Netflix Open Connect

[david0406]

Both times I have stated who it was or posted the conversation the Mod removed the post. Stated it violated forum rules and policies. A level one CSR FWIW from Verizon.

[anonFios]

Here is a simple, free solution to Verizon's Netflix problem but of course Verizon won't consider it.

[Namronorman]

What is Verizon's stance on OpenConnect and can you (Verizon) please explain the stance on OpenConnect? Service has been downright awful lately and not just with Netflix. Please fix this ASAP.

[anonFios]

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@nynestor wrote:

I just noticed this on my Netflix last night and saw the movie thorough it on my FIOS service. Looks awesome and in full HD & 5.1 sourround sound. 

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Noticed what?

The 1080p and 5.1 surround sound streams have been available for a while and do not require Open Connect.

[Namronorman]

Wow, this article from 2009 is chilling... Robert definitely did a good job at predicting the future on this one:

"And that is the point, I think.  After getting a relationship started with content providers and CDNs with this program, at some point Verizon intends to offer them the chance to improve their speed further, by buying CDN services to extend deeper into the network.  This is about farming, and they are sowing the seeds."

http://www.telecomramblings.com/2009/01/verizon-port-partner-program-just-smoke/

[anonFios]

Any chance Verizon will be joining soon...yeah, I don't know why I was bother to ask either.

[Magnertom]

Yeah, I'm still having issues on Netflix as well in the evenings, even with Quantum speeds. I was thinking about switching to Comcast, until I realized that they seem to be having the same problems. 

http://forums.comcast.com/t5/Basic-Internet-Connectivity-And/Is-Comcast-blocking-Netflix/td-p/188527...

[Talon167]

According to NetFlix, Verizon's FIOS speeds are pretty good. NetFlix has a "Speed Index" page they update monthly that is linked below.

NetFlix Speed Index

All of the conspiracy nuts pointing to Verizon, why the heck are you not pointing to NetFlix???  Because of regulatory issues, it is much less likely that Verizon is slowing down NetFlix speeds because of a partnership with RedBox and much more likely NetFlix is slowing down Verizon customers for joining with RedBox. 

Verizon is a connectivity service provider and under a ton of restrictions compared with the throttling NetFlix can do from its servers.  NetFlix does not provide connectivity to the Internet and as a result can ignore FCC ISP regs and lawfully hose whatever customer connections it wants.  There are, of course, obvious exceptions that apply to all businesses (e.g., NetFlix cannot lawfully slow down streaming speeds based on race).

With all that said, there is 0% chance Verizon is throttling and I highly doubt NetFlix is discriminating based on ISP.

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FYI just found the following - I was wrong, NetFlix is discriminating:

"Enrolling in the Open Connect program means that Netflix places data caching servers at ISP locations and fills them up with the most frequently viewed content. This allows Netflix to avoid paying third-party transit fees and improves data delivery speeds for subscribers. Since streaming 1080p and 3D content requires faster speeds due to the increased data, Netflix believes limiting access to that content is in the company’s best interest in order to provide a stable viewing experience for subscribers."

http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/netflix-publishes-isp-speed-index/

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Nice Business Insider article describing NetFlix's strategy and third-party transit fees (smart - NetFlix is building out cacheing facilities with ISP partners):

http://www.businessinsider.com/netflixs-cost-to-stream-drops-50-since-2009-expected-to-spend-50m-in-...

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By the way, the third-party transit fees paid by NetFlix are not ISPs, they are CDNs (the guys who provide server space and streaming to NetFlix's customers such as Amazon EC2):

Here is a list:

http://blog.streamingmedia.com/2013/12/heres-current-cdn-landscape-looks-like-list-vendors.html

[anonFios]

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@Talon167 wrote:

FYI just found the following - I was wrong, NetFlix is discriminating 

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Netflix is not discriminating. All Netflix content is accessible by any ISP, not just those signed up with OpenConnect.

OpenConnect allows for local caching so that content is always accessible at the highest quality, avoiding situations like with Verizon Fios where the pipes get so congested people can't stream at the highest quality.

[Namronorman]

If you bother to identify where streams are being played from, you'll find that the reason your videos are only playing at a most likely 235kbit is due to peering point saturation between Verizon and whomever is providing the streaming service. What's interesting is that the peering saturation happens even when the stream is being provided by the likes of Level3 or other imilar tier 1 providers. This should never happen but it does.