Netflix Super HD Streaming Now For All, But Does Your ISP Support It?
Netflix Super HD is now streaming to all, finally offering the highest-quality video streaming to customers. While Netflix has supported full 1080p HD resolution streaming before this, it was delivered at a compressed quality. Earlier this year Netflix announced Super HD quality, but not all internet providers could stream it. After Thursday, all Netflix customers can now get Super HD regardless of ISP. However, these changes might not be as great as they sound, at least for some television watchers.
Because of the high bandwidth requirements needed for Netflix Super HD streaming, not all customers will be able to take advantage at all time. As Huffington Post reports, some users might only see the new super high quality video during off-peak hours, if at all. Right now Netflix customers alone make up nearly a third of peak hour traffic in the US.
In anticipation of issues like these, Netflix created the Open Connect Network earlier this year. This special network is a system of servers connected to internet service providers locally. Netflix’s network reduces the strain put on ISPs and helps provide a higher quality video stream for customers. When this in January only customers whose ISP had signed up for Open Connect could take advantage of Super HD streaming.
Even though Netflix continues to campaign for ISPs to join their Open Connect Network, many have not, as explained on the Netflix Blog. Want to see how your internet provider ranks for Netflix streaming speeds and quality? To make this easy for customers, Netflix began ranking ISP speeds in March, reports Digital Trends.
It is no surprise to see that the undisputed king of the US list is Google Fiber. However, some popular ISPs, like Time Warner Cable and Comcast, rank rather low and may leave Netflix customers watching their movies in a grainy, lower-quality stream. Want to see how your ISP fares? Netflix set up a nice page right here for just that.
It should be pointed out that not all videos support Netflix Super HD streaming, including older programs and movies. What films and television shows are you looking forward to viewing in Netflix Super HD quality?
[Image via Netflix]
