Netflix in Germany is gradually eliminating the block to the quality of the video stream, back to pre-Covid 19 quality standards
Phase 2 begins for Netlix too: the limits imposed on the streaming bitrate that reduced the video quality of movies and TV series begin to be eliminated. There’s no official communication from the company yet, but the first testimonials from German users are coming in, who after two months have again the possibility to see the video stream at a 4K quality at 15.25Mbps. Until a few days ago, the same users had a block that limited the data stream to 7.62Mbps, a limit imposed in Europe by Netflix in order not to “break the Network”.
To understand what this news is about, we need to take a step back, to the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak that in early March hit all of Europe. As the pandemic began and people were required to stay indoors, there was a significant increase in Internet use. An increase that has put the European network under stress with the concrete risk of a “breakdown” by the Internet. For this reason, the European Union has moved in time and asked the various video streaming services to decrease the quality of playback in order to lighten the burden on ISPs (Internet Service Providers).
All major streaming services, starting with Netflix, have responded promptly by decreasing the bitrate and quality of video. But now, with the restrictions loosened and a good portion of people slowly returning to work, Netflix has decided to return to offering streaming at the highest quality.
Netflix, streaming at the highest quality, but not for everyone
Testimonies about the removal of streaming quality limits come for now only from Germany. Netflix is most likely evaluating case by case together with the ISPs of the single countries. To go back to the previous situation we will still have to wait a couple of weeks, when most people will be back to their old rhythms. In Italy, for example, there are no reports that the video quality is back to the previous standards.
Probably also the other video streaming applications will follow Netflix’s example and in the next weeks will remove all the limits imposed. A return to (apparent) normality also passes through these small changes.