How Netflix Plans To Cut Its Behemoth Bandwidth Use

Since 2011, members of the Netflix video algorithm team have been working to revamp the encoding technology, which now selects a certain bitrate for all titles based on the internet connection available.

Netflix has apparently realized that they can get away with using different encoding techniques on different movies and shows without compromising their overall video quality. That’s important, since Netflix uses about one-third of all data on the Internet during peak times.

Beginning in earnest next year, Netflix will soon send you very (technologically) different streams for Gone in 60 Seconds versus BoJack Horseman. But wireless data is really expensive, and video, of course, uses a lot of it, so any changes Netflix can make to decrease the amount of data its videos use is great. Not only that, algorithms will be calculated differently for each specific film depending on what makes sense, with the cloud analyzing titles and applying new compression algorithms while users sleep.

Netflix noticed that it could save bandwidth by encoding its files separately, on a per-title basis. In order to reduce bandwidth consumption by up to 20 percent, Netflix had to reassess its original approach and admit that it’d been doing things wrong. This means that those with slower internet connections would see their video downgraded to 720p or lower. For example, 93% of people in Denmark have speeds above 4Mbps, according to the cloud services provider Akamai, which is just above what Netflix recommends if you want to watch a movie or TV show in standard definition. Re-encoding the entire video collection seems an nearly impossible task at first, but the company has many powerful reasons to go through the effort.

According to Variety, this technology will not only improve the quality of the users video stream but will also reduce the bandwidth. For years, Netflix’s service has been dynamically delivering these versions based on a consumer’s bandwidth needs, which is why the quality of a stream occasionally shifts in the middle of a binge-watching session.

“This allows the company to stream visually simple videos like “My Little Pony” in a 1080p resolution with a bitrate of just 1.5 Mbps”.

To boost efficiency further, Netflix chops up its videos into shorter segments so multiple servers can process the same content at the same time. The whole catalog should be done early next year, and then we can truly judge if it’s living up to the promises.