Netflix to reduce its streaming quality for the next 30 days during Covid-19 crisis

Netflix is set to reduce their streaming quality in order to ease internet pressure for users. 

As more people are working from home, or have lost their job due to Covid-19, Netflix have experienced a surge in users across the European Continent. 

For the next 30 days, the quality of their videos will be reduced in order to accommodate this and reduce data consumption by almost 25%.

Per hour, standard definition video uses approximately 1GB of data, whereas HD videos can use roughly 3GB of data per hour.

Netflix also offers customers ultra-high definition. Netflix also offers ultra-high definition 4K resolution video for some of its programmes.

European Commissioner for internal market, Thierry Breton released a tweet which supported social distancing and switching to standard definition during this time.

Important phone conversation with @ReedHastings, CEO of @Netflix

To beat #COVID19, we #StayAtHome

Teleworking & streaming help a lot but infrastructures might be in strain.

To secure Internet access for all, let’s #SwitchToStandard definition when HD is not necessary.

— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) March 18, 2020