You have too much network bandwidth!!

@richardbrand 

On the TCP vs UDP.  

Netflix uses TCP—not UDP—for video streaming because TCP provides reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery, which aligns with Netflix’s strategy of pre-buffering and adaptive bitrate streaming.
🔍 Why Netflix Chooses TCP Over UDP
While UDP is faster and often used for real-time applications like gaming or video conferencing, Netflix’s streaming model prioritizes reliability and quality over low latency. Here’s why TCP is a better fit:
✅ Reliability and Error Correction
•     TCP guarantees delivery of all data packets in the correct order.
•     If a packet is lost or corrupted, TCP retransmits it automatically.
•     This ensures high video quality and prevents glitches or missing frames.
📦 Pre-buffering and Adaptive Streaming
•     Netflix pre-buffers content, meaning it downloads chunks ahead of playback.
•     TCP’s congestion control and flow management help optimize bandwidth and adjust video quality based on network conditions.
•     This reduces buffering and ensures a smoother experience, even on fluctuating connections.
🔐 Security and Monitoring
•     TCP supports HTTPS, which Netflix uses to encrypt and secure video streams.
•     It also allows Netflix to monitor bandwidth and adapt streaming rates dynamically.
🚫 Why Not UDP?
•     UDP is connectionless and doesn’t guarantee delivery or order.

On AppleTV:

📦 TCP  – for Reliable Streaming
Apple TV uses TCP for most of its core streaming and communication functions:
•     Port 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS): For secure streaming from Apple TV+, iTunes, and other services.
•     Port 3689 (TCP): For iTunes Library Sharing.
•     Port 123 (TCP): For time synchronization with Apple’s time servers.
•     Port 7000 (TCP): For AirPlay streaming data (especially screen mirroring).
•     Ports 5000–5001 (TCP): AirPlay control channels.
TCP ensures reliable, ordered delivery of video and metadata, which is critical for high-quality streaming and DRM-protected content.

📡 UDP (User Datagram Protocol) – for Discovery and Low-Latency Tasks
Apple TV also uses UDP for tasks that benefit from speed over reliability:
•     Port 5353 (UDP): For Bonjour/mDNS service discovery (e.g., finding AirPlay devices).
•     Port 123 (UDP): For NTP (Network Time Protocol) sync.
•     Port 554 (UDP/TCP): For RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol), used in some AirPlay scenarios.

Like I said, most technical people believe UDP is what is being used by netflix and apple, but it’s actually TCP.

erik,

great timing,

tomrk,

thanks for the reply. I'm switching service tomorrow, we have 300Mbps now, and I know thats more than enough.

Verizon changed us from hard wired ethernet to Wireless. It is problematic, signal strength and connection issues.

If I can I'm going back to Wired Ethernet, the wires, switch, and router are still in place.

Seems like Xfinity will put most of our recordings on the cloud, anybody have a strong opinion about that? 

@tomrk 

Thanks, that is the clearest explanation I have seen to date of how Netflix dynamically adjusts video compression to adapt to internet congestion.

We are currently watching the Netflix series called, I think, House of Guinness. This appears as almost monochrome, mostly near black, like the eponymous drink, and the sound quality is so bad, we have to have the English subtitles turned on.

A problem I have with most streaming services is that they each need their own "app" and their entire ecosystems are pretty much black boxes.  The black box may, or may not, implement compression when network conditions dictate.  Usually, we just don't get told.

I'd just add that TCP requires every client to send a message back to the server for every packet they have successfully received.  Not an efficient use of the Internet nor server resources and the planet is suffering as a result

@elliottbnewcombjr 

 recordings on the cloud, anybody have a strong opinion about that? 

Historically, the cloud is a graphic we used to depict a network of unknown internal structure.  The Internet fits that description.

The reality is that the Internet is implemented by relatively few big players who have massive data centres right here on earth.  These data centres connect through relatively few communications cables and sometimes satellites to reach Internet Service Providers.  Internet Service Providers are depicted as sitting on the edge of the cloud and are the providers of your individual connections.

Let's rephrase your question.  Would you be happy to place all your personal records (not the vinyl ones) in Microsoft's care?  Would you trust them to respect your privacy?  Would you trust them to back up your information, and be able to restore it after a failure?  It is a lot easier than maintaining your own back-up regime, after all.

Big organisations are just as prone to human error as small one, in my opinion. I use Microsoft's 365 cloud services and have lost virtually all of my emails going back decades.

Same goes for cash these days.  You don't need it until the networks go down.

So your question presents a real dilemma, and I do not think there is any one right answer.

Richard,

I do not use any online for primary or backup data, I don't trust the cloud.

I keep an external 2 TB SSD in the trunk of my car, I back up weekly, from the matching external 2tb SSD in my office with my primary data. I only use the hard drive inside my computer for operating system and programs, and recovery. usb 3.0 is so fast there is no sense it is an external drive when actively working.

Xfinity would store our temporary video recordings on their servers, up to 150 hrs, for $10/mo.

I haven't watched commercials since my 1st VCR was acquired. I purposely tape and watch later or eventually, then DELETE. Donna watches her crap upstairs, I watch my crap downstairs, we get together occasionally

Donna and her twin sister have a Pet/House sitting business, so they are often on someone else's TV. IF she can get the Xfinity APP on their TV, she can sign in and watch her crap there, otherwise she waits until she comes here.

I just tried, Verizon/Google Apps will not let me download Xfinity App. Presumably when using Xfinity TV Box, it will have their streamer built-in, thus no need to download it.