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The technical reason is that Netflix is "cutting corners" for cash. I'm sure someone in the media licensing industry can elaborate on the true price of what you

by aa0 13y ago

The technical reason is that Netflix is "cutting corners" for cash. I'm sure someone in the media licensing industry can elaborate on the true price of what you crave.

pfraze 13y ago
> what you crave Electrolytes? But in all seriousness: are there any numbers we can refer to for the economics of this? It sounds like it could be similar to the issues around royalties paid by music streaming services.
- jfb 13y ago
  What, you're a plant? I was going to say that this looks a lot more like expedience ("hey, we've got this version of Some Terrible Straight To DVD Movie stored in 4:3 SD 8Mb/s MPEG-2, let's send 'em that!") but both examples are a) relatively high profile and b) not 4:3 pan/scan crops. They look to be cropped to 16:9, which is weird, and makes me think that it's happening inside Netflix's video pipeline. Hmm.
  - 616c 13y ago
    Watch and your questions shall be answered. http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Idiocracy/70028899?locale=en-US http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Idiocracy/70028899?locale=...
Osiris 13y ago
How are they cutting corners? The wider aspect ratio would actually use fewer pixel data since about 80-240 vertical pixels (assuming 1920 width) would not be encoded. If anything, those versions would result is slightly lower bandwidth charges than the 16:9 versions.
- jfb 13y ago
  That's not how it works. They'll set a bandwidth target and regardless of the number of macroblocks going in, their encoder will attempt to hit that target; having less picture data per frame is largely immaterial, at least at the sizes being discussed.
  - Terretta 13y ago
    Parent is right, it's how it "should" work. Encode for a quality target not a bandwidth target, but with a bandwidth cap (of sorts, generally a virtual buffer average bitrate target to simulate refilling bit buffer at targeted line speeds when depleted by high motion or latency). Source: Built and operate a commercial transcoding cloud for studios. EDIT: Added "should". As jfb noted elsewhere in this thread, often poorly encoded content is shoved down aggregators throats by content owners or third parties in the workflow.
    - jfb 13y ago
      I built the iTunes Store's video ingestion system. We may have crossed paths IRL.
      - Terretta 13y ago
        Small world. Could you drop me a note to my handle at gmail so I can reply?
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
surge 13y ago
I think a Netflix tech sounded off on reddit about this and said that it's not up to them, its up to the distributor they license the content from. They request the 16:9 format, but in the end they have to go with what the distributor gives them and they aren't allowed to alter it. This is a licensing thing, not Netflix interfering. As pointed out, Starz Play was the worse offender, which means Starz gave it to them preformatted. Possibly to make it so if it's pirated, it's not the full format version. If you're such a cinephile, why watch it on Netflix anyway? Just go buy the Bluray and get the full resolution and director's cut. How many of you even cared before reading this article?

by aa0 13y ago

The technical reason is that Netflix is "cutting corners" for cash. I'm sure someone in the media licensing industry can elaborate on the true price of what you crave.

pfraze 13y ago

> what you crave Electrolytes? But in all seriousness: are there any numbers we can refer to for the economics of this? It sounds like it could be similar to the issues around royalties paid by music streaming services.

jfb 13y ago
What, you're a plant? I was going to say that this looks a lot more like expedience ("hey, we've got this version of Some Terrible Straight To DVD Movie stored in 4:3 SD 8Mb/s MPEG-2, let's send 'em that!") but both examples are a) relatively high profile and b) not 4:3 pan/scan crops. They look to be cropped to 16:9, which is weird, and makes me think that it's happening inside Netflix's video pipeline. Hmm.
- 616c 13y ago
  Watch and your questions shall be answered. http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Idiocracy/70028899?locale=en-US http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Idiocracy/70028899?locale=...

Osiris 13y ago

How are they cutting corners? The wider aspect ratio would actually use fewer pixel data since about 80-240 vertical pixels (assuming 1920 width) would not be encoded. If anything, those versions would result is slightly lower bandwidth charges than the 16:9 versions.

jfb 13y ago
That's not how it works. They'll set a bandwidth target and regardless of the number of macroblocks going in, their encoder will attempt to hit that target; having less picture data per frame is largely immaterial, at least at the sizes being discussed.
- Terretta 13y ago
  Parent is right, it's how it "should" work. Encode for a quality target not a bandwidth target, but with a bandwidth cap (of sorts, generally a virtual buffer average bitrate target to simulate refilling bit buffer at targeted line speeds when depleted by high motion or latency). Source: Built and operate a commercial transcoding cloud for studios. EDIT: Added "should". As jfb noted elsewhere in this thread, often poorly encoded content is shoved down aggregators throats by content owners or third parties in the workflow.
  - jfb 13y ago
    I built the iTunes Store's video ingestion system. We may have crossed paths IRL.
    - Terretta 13y ago
      Small world. Could you drop me a note to my handle at gmail so I can reply?
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

surge 13y ago

I think a Netflix tech sounded off on reddit about this and said that it's not up to them, its up to the distributor they license the content from. They request the 16:9 format, but in the end they have to go with what the distributor gives them and they aren't allowed to alter it. This is a licensing thing, not Netflix interfering. As pointed out, Starz Play was the worse offender, which means Starz gave it to them preformatted. Possibly to make it so if it's pirated, it's not the full format version. If you're such a cinephile, why watch it on Netflix anyway? Just go buy the Bluray and get the full resolution and director's cut. How many of you even cared before reading this article?