com/2014/06/netflix-streaming-test
======
higherpurpose
> Within a few seconds, my Netflix stream _topped out_ at 3000 Kbps (3 Mbps)
> and a resolution of 1280 x 720.

This confirms my suspicion which I mentioned in a previous comment in another
thread:

> I think Netflix has a weird way of measuring bandwidth, unlike say the way
> Speedtest.net would do it. I've noticed this before when they compared
> Google Fiber to something like Comcast, and Google Fiber won [1], but was
> only slightly better, so I was thinking "that can't be right - Google's
> fiber is 50x faster. So why isn't that being shown here?" I think Netflix
> just shows what's the "maximum" speed needed to deliver their service. It
> doesn't actually measure the speed of that ISP's connection. So all they
> care about in their test is whether the ISP meets that ~3 Mbps they need for
> a perfect Netflix streaming.

[1] - [http://www3.pcmag.com/media/images/381404-netflix-april-
isp-...](http://www3.pcmag.com/media/images/381404-netflix-april-isp-speed-
test.jpg)

From the Netflix test perspective, as long as your ISP can hit 3 Mbps, that's
a _great ISP_. I think we all know that not to be the case. If an ISP gets
1,000 Mbps, Netflix doesn't take that into consideration in this "ISP speed
index".

~~~
aneesh
> I think Netflix just shows what's the "maximum" speed needed to deliver
> their service.

Exactly this. Assuming your connection is faster than 3 Mbps, the number they
are showing is neither the bandwidth your ISP is providing you, nor the
instantaneous rate that bits are flowing to your home network. If you have a
faster connection, they will send you large chunks of bits at a rate higher
than 3 Mbps (upto 35 Mbps from what I've seen), and then send nothing for
several seconds.

It seems that Netflix tops out at 5.8 Mbps and 1920x1080 no matter how capable
your network connection is -- that's the highest number this test will
produce.

~~~
jordanthoms
I've seen around 10Mbps for Super HD streams.

------
jerf
The reviews on the Netflix site are, of course, absurdist.

[http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/70136810?sod=search-
autocompl...](http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/70136810?sod=search-autocomplete)
if you have Netflix, if you don't it's pretty much what you'd expect:

    
    
        Very avant-guarde. Reminds me of Picasso's Blue Period.
        Scenery was beautiful and deep, but acting left 
        something to be desired. That said, the sexual charge 
        among the cast keeps you involved. All in all a great 
        date movie.
    

\--

    
    
        .....................................................
        .....................................................
        .....................................................
        .....................................................
        .....Still a better love story than Twilight.

------
mathieutd
This is amazing. I am with Verizon Fios and the speed peaked at 560kps. If I
use a vpn, it reaches 3000kps very quickly.

~~~
pgrote
I had similar results. Internet only ATT Uverse at home. Started at 560
dropped to 235 and never made it above 560. VPNed using openvpn into work
where it is a commercial ATT fiber connection. Started at 560 and within 4
minutes was at 3000.

I am shocked.

~~~
x0054
It strikes me like this would be good evidence in an antitrust case against
ATT, Verizon, and other ISPs. In most markets there is only one high speed
ISP, and one can argue that they are using their monopoly power to force other
competitors to their TV programming business out of business. Also, on the
consumer side, this might be a good class action case, though thanks to the
wonderful state of Texas such cases are rather hard to litigate nowadays.

------
Urgo
Time Warner in NC (Raleigh area) is quite obviously throttling netflix. I did
some tests back and forth with viewing directly and via a vpn I have in DC.
Direct I have hit 3k a few times but normally I can't get above 1k. Activate
the vpn and I hit 3k within 20-30 secs....

~~~
jsz0
Connecting to a VPN routes you around the congestion point between TWC and
NetFlix's CDN. This is kind of exactly what ISPs are upset about. They can
have more than enough bandwidth but NetFlix's size and lack of network
diversity requires them to make special accommodations.

~~~
josephlord
Netflix are paying to have the data delivered to the door of TWC (to TWC's
router at the correct TWC regional point for the customer requesting the
data). TWC is limiting the incoming rate and not delivering the data to their
paying customers. Netflix cannot provide diversity within TWC's network and it
shouldn't really matter what port the data show up on.

Peering is a special deal for huge ISPs already. If you are small/medium size
you will have to pay Level3/Cogent etc. for them to deliver data to you. Now
the big players without competitors are pushing to alter the terms so the
internet so that they get paid by both ends. And if companies give in the
incentive for the ISPs is to worsen performance so more people have to pay for
decent performance.

------
pwarner
I always just start up any 1080P stream and then watch my router traffic
graph. I guess this assumes nothing else is going through the router. I am
seeing 5.2 Mbps right now on a 1080P stream, although some times it is closer
to 6 Mbps. Assuming the DSL link is good I always get 1080P. My physical link
is a 6 Mbps DSL link from Sonic.net. It would make me sad if I had a 50 Mbps
link from AT&T or Verizon and couldn't stream in HD.

------
syncerr
On a Mac, you can press Shift+Option+LeftClick > A/V Stats on any Netflix
stream to see the video bitrate (and a whole lot more). It's the "playing
bitrate v" value.

Also, the test video is strange.
[http://www.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=70136810](http://www.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=70136810)

~~~
amalag
Thanks that is very cool. I knew about Ctrl-Shift-Alt-S which shows you the
bitrate and lets you manually select it.

------
benjamincburns
I'm in New Zealand. For giggles I tried running this test from my TV via
Chromecast. I expected terrible results. Instead I hit 4300Kbps somewhere
around the point where the dude was doing the sweet moon walk whilst e-mailing
his grandmother. Since then it's stayed right there.

At least, I assume it was his grandmother.

------
hagope
> The highest speed in the U.S. is 3.03 Mbps

Actually Google Fiber takes the cake at 3.51 Mbs ... you click on "show
smaller isps" link on
[http://ispspeedindex.netflix.com/](http://ispspeedindex.netflix.com/)

------
greg5green
I had kind of noticed this in my casual viewing and this test confirms it: my
Apple TV does a much better job of keeping the resolution and bitrate up than
my TiVo. Also, they both do much better job than Chrome on my Mac.

------
Bud
Can't actually test this with my preferred browser: Netflix uses Microsoft
Silverlight for some mysterious reason, which is not supported under Chrome,
which is either the 1st or 2nd most popular browser on the Mac.

Pretty shoddy. Get with it, Netflix and Microsoft.

~~~
fishtoaster
Are you certain? I watch Netflix with Chrome on my macbook pro pretty
frequently. Although I do hope they ditch silverlight anyway.

~~~
X-Istence
The new Safari in OS X Yosemite will use the new HTML 5 media extension stuff
that allows streaming video directly without using Silverlight :-).

Now we just need to get Chrome on board too!

~~~
shiftb
I just ran the test on Safari in Yosemite using HTML5. Looks great, but pegged
my CPU.

