Last week, YouTube and Netflix reduced the transmission rate in Europe due to the corona crisis and at the suggestion of the EU Commission. Now pull too Amazon Prime, Apple TV + and Disney + and reduce the image quality.
The goal is to relieve the network infrastructure and save bandwidth for system-relevant services and home office. Because many people across Europe are currently in their own four walls because of exit restrictions, it is feared that video streaming will increase significantly and congest the networks.
Overloads and failures were reported in Switzerland last week. According to the Financial Times (Paywall, via Wccftech), the network load in Italy has even tripled since the country-wide curfew.
Resolution remains unchanged
Like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV + also reduce the transfer ratewhile the resolution remains unchanged, as reported by Wccftech. The same applies to Disney +, which according to IGN are planning to reduce the bit rate by at least 25 percent. We explain the difference between bit rate and resolution in the following article:
more on the subject
Poor image quality? Netflix throttles bitrate because of Corona
How is the picture quality? While the quality of the video stream is said to be only slightly noticeable on Netflix and Amazon Prime, the image quality of Apple TV + seems to be noticeably worse – Wccftech reports heavily pixelated videos.
So far, little can be said about the impact on quality at Disney +. The streaming service will not start operating here until March 24, 2020.
How long should the image quality remain reduced? Netflix plans to lower the transfer rate for 30 days for now. So far, there have been no similar statements from other providers, but it is very likely that everyone will orientate themselves towards one another. An important decision criterion should also be the further development of the corona crisis.
Coronavirus information and protections
The Federal Health Administration offers a comprehensive FAQ on the subject of coronavirus, as well as daily news and instructions on protection against infection. In addition, you can reach the independent patient advice on the following telephone number: 0800 011 77 22
