Netflix Launches Data Calculator for Users Streaming Over Cellular Networks

Netflix unwrapped a data calculator tool that lets subscribers see how much data they're using when streaming video on cellular networks. In a blog post, Eddy Wu, director-product innovation, said the tool’s default setting lets users stream about three hours of TV shows and movies per gigabyte of data, translating to a bitrate of roughly 600 kbps. Testing showed that on cellular networks, this setting "balances good video quality with lower data usage to help avoid exceeding data caps and incurring overage fees,” said Wu. Users with a higher data cap on their mobile plan can adjust the setting to stream at higher bitrates, he said. Netflix’s goal is to give users "more control and greater choice” in managing their data usage regardless of data plan, he said. Users need to update their Netflix app to the most recent version to access the cellular data usage function. Bitrates could change over time, said Wu, because Netflix is “always working on ways to improve picture quality while streaming more efficiently.” Actual data usage can vary based on device and network conditions, and the mobile carrier may affect data usage even if users select a higher bitrate setting in the app, he said. The setting affects data usage while viewing content on a mobile device over a cellar network but doesn’t affect Wi-Fi streaming, he said. “Three cheers for Netflix for user empowerment, but there’s no principled reason why broadband operators shouldn’t be able to give users the same option,” responded Berin Szóka, president of TechFreedom. “The rhetoric for ‘net neutrality’ has always been about user empowerment. But the FCC wound up writing a hard-line rule that seems to completely ban broadband providers from adjusting video quality even if users want that. That’s crazy."