Lower Bitrate via V6 box using Netflix App.

[Rajxix70]

I have 2 Tivo V6 boxes and 2 smart TVs.  All are connected via CAT 6a Ethernet and Gigbit switches.  Wifi is only used for tablets and mobile phones.

My Internet package is M350 Fibre Broadband with actual speed varying from 330Mbps to 415Mbps consistently. So no complaints there.

My issue is using Netflix via my V6 boxes, I consistently get lower bitrate speed (thus lower image quality) than if I use the Netflix app via my smart TVs.  Both Smart TVs use Google/Android TV.

Example: Old Guard on Netflix via Smart TV's ~15.00Mbps/2160.  Via either V6 box ~11.25Mbps.

Bitrate reading have been taken by calling up Netflix's info/status within the app via the "info" or "i+" button on the corresponding remote control.

Can anybody tell me what's going on here?

I prefer to consume content via my V6 box's rather than the built in features on my TVs due to the convenience of the V6 boxes all-in-one features and remote control.

Thanks in advance.

[Roger_Gooner]

You're looking for a non-existant problem. If you've got, say, 50Mbps, then that's plenty to stream Netflix in UHD at the highest quality and more speeds like 120Mbps makes no difference as the server won't use it.

[Rajxix70]

I understand that.  My original question was, why is there a difference between VM's v6 box and my smart TVs bitrate on Netflix.

This you had already answered by informing me that VM has its own CDN for Netflix content which the V6's access.  Unlike my smart TVs which access Netflix's public, global CDN.

I notice you list your network H/W.  Should I be doing the same?

HUB 3.0
Netgear AX12 (RAX200) Nighthawk
Netgear GS728TPv2 24-Port Smart Managed Gigabit PoE+
Netgear MS510TXM 8-Port Smart Managed Rackmount
Netgear GS110TPP FlexPoE 8-Port Smart Managed Pro Desktop
Netgear GS310TP S350 Series 8-Port Layer 2 Smart Managed Desktop
TP-Link TL-SX105 5-Port Unmanaged Desktop 10-Gigabit Switch
Netgear GS308 8-Port Desktop Gigabit Switch

[Rajxix70]

That's what I get going through the smart TVs, though it usually takes a 1min - 2min to ramp up to that sort of bitrate, but not through my v6 boxes.

[Rajxix70]

Re: Lower Bitrate via V6 box using Netflix App.
49 seconds ago

That's what I get going through the smart TVs, though it usually takes a 1min - 2min to ramp up to that sort of bitrate, but not through my v6 boxes.

[Matthew_ML]

Hey Rajxix70, thanks for reaching out again over this Netflix issues. 

I have looked into why there is two different  speeds on Netflix and as Rodger has stated, he is correct on this. 

Does the content play for you on both boxes without any issues though? Thanks

[Rajxix70]

Thanks Matthew,

The playback is fine, but you can seen a difference in quality with UHD HDR/Dolby Vision content, though playing back via the smart TV apps resolve that.

[Roger_Gooner]

There is one difference regarding HDR: a TV's Netflix app will get the TV to display video in Dolby Vision (if the TV supports Dolby Vision) but the V6 doesn't and dumbs down Dolby Vision to HDR10. Apart from that you should watch Netflix using the V6 as delivery of content comes from VM's servers.

[Rajxix70]

@Roger_Gooner

My mistake, I didn't mean HDR is affected, but the fact that content is streamed at a lower bitrate does indicate high compression of the content, thus slight to moderate  lower image quality. Blu-ray UHD HDR content is outputted at approx. 30Gbps - a maximum of 48Gbps via HDMI.

The best I've heard Netflix stream UHD content is ~18Gbps.  Compression is used.

[Rajxix70]

*Error in previous post.

18Mbps NOT 18Gbps

[Roger_Gooner]

@ozsat has made two posts saying that he got Netflix at 18Mbps on his V6. VM is hardly likely to lower bitrates of content received from Netflix.