DSL is too slow for streaming HD movies.

[nemesis]

My tv screen has begun "blinking", going black (w/uninterrupted audio) for about one second.

My son suggests I get cable. Currently I have Windstream internet and phone hard line.

What do you use?

I'm in Broken Arrow.

 

[pow]

DSL comes in all shapes and sizes. For example, I have a package that provides 24 down and 3 up. While this is not as fast as I could get with cable internet, speed is not everything to me.

Does your provider offer a Tier'd service level? If so where are you on the tier? If avalible cable would like provide you with a faster connection.

 

[Joeh]

I'm in BA and short of windstream, you probably don't have many more options.

Depending on your location, AT&T u-verse is another DSL based connection.

Verizon FiOS, at least to my knowledge, isn't here yet. Neither is google fiber.

Cox Communications was all that I have available for a hard line connection in my neighborhood. Thankfully, I did get a decent deal there. They generally run new-customer promotions that are semi-affordable.

 

[SoonerP226]

I use AT&T DSL (as if I had an option other than "none") in a rural part of Norman, and I've streamed Netflix via my Blu-ray player with no problems. My brother uses a cable company for his ISP in eastern Tulsa (east of Garnett and north of 41st) with no problems; I don't know who his provider is, but I think it's the same company he used when he lived in BA.

 

[SoonerP226]

Verizon FiOS, at least to my knowledge, isn't here yet.

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it; last year (or was it 2011?), Verizon said they're no longer rolling out FiOS. You have a better chance of getting Google fiber...

 

[mikeyinokc]

See if your provider has higher speeds (with a fee of course). We have ATT DSL....at 5.16 down and .62 up they say that is the fastest they offer in my location. We stream Amazon, and Netflix, using a Roku box....Never had any problems streaming HD yet.

 

[B96brig4CC]

If you are streaming from HULU PLUS, Netflix, or the likes, you might try changing the picture from 1080HD to an SD picture. I am too cheap to upgrade my internet and found that this kept it from lagging. HULU has a bar at the bottom of the screen where you can change the stream setting to 3 or 4 different options 1080HD 740HD 420SD and I think one other.

 

[Droberts]

sounds like you could greatly benefit from some QoS configuration on your home router. if you're interested in taking steps toward that direction send me a pm & we can go from there.

i live out in the woods & make due with a 3.0Mbps advertised (2.6Mbps actual) dsl line. the wife streams netflix in the living room using a Roku on the tv while i game & stream additional netflix on a pc in my office. perfect performance all around on a trickle of bandwidth from my provider. if left unrestrained movie streaming services will attempt to reach the maximum quality available from the bandwidth available, regardless of whether or not the uplink is already congested or not.

QoS(quality of service) settings within a router can manipulate traffic based on their source, mac address, application type, destination, on and on and on.

i have all traffic destined for netflix's subnets rate limited to 1Mbps and all traffic for my applications(games) given maximum forwarding priority. this means that with two consistently streaming netflix devices i will never reach the point where my uplink is congested & packets will rarely, if ever, be dropped. this results in flawless streaming at an acceptable level of visual quality. that is much better than allowing the streaming apps to be unrestricted; flooding the line & loosing your connection to your streaming source from high rates of packet loss while effectively killing all other forms of internet access in the house(games, web browsing).
no matter how congested my uplink gets packets from my applications are immediately bumped to the front of the forwarding que & never has to face being dropped due to the forwarding buffer being full & in an overflow state.

long story short - you can achieve very good streaming performance with very low amounts of bandwidth.

being an experienced network engineer has its perks, i can help if you're willing to spend the time diagnosing & making config changes.

 

[Renegadethreads]

Windstream DSL streams great for me in BA

 

[Droberts]

If you are streaming from HULU PLUS, Netflix, or the likes, you might try changing the picture from 1080HD to an SD picture. I am too cheap to upgrade my internet and found that this kept it from lagging. HULU has a bar at the bottom of the screen where you can change the stream setting to 3 or 4 different options 1080HD 740HD 420SD and I think one other.

L337 KREW says hi