topic Re: Netflix Terrible Quality in TV

Netflix Terrible Quality

Chogbill — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 18:33:52 GMT

Hi - I've had my EE TV box and internet for maybe around two months, and Netflix has never seemed to stream in full HD like I'm paying for. It seems to constantly be at 480p, 540 if I'm lucky.

Restarting the app and the box does nothing, and since netflix works fine in full HD on other devices I can only assumes its something to do with the box.

I've been through the help guides and changed the view settings from UHD 10bit to 8bit, which also did nothing. What could the issue be?

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

DarrenDev — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 09:02:44 GMT

If you go into the help section of the Netflix app on your TV Box, there's a network speed test. This may offer some insight.

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

Peter_W — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 09:35:26 GMT

Good morning @Chogbill.

Welcome to the EE Community!

I'd hate to think you're struggling to get the most from Netflix when using your TV box; do other streaming services encounter issues when you're using this box, either with picture quality or buffering in general?

Is it a wired connection you're using too, or are you connected via WiFi?

Peter

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

Chogbill — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 22:01:56 GMT

Cheers Darren, didn't spot that. I'm getting 138.36 Mbps in the Netflix app, 290-ish when I run speed test in my browser.

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

Chogbill — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 22:05:35 GMT

Cheers Peter. Other streaming services work fine, no problems with 4K content via Prime. Just Netflix. I'm using wireless connection but as I said to Darren above, I'm getting 138Mbps when I run the network speed test in the Netflix app, so I don't tihnk it could be a wifi issue - before I switched to EE I never had single issue with Netflix running on the Sky Q box at 4k on a connection half the speed I'm on now either.

I also spoke to Netflix, who said I need to speak to someone at EE. Netflix works fine and in full HD via the app on my phone, and everything I have watched/am currently watching should be in full 1080p, but it just will not play above 480p.

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

DarrenDev — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 09:12:49 GMT

A very strange one @Chogbill

Could I ask you to please check which HDMI port the TV Box is connected to? Is it the same one that Sky Q was previously connected to? We do know that some TVs don't support adequate content protection on all HDMI ports, which could explain why it's dropping the quality. You could also verify this in the EE TV app - launch it, and try to watch a trailer. I would expect it to fail if the port cannot protect content.

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

Chogbill — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 16:56:02 GMT

I had already done this actually - I plugged the EE box into a different HDMI port and the picture quality was terrible, so I switched it to the same as the Sky box which fixed everything except netflix! I tried some trailers in the EE TV app and they were fine too. I actually watched some things on netflix this afternoon and was actually in 1080p for the first time. Do speeds get throttled at night maybe? I'll see how its behaving later.

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

Chogbill — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 13:06:41 GMT

Hi Darren, same thing happened again - just watched an episode of something, full HD. I watched a few episodes of the same show last night and was stuck at 480p.

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

DarrenDev — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 14:22:24 GMT

Unfortunately we can't see anything about the Netflix app - only they can diagnose why the quality is dropping. I would suggest 2 things though, the next time the quality drops:

1. Run the Netflix speed test to confirm the speed available at that time.

2. Try hard rebooting your TV (either turn the power off, or most TVs hard reboot when the power button is held down for a few seconds). Coincidentally I'm just off a call with YouView discussing a related issue in the EE TV player, and we talked in detail about how different apps deal with different TV scenarios.

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

Chogbill — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 16:59:32 GMT

Hi Darren, sorry for the delayed response. I'm consistently getting around 140mbps on the speed test. I haven't actually managed to get anything playing in higher quality than 480p to test the speed when that happens. Surely it has to be an issue with the Netflix app on the EE TV box if netflix works as it should on my phone, and no other streaming services have the same issues on the EE box?

Obviously its frustrating paying for a service the box is unable to provide, but if I drop it to the lesser subscription I'd have to put up with adverts.

Netflix are almost impossible to speak to aswell - when I did manage to speak with someone, they told me it has to be an issue at EE's end if it works ok on other devices which I'm inclined to agree with.

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

DarrenDev — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 17:11:41 GMT

Unfortunately I can't think of anything else I can offer @Chogbill. As mentioned, only Netflix can answer why the quality isn't increasing.

The best I can suggest now is that you call the helpdesk and ask for a fault to be raised. Hopefully the TMC will have a way to contact Netflix and ask for help.

I do have one question though: how do you know the quality is 480p? Pressing the info button shows the bitrate, but I've never seen a way to show the resolution?

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

Chogbill — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 16:49:21 GMT

I had already spoken with netflix, who said that it must be something on EE's end because its only the netflix app on the EE box that doesn't work as it should. I'll try them again and see what they say.

The box that appears when you press the info button does tell you the resolution too.

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

Matt791 — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 14:21:16 GMT

Same with me, Netflix quality is awful. Have to use the app on a smart tv now.

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

Michael_D — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 09:33:30 GMT

Hi @Matt791

Welcome to the community.

Have you been able to try a speed test in the help section of the Netflix app on the box to see what speed you are getting?

Are you connected by WiFi or is it wired connection?

Do you see any other problems with the quality on other streaming services?

Michael

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

Matt791 — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 11:43:27 GMT

Hi Michael, thanks for your reply.

I have a wired connection and have done a speed test, all fine. There was a noticeable difference on ITVX also.

I have done a reset and changed my hdmi cable. All seems fine at the moment.

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

Michael_D — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 11:59:19 GMT

Are you now seeing an improvement after changing the HDMI cable and resetting @Matt791?

Michael

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

Chogbill — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 12:14:05 GMT

The 4OD and Youtube apps also seem locked to terrible quality, particularly 4od. I haven't used the ITVX app but I imagine its the same. I've also just switched to using the Netflix app on my TV, so at least I can get some use out of what I'm paying for. I haven't tried the HDMI cable but I think that's just coincidence rather than an actual fix as the Prime and Apple TV apps work fine and stream in the quality they should. I also turned the box off at the wall and back on, and netflix worked in full HD for an hour or two then its right back to 480p.

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

Chogbill — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 12:17:06 GMT

Hi Michael. It seems like the issue is the apps on the box itself to me, as nothing really fixes the issues. I too did the speed test and everything is fine, and resetting the box fixes it for an hour or two then its right back to low quality. Other apps like Apple and Prime work fine so it couldn't be a connection or HDMI issue.

Netflix told me it's an EE problem, and the last reply I had on here said to speak with Netflix, which obviously doesn't really help. Luckily I can still use the Netflix I'm paying for on my TV, but this issue still shouldn't be a thing and would be worse if my TV didn't have the app built in.

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

Matt791 — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 12:23:51 GMT

Netflix quality has improved, will see how it goes.

Re: Netflix Terrible Quality

Michael_D — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 12:39:21 GMT

@Matt791 Great. I hope that has resolved it, but keep us posted if you notice any change.

Michael