Streaming: Netflix, YouTube and Globoplay announce quality reduction in Brazil 601f22

Pedro spadoni avatar
Netflix, YouTube and Globoplay will reduce the quality of streaming in Brazil during the new coronavirus pandemic to avoid network congestion.

A Netflix, YouTube and balloon play announce that they will decrease the Quality do streaming in Brazil during the pandemic of COVID-19, disease caused by new coronavirus. The purpose of the measure, implemented this week, is to avoid network congestion, as more people are at home, either for quarantine or social distancing. 1tl39

In the case of Netflix, the press office informed that the change should take place within two days. In practice, little will change, because the public will continue to have access to high definition content. However, the highest quality display of each service package – Ultra High Definition, High Definition and Standard Definition – will no longer be available.

Mobile with netflix open
Change at Netflix should occur in the next two days.

“If you are particularly attuned to a specific video quality, you may notice a slight decrease in quality at each resolution.”

Netflix announcement

Now at YouTube, the change is already in effect. When the clicks on any video, the platform displays Quality definition (SD), which is the resolution of 480p.

TV with selected youtube app
YouTube now displays videos in 480p.

Read the press release from the Google about the subsidiary YouTube, in full:

“We continue to work closely with governments and network operators around the world to minimize system impact during this unprecedented situation. Last week, we announced that we are temporarily displaying YouTube videos in standard definition (SD) quality in the European Union. Given the global nature of this crisis, as of today we expand this change to the entire world.”

Notebook with open globeplay
4K and Full HD resolutions will not be available on Globo's streaming services.

A Globe announced that its services streaming will have limited data delivery starting this week. The measure will affect balloon play, G1, Globoesporte.com, GShow e Globosat Play. With this change, 4K and 1080p (Full HD) resolutions will not be available. The objective, according to the company, is to avoid the collapse of the infrastructure.

The measure only affects data traffic, so there are no limits on the number of videos and/or hours watched.

Streaming in Europe h306o

A Netflix and YouTube had already adopted the reduction in Quality do streaming in Europe, where the COVID-19 pandemic is more serious and several countries have decreed confinement as a measure to contain the new coronavirus.

The authorities even appealed to the platforms to help maintain the stability of the internet. That's because the home office and the confinement in Europe, which has become the epicenter of the pandemic, caused an increase in traffic on the networks.

Woman using cell phone while watching tv
Home office and confinement increased network traffic.

Both Netflix as much as YouTube agreed to reduce the speed of transmission streams for 30 days.

“We developed, tested and deployed a way to reduce Netflix traffic across networks by 25%, starting with Italy and Spain, which were experiencing the biggest impact.”

Ken Florance, Vice President of Content Delivery

Sources: ABC News, Folha de S. Paul, Digital Look e UOL

Leave a comment Cancel reply 26673o
Related Posts 593ri

See everything Apple announced at WWDC25 5sl37

The company has brought updates to the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Macbook, Apple TV, Car Play and even Vision Pro glasses, with design overhauls, artificial intelligence and much more. Check out what's new
victor pacheco avatar
Learn more

See Disney+ releases in June 2025 216l54

New season of The Bear, Snow White and Mission Impossible are some of the productions that will premiere on Disney+ in June 2025
Daniel Coutinho Avatar
Learn more