[jrref]

Originally Posted by biker1

If you call Quantum they may very well offer the lower rate. They can provide any level of service they want, including asymmetric bandwidths. I suspect the reason most people pay for more bandwidth is because they no idea what they need and assume more is better (it isn't better, it is just unused capability). In reality, 50 megabits per second is more than enough for the majority of people. If I could downgrade from 200 megabits per second to 50 megabits per second for $5 less per month I would. Those who actually need more probably know. The vast majority of people have no clue that 1080p video streaming only consumes about 5 megabits per second. ISPs love to upsell. Their "guides" on their websites to help you decide are fundamentally dishonest.

Your comment reminded me of a time back in 2004 when Verizon FiOS was being deployed in NY, their "fastest" speed was 20Mbs and it worked just fine LOL. But then Netflix started streaming 4K High definition content that uses anywhere from 15-20Mbs per stream, and with a home with teenagers, 20Mbs was not going to "do it" anymore so they started offering faster speeds.

Working for Verizon and understanding how these ISPs work, they offer what the market will bear and what they need to offer to keep up with the competition.

What you are saying is basically true for people living here in the Villages and I would think everyone wanting basic internet for the cheapest price get the Xfinity Now, 100Mbs for $30/month. I don't believe you can get anything cheaper and slower than that in our area. The only other thing you can do if you have unlimited cell data is open a "hot spot" with your phone and use that. Then you are not paying for any internet service. I hear the cell phone service from the cable companies offer unlimited data so you should be able to do this.

[biker1]

If that meets their requirements then they should go with that. BTW, there is very little 2160p material available. Even if you do find some, if you are sitting 12" from your TV then it doesn't matter. Again, people should avoid paying for bandwidth they won't use.

Originally Posted by jrref

Your comment reminded me of a time back in 2004 when Verizon FiOS was being deployed in NY, their "fastest" speed was 20Mbs and it worked just fine LOL. But then Netflix started streaming 4K High definition content that uses anywhere from 15-20Mbs per stream, and with a home with teenagers, 20Mbs was not going to "do it" anymore so they started offering faster speeds.

Working for Verizon and understanding how these ISPs work, they offer what the market will bear and what they need to offer to keep up with the competition.

What you are saying is basically true for people living here in the Villages and I would think everyone wanting basic internet for the cheapest price get the Xfinity Now, 100Mbs for $30/month. I don't believe you can get anything cheaper and slower than that in our area. The only other thing you can do if you have unlimited cell data is open a "hot spot" with your phone and use that. Then you are not paying for any internet service. I hear the cell phone service from the cable companies offer unlimited data so you should be able to do this.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by biker1

If that meets their requirements then they should go with that. BTW, there is very little 2160p material available. Even if you do find some, if you are sitting 12" from your TV then it doesn't matter. Again, people should avoid paying for bandwidth they won't use.

There might be more 2160 content than you think but it really doesn’t matter if the lowest speed you can find is 100Mbps. (Can’t comment on the 12” - hard to see anything that close)

[jrref]

Originally Posted by biker1

If that meets their requirements then they should go with that. BTW, there is very little 2160p material available. Even if you do find some, if you are sitting 12" from your TV then it doesn't matter. Again, people should avoid paying for bandwidth they won't use.

If you mean there is very little broadcast or YouTube TV type 4K content that's correct but if you are streaming from Netflix for example, almost everything is 4K, HDR or Dolby Vision, but you need to get the more expensive subscription to get it. Paramont, Disney, Amazon, and YouTube have a fair amount of 4K content.From my measurements watching Netflix 4K content my data rate is 15-20 Mbs depending on the content.


You need to sit the following max distances from your TV to see 4K:
55 inch TV, 7.3 feet
65 inch TV, 8 feet
75 inch TV, 9.4 feet
77 inch TV, 10 feet

I have a 2600 ft Ivy home here in the Villages and I sit about 9ft from my 77 inch Sony TV in the living room. Most Villagers who I know have a 75 inch or larger Samsung hanging on their wall in the living room with a couch about 8 feet away.

If you have a smaller TV or an old Zenith B&W TV then 4K content isn't going to make a significant visual difference.

Another interesting observation I've seen is people replace their TV with a new 4K HDR or Dolby Vision capable TV from Costco or Best Buy and stil use their entry level Netflix account which only displays 1080p content like the maximum resolution of your cable box. When I see this I often play some 4K content from YouTube to show them the difference. I also noticed when you connect a newer 4K capable TV to your old Netflix account, Netflix will throw up an advertisement showing the difference with a split screen and ask you if you want to upgrade your account. Some people upgrade right away and some don't.

But now we are moving off topic with this discussion.

[biker1]

My bad, feet, not inches (but you probably knew that). I had initially tried the Netflix 2160p service but cancelled when I couldn't see any difference.

Originally Posted by Bill14564

There might be more 2160 content than you think but it really doesn’t matter if the lowest speed you can find is 100Mbps. (Can’t comment on the 12” - hard to see anything that close)

[biker1]

Yes, those tables are all over the internet. I don't know anyone who sits 8 feet from their TV. They must have tiny rooms. I tried the Netflix 2160p service and then cancelled when I couldn't see any difference (and I have excellent vision). Yes, you did get the 2160p bandwidth correct - it is 15-20 megabits per second as I measured with my router. Which is why suggesting that people get 500 megabits per second bandwidth ISP service is absurd. It would be one thing if you are moving around large tarballs like I used to do but most people aren't doing that.

Originally Posted by jrref

If you mean there is very little broadcast or YouTube TV type 4K content that's correct but if you are streaming from Netflix for example, almost everything is 4K, HDR or Dolby Vision, but you need to get the more expensive subscription to get it. Paramont, Disney, Amazon, and YouTube have a fair amount of 4K content.From my measurements watching Netflix 4K content my data rate is 15-20 Mbs depending on the content.


You need to sit the following max distances from your TV to see 4K:
55 inch TV, 7.3 feet
65 inch TV, 8 feet
75 inch TV, 9.4 feet
77 inch TV, 10 feet

I have a 2600 ft Ivy home here in the Villages and I sit about 9ft from my 77 inch Sony TV in the living room. Most Villagers who I know have a 75 inch or larger Samsung hanging on their wall in the living room with a couch about 8 feet away.

If you have a smaller TV or an old Zenith B&W TV then 4K content isn't going to make a significant visual difference.

Another interesting observation I've seen is people replace their TV with a new 4K HDR or Dolby Vision capable TV from Costco or Best Buy and stil use their entry level Netflix account which only displays 1080p content like the maximum resolution of your cable box. When I see this I often play some 4K content from YouTube to show them the difference. I also noticed when you connect a newer 4K capable TV to your old Netflix account, Netflix will throw up an advertisement showing the difference with a split screen and ask you if you want to upgrade your account. Some people upgrade right away and some don't.

But now we are moving off topic with this discussion.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I have the cheapest Netflix service (with ads), which offers full HD. I have it set to the next-lowest setting. Why? Because 1) I watch Netflix from my computer, not my TV, and I only have a 27" HD screen. 2) My xfinity plan has a 1.2T max before I have to pay extra, and I'm a binge-watcher and we also have a TV that runs several hours a day at HD because beloved spouse loves his golf and movie reruns. I've hit 1T (not gone over but actually hit that) twice in the last year, by watching everything at max def. So I lowered my viewing capacity and now I rarely hit 800gb.

I sit less than 3 feet away from my computer monitor, but I can see it just fine when I step into the middle of the room to dance to YouTube music videos.