TiaDanger 0 #1 June 3, 2011 I'm a total newbie to internet at my house. Never had it, but am trying to learn about it so I can order it. Apparently people prefer cable over DSL for the most part? And what speed should I get to stream movies uninterrupted from Netflix? I read that something like 6 Mbps or 10 Mbps is okay... Is this fairly fast internet? Or should I go bigger? Thanks in advanceAnd for the record: the appropriate ranking of cool modes of transportation is jet pack, hover board, transporter, Batmobile, and THEN giant ant. D.S. #8.8 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #2 June 3, 2011 The first thing that happens when Netflix connects is it checks the bandwidth and system you have. It will stream with a pretty crappy connection, but obviously better is better (up to a point). Additionally, quality will depend on the system/box you're using to watch the Netflix stream. It doesn't matter if you have the fastest internet on the planet, if you're watching the Netflix stream on your Wii since the Wii is only capable of displaying a 480p signal at its max. An AppleTV or iPad will go up to 720p, which is quite a bit better. I'm not sure about other devices, but you get the drift. IN NO CASE will it ever look as good as a Blu-ray and sometimes just being comparable to a good DVD might be pushing it (since I'm fairly certain they're ripping DVDs rather than actually clean copies of the masters). Additionally, some of the people they have encoding this stuff obviously don't give a crap and some things just look awful no matter what. Another thing they frequently do is cut off the end credits, which pisses me off to no end if I'm doing research on something. A 6Mbps connection should be awesome since I think Netflix tops out at much less than half of that. I have a 3Mbps connection and I can stream Netflix and also surf the net just fine.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 8 #3 June 4, 2011 QuoteI'm a total newbie to internet at my house. Never had it, but am trying to learn about it so I can order it. Apparently people prefer cable over DSL for the most part? Cable offers faster speeds, but they're shared between the users in your area. Nowadays it's not so significant because of the amount of fiber-optics that are in place. DSL is a 'dedicated' connection, but generally MUCH slower. If trying to stream video, go with cable, hands down. DSL is remarkably slow even in theory, much less real world application."I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890 I'm an asshole, and I approve this message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #4 June 4, 2011 QuoteIf trying to stream video, go with cable, hands down. DSL is remarkably slow even in theory, much less real world application. Provided, of course, that's an option. Location makes a hell of a lot of difference.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 8 #5 June 4, 2011 Quote Quote If trying to stream video, go with cable, hands down. DSL is remarkably slow even in theory, much less real world application. Provided, of course, that's an option. Location makes a hell of a lot of difference. Very true... but the further you are from the main 'lines' the worse your DSL will be. Also, don't even THINK about satellite internet if you can get DSL or cable, this coming from a satellite communications guy, should mean something. "I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890 I'm an asshole, and I approve this message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TiaDanger 0 #6 June 4, 2011 Quote Quote Quote If trying to stream video, go with cable, hands down. DSL is remarkably slow even in theory, much less real world application. Provided, of course, that's an option. Location makes a hell of a lot of difference. Very true... but the further you are from the main 'lines' the worse your DSL will be. Also, don't even THINK about satellite internet if you can get DSL or cable, this coming from a satellite communications guy, should mean something. Wow, thanks for the help guys!...Apparently the cable provider (Comcast) SUCKS, and that's the only one available in my area of Tucson. All the reviews for Tucson Comcast are awful. And they try to get newbies like me to buy the biggest package (i.e., 20 Mbps) by telling me I need it to stream movies and such from the net.And for the record: the appropriate ranking of cool modes of transportation is jet pack, hover board, transporter, Batmobile, and THEN giant ant. D.S. #8.8 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 8 #7 June 4, 2011 Quote Wow, thanks for the help guys!...Apparently the cable provider (Comcast) SUCKS, and that's the only one available in my area of Tucson. All the reviews for Tucson Comcast are awful. And they try to get newbies like me to buy the biggest package (i.e., 20 Mbps) by telling me I need it to stream movies and such from the net. I have Brighthouse, which is running the roadrunner network here, I BELIEVE that is the same backbone that Comcast uses. The customer support sucks, and I HATE calling tech support... lucky for me I am a tech and can fix 99% of the issues myself If I have ONE more tech tell me to make sure my cable is plugged in when it's obviously their DNS servers, I will lose my mind. Same with 'restart your computer and try again' tried that first asshole..."I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890 I'm an asshole, and I approve this message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
