Netflix says it's not throttling video streams

I've gushed repeatedly about Netflix's killer video streaming service, which lets you watch movies from your DVD queue on your PC or TV without having to wait for the postman to drop off a disc.

The system is an unabashed hit, but like most things that get popular, that popularity comes with a little grumbling.

The most vocal complaint in recent weeks has been the allegation that Netflix is throttling video delivery, perhaps giving heavier users a slower experience to keep overall bandwidth consumption down. The accusation isn't immediately out of line: Netflix is legendary for throttling DVD mailings to the heaviest users of its postal plans. The more you watch, the slower your next disc goes out -- and you're less likely to get a rare ("Very Long Wait") disc as your next shipment.

So why wouldn't Netflix do the same thing for onliners?

We're not, says Netflix. And in fact, it adds, we can't.

In a corporate blog post on Friday, Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt explains that Netflix doesn't operate its streaming system the same way it operates its shipping facilities. Netflix relies on third-party Content Delivery Network (CDN) services located around the country, and not its own servers. When the CDN sends you a movie stream, you're dealing directly with them, and the only thing the CDN really knows about you is where you live (so you can get content from the nearest server that has the movie) and what kind of device you're viewing on (Xbox 360 streaming, for example, is encoded at a higher bitrate than PC streaming).

If you're having problems, says Netflix, it's probably due to your ISP. Even the guy down the road with the same Internet provider may have a wildly different experience due to your ISP's routing, so performance can be all over the map. And if your home network is busy with lots of computers, that can be a problem, too. (Also of note: Different movie titles also tend to have different performance characteristics due to the way they're encoded and where they're served from.)

Netflix doesn't suggest that it isn't responsible for any sluggishness on the network, though, and adds that by the end of 2009 it hopes to upgrade its systems to smooth out content delivery to the extent that it can. But, in the end, says the company, it's that last bit of cable that snakes into your house that's probably causing whatever problems you might be having.

Via StreamingMedia.com