Netflix Performance on Top ISP Networks

[JetreL]

The Netflix blog compared streaming performance among 20 top ISPs for the past three months. A Netflix HD stream can provide up to 4800 kbps, but the fastest American ISP, Charter, could sustain only 2667 kbps on average. Most Canadian ISPs beat that, with champ Rogers providing an average of 3020 kbps. Clearwire, Frontier, and CenturyTel were in the doghouse with under 1600 kbps.

Post [techblog.netflix.com]


US Networks





Canadian Networks



Pretty interesting comparison if you have more choices in your area!

[Skirge01]

Canada only has 4 major ISPs? Wow. Do they also have monopolies? I just think it's kind of funny (sad) that the US has 16 ISPs listed versus Canada's 4, yet almost everyone in the US can only utilize one or two (if you're lucky) of those ISPs.

Back on topic, it's quite interesting to see the stats, even though I'm not a Netflix subscriber.

[matt91]

Originally Posted by JetreL

A Netflix HD stream can provide up to 4800 kbps, but the fastest American ISP, Charter, could sustain only 2667 kbps on average.

Can this also mean that Charter customers don't pay for service faster than 2667 kbps? Said another way, is the service plan of each customer a confounding factor in this?

If every Charter customer sprung for 10Mbps service today, would that 2667 number go up next month?

[Taddeusz]

Remember this is an average so customers that are paying for the lowest tier service are bringing the number down. Cox Cable in my area has four tiers, 1Mb, 3Mb, 12Mb, and 25Mb. If lots of people are paying for the lower two tiers it will drag the overall number way down. I'm on the 12Mb tier. It would be interesting to see what my average throughput is when viewing Netflix.

[JetreL]

Matt that is a great point. The numbers could obviously be skewed by plan type for their customers. Their plans are 1, 8, 16, 25, and 60 Mbps with a common price point of $20, $30, $40, $55 and $100 for the aligned plan. Given my general knowledge of residential customer take rate I would think 95% of their customers are on the 1 to 8 Mbps plan. Looking at their bundle pricing they are pushing their 8Mbps product fairly heavy so I would think their take rate would be higher than you’d imagine on the 8Mbps plan.

This is just a graph that’s fairly incomplete and we’d need to know the standard deviation of their median customers to get a better idea of how they compare but looking at the other providers their pricing isn’t that far off. So I guess you can look at it in two ways this *is* and *isn’t* a fair graph of doing an apples to apples comparison.

I wasn’t picking on Comcast. (In all fairness I stole this from Slashdot) But I could see and still agree how this leads someone to believe that Comcast isn’t truly allowing someone to utilize their full capacity.

[JetreL]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

It would be interesting to see what my average throughput is when viewing Netflix.

This isn't Netflix but does give you a good idea of how you perform to other providers.

Link

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by Skirge01

Canada only has 4 major ISPs?

Technically Cogego and Videotron should probably be in there too...

Do they also have monopolies?

Well, Rogers/Shaw/Cogeco/Videotron are cable companies that each have their areas and don't really compete anywhere. Tellus and Bell are phone companies, the first being mostly in the West, the later mostly in the East. So a typical user only really has 2 choices, 1 cable or 1 phone company... Then there's 2 satellite companies, but they don't compete as ISP, only for the TV viewership...

[SomeWhatLost]

kind of funny how Canada's slowest ISP is faster than the US's fastest ISP...

we should probably just invade Canada and take their ISP's by force...

[wrems]

This is probably why Comcast dropped all their middle tiers. They're trying to bring up their average. Now their low plans are 1.5 or 15 down and then a whole lot higher. At the same time, they cut their uploads too.

[ccsmoke]

I think this is kind of misleading of Netflix as I think this is based on the fastest National U.S. based or top subscriber based ISP's. It certainly doesn't take all ISP's (locally owned) into consideration. My local ISP, Midcontinent Communications, has been one of the fastest ISP's in the U.S. offering download speeds of 15,20,30, and 55 with the median of users at 20 down.

Before they upped their service:
http://localtechwire.com/business/lo...gpost/8060439/

[Taddeusz]

Not necessarily. These numbers take so much into consideration. Not only the subscriber's rated speed but their actual average individual speeds. Line problems might get someone quite a bit lower than the rated speed they're paying for. Also the overall throughput of the ISP itself. Then also any major activity that's going on while the person is using Netflix. So these numbers aren't really as cut and dry as you might think.

Also, your local ISP's might actually be worse as they might not be able to afford as large of a pipe as the big boys even though they are selling service that is on par with them.

[mistergq]

Should also be considered that Verizon has two products: DSL and FIOS. They really should have two Verizon and I can't believe FIOS is not on the top of that list. I have never had a problem watching HD Instant Play with FIOS.

[Taddeusz]

I've never had a problem with HD Netflix on Cox Cable.

[TallMomof2]

I have 35 Mbps with Verizon and Netflix is great, we've been watching it a lot and the picture quality is excellent. Just wish there was a better selection.