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FOR THOSE OF you regularly watching Netflix through your laptop, you will have known that the type of speeds you have can affect image quality, but where you’re watching a show and your settings can play a part in image quality.
One of the easiest changes you can make with your settings is data usage. It recommends that if you want to stream in HD, you should have an internet connection that is 5Mb/s or faster.
It’s still possible to watch HD with slower speeds but you’ll have to wait for it to load up properly. In the meantime, it will play the show or movie in lower quality so you’re not waiting around (but you’re probably better off giving it a minute or two to load up before you watch it).
If you want to stream 4K or Ultra HD quality shows, you will need a 25MB/s or faster connection.
Even so, you can adjust the streaming quality so you’re getting the best quality possible. By going into Your Account > Playback Settings, you can change the data usage per screen setting from auto (which takes into account your speeds and data usage) to low, medium or high. It can take up to eight hours for these settings to take effect.
The same thing can be done on the mobile app when you go into App Settings, except that deals with mobile data.
If you’re streaming with anything other than high (or Auto if you have a fast connection), you’re not going to get HD quality from Netflix.
What you’re watching it on
Another thing to take into consideration is where you’re watching Netflix. That may sound trival but it’s worth keeping in mind. Chances are you might not know that each device has a max resolution they can stream in.
480p - Playstation Vita, iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, 3DS, Roku 1 (without HDMI), Wii.
720p - Chrome, Firefox, Opera.
1080p - Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Roku, Chromecast, Ps3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U.
If you think about it, these resolutions make sense. For the majority of 480p modes, you’re watching them on a small screen so you wouldn’t notice higher resolution. If you’re watching on an older device like a Wii, you’re better off changing.
On a browser, the same thing applies. If you’re watching a show like House of Cards on your laptop, then the difference between 720p and 1080p isn’t going to be particularly noticeable.
But if you decide to hook up your laptop to a larger screen like a HDTV, then you will notice the difference. The bigger the screen, the bigger role screen resolution plays.
If you’re watching on a TV and you’re not getting the right quality, then it could be down to a few things. The data modes listed above affect all devices (not just your laptop) while your internet speeds play a significant impact, but another potential reason could be the type of plan you’re on.
The usual plan is two screens + HD, but there are two other plans. A standard definition one where you only have one screen available, and a HD and Ultra HD plan which lets you watch on four screens at the same time. It’s no harm in checking to see if you’re on the right plan or not.
If none of that works, then it might be worth looking at your internet service provider (ISP) to see if something is the issue. Considering that it’s an issue that’s cropped up before, it mightn’t be a bad idea to check.
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Any ransomware I’ve ever seen if it corrupts your files they are gone for good pay or not
It doesn’t corrupt files. It encrypts them. There have been cases where people/companies do pay the ransom and do get their files unencrypted. However it’s a big risk as there is no guarantee and it just encourages these people to keep doing what they are doing
Yes, but easily defeated by taking regular backups. You may loose some data but the majority will be safe and it’s something people should be doing anyway.
Yep that is the best defense.
Backups are only useful if they are made to something that is NOT connected at the time of encryption … otherwise your backup gets encrypted too! :(
Back up your most important data externally.
It is the safest way and the least troublesome way.
Stick with using a good cloud service which gives centralised file distrbution as well as backup.
Dropbox for example will not synchronise with an encrypted file due to lack of rights.
Also, all files can be returned to a previous version if the worst were to happen.
That’s not true David. Once your local hard drive is encrypted, which includes your dropbox files, they wull be uploaded to dropbox.
You will then need to download them all from dropbox or any file sync service from a backup.
Reuben, Try it. Encrypt a file inside a DB folder and watch the process be refused access. It is a constant problem for me when users place encrypted files they have received from external sources into server based DB folders. The DB process will not upload them because of no rights. We then can never get the status ‘Up to Date’.
Poor Mac users – first they’re douchebags, and now this!?
No harm to you Alex, but I hope you update your anti-virus software more often that your insults. Douchebag is so last year.
However, if you are still in your pre-pubescent years and spend your days watching iCarly, then all is forgiven.
Forgot to mention, sent from my iPhone, so I guess I’m a douchebag, which is sooooo Rad!
Bit sad seeing grown adults doing the “My gang is better than your gang” stance over a computer.
VHS will beat Betamax!!
Wtf is iCarly
An iPhone is not a Mac, John. You’re confused.
FRB, no fooling you, eh? I thought the hatred was for anything Apple, not just Macs….only Windows-based stuff is “proper” computery kit.
Way to spot a joke, guys.
I wonder if you can restore your computer to an earlier time or if you’re prevented from doing that as well. I doubt you’d be able to do it the regular way, but booting from a recovery disk you might be able to. I better start backing up my files more often either way
Create a single backup and then do incremental backups when you make changes that you want to keep (or schedule em)
Google Apple Machine – it’s on every Mac for a good few years now. If your disc dies or gets encrypted by malware, you can restore everything.
Which operating system are you looking to recover…??
@Fake Avast: Time Machine works locally, to a USB disc on your LAN, or connected directly to your Mac, so no internet need for daily backups. Restoring the whole system involves downloading the system again from Apple, so you would need good internet for a few hours – if the worst happened, you could bring your Mac and backup disc to a mate’s house to reload…
As long as you’re regularly running time machine backups, then if the worst happens you can boot and restore from a time machine backup. By default though this shouldn’t affect many Mac users as the “security & privacy” settings in “system preferences” are set to allow only apps from the “Mac AppStore” and not “anywhere”. So unless you’ve changed this setting you should be ok. If you have, then ebb on the side of caution and common sense when being prompted to download software from an untrustworthy source.
So in short as long as I don’t install pirate software on my MAC I’m still OK!
I think it’s all starting to go pear shaped for Apple. A brutal start to the new year.
Yes Eugene, one of the most profitable companies in the world is going to go pear shaped because of what exactly? I don’t think so.
have your say