Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Evening everyone.

Back with VM after a break of a good few years, but we've cut the cord for TV and are relying on FTA and Netflix. All is well after a self install - speedtests are good and so far the SH2 is performing well. The only problem I've got is my Netflix app in our TV won't seem to get to 4k quality. Just like YouTube, it tends to start on the lowest quality and quickly ramp up. A lot of the time on Infinity 2 it would start straight away in 4k. I've left videos running for over ten minutes waiting and it still seems resolutely stuck on 1080p. The app in the TV has no way to 'force' the higher res - any suggestions?

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Some content on netflix 4k is not actually 4k for example house of cards series 1 was not filmed in 4k it was part the way through series 2 there is other content on there thats was also only filmed in 4k for later series that could be why your not getting 4k

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Hi Jcm. I'm aware of that - this is content I know should be in 4k and would work if I hooked it back up to my Infinity connection.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

My Samsung 4K TV (2015) model is connected wirelessly to a SH2ac in an adjacent room. Using the TV App, and taking YouTube as the case, 4K material always displays as such on the TV.

The TV is meant to upscale lower resolution but I've no idea whether that's happening except to say the it looks good.

I've never had a 4K film on YouTube start off at a lower resolution than 4K. Why should it and how can it? I wouldn't expect a non-4K filem to be of 4K quality even if a 4K button was available.

In terms of Shadow's issue, I don't fully understand where he think the problem lies; if in the VM system, why he thinks it's there. If the TV is wirelessly connected to the Internet, a poor connection would make films etc stutter, I'd have thought.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Let me know what your having issues with i will try it here for you i normally dont have any issues with netflix 4k

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

In fairness, that is actually how Netflix works - it dynamically changes the quality of the content depending on your connection at the time.

Not so much, not with netflix. A really poor connection would do that, but a slower but stable connection will just cause netflix to stick to a lower quality stream. I must admit it's frustrating that netflix don't allow you to override this and I do sometimes get VHS quality in the middle of a film for a minute or two and can't really do anything about it, but it's fairly rare. I don't have a 4K TV so I can't comment on 4K.

Seph does bring up what I was going to suggest looking at - wireless. It's entirely possible that the connection is fine, but the wireless is the trouble. I don't know how "good" Infinity's wireless is, but it's reasonable to assume it could have been configured better than Virgin's. Is it possible to connect your TV via ethernet? Even just temporarily to test the theory.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Kush,

The OP also mentioned YouTube, so I locked onto that aspect.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

I know, sorry if I wasn't being clear :)

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

i never play 4k res videos on youtube as they always stutter with my connection even tho speedtests say my connection is fine.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Is that wireless TV connection via a TV App? Or is this through the Tivo or on a tablet or PC?

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

YouTube changed their encoding on 4k files from hevc to vp9, if your hardware doesn't support vp9 ( I think only 2015 Samsungs or older Samsungs with evo kit do) then you are not getting 4k, you are just getting up scaled 1080p.
As for 4k Netflix, this regularly happens to me where it can't quite get upto 4k and it is usually at heavily congested Internet times, such as Sunday afternoon/tea time, this is why I still think there will be a demand for satellite 4k broadcast going forward, imagine if everybody bought a 4k tv this Christmas and cut the cord (yikes).

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Good explanation.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Works day and night on my BT Infinity 2 connection I've never had any issue with 4K content.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Just wait till all your neighbours get it too...

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

It's been available here for quite a while my speeds have never fluctuated day or night , it's been extremely reliable.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

AFAIK the sustained bit rate for 4K is between 15-20Mb/s.

You mention that speed tests indicate your connection is fine but if you use one of the 'single thread' (aka single connection) tests I bet it would show no more that 10-30Mb/s at peak times.

Try the Thinkboadband test. Whenever I do this the graphs for the single v multi coincide when tested in the morning hours but are drastically different peak hours.

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedt...8651761490.png
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedt...4843091158.png

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Thanks for the input everyone. To cover the points raised:

Everything is hardwired. If it's got an ethernet port on it, it's plugged in in our house :)
This is my Netflix app in my Panasonic AX802b TV. As others have stated, the quality increased as the stream starts (like YouTube does when it's on Auto) and there's no way to force it.
Thanks for the points about the single vs multi stream tests - So far all of the single stream tests I've done have been the same as the multi ones but I'll keep an eye on it over the next few days.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

It's entirely possible that it's the telltale sign of Virgin's CDN being congested. Your connection is fine, it's the link between Virgin and netflix that's at fault.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

It's also how Youtube works. I've no idea what he's on about this time...

Ignoring the fact he later states it's wired ethernet, Infinity wireless is about the same as the Superhub 2AC. Not spectacular but passable for AC. Maxes out at about 400Mbps actual throughput.

---------- Post added at 14:00 ---------- Previous post was at 13:59 ----------

People like yourself keep saying the same thing year on year since Infinity was launched yet it's been proven false every time, even on 100% full cabs.

BT have always had lower congestion on Infinity than VM. VM usually has the worst congestion of all major UK ISPs.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

There is no congestion, at all, on the Openreach FTTC platform. None.

The same cannot necessarily be said for the communications providers who purchase services from Openreach though.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

There is on BT Wholesale though.

Edit or what the provider has purchased from them.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Still less than on VM.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

See my edit although I agree.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

TV app or on PC Wired. Just checked on my 200mb and works fine now.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Which is why I pay more to use the TalkTalk Business network ;)

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Can't imagine the BT Business Fibre product can be that bad either, given the retail service is generally quite good. AFAIK the Business service used to offer 30Mbps guaranteed speeds as well.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Are BT likely to increase speeds at all ? Or will they only increase with G.fast ?

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

I used to think they would but Ignition seems to think they won't.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

They aren't deploying vectoring to most cabinets, just the odd one very tactically to improve reach and coverage at >24Mb.

Those close to cabinets who may get some benefit from removing the 80Mb limit are the same people who would benefit from having a G.fast node next to or inside the existing cabinet.

Upgrading the speeds to, say, 100Mb, also requires replacement of CPE as the Openreach modems only have Fast Ethernet ports.

G.fast starts going live in the UK commercially next year.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

No different from some VM customers requiring new kit with a speed upgrade though. Most newer installs (last 1-2 years) are "wires-only" with ISP supplied AIOs such as the HomeHub 5 and no Openreach modem.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Given Openreach aren't supplying any CPE at all as of the end of the year this isn't really their problem.

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

Thanks again for everyone's input. The CDN sounds like a likely candidate and I would be inclined to suspect that. However, less than 48 hours after I set up all my static IP's on my SH2 it decided to forget all of them (and it was a ruddy pain to do in the first place) so it's in modem mode doing as little damage as possible. Since I've gone back to my trusty TP-Link (once again running OpenWRT now that I don't need multicast) I've had no problems with 4k on Netflix - it jumps straight in at 4k just like it used to on FTTC. Might be a coincidence, might not.

Nice to be back on this forum anyway :)

Re: Struggling to get 4k on Netflix
 

So you're saying, it was the Superhub's fault?