Netflix Streaming Movie Issue

[Vibe_2007]

Just bought a new laptop to stream movies from my Netflix account to my HDTV via an HDMI cable. The movies do not look great at all. Many of them have these little "pixely" squares you can easily see in the picture. Laptop is powerful enough (GPU is a GeForce GT540M with i3 processor, Windows 7, 4GB of RAM). The laptop has "optimus" which supposedly switches automatically from the Intel HD onboard graphics processor to the Nvidia GPU when needed.

Is there a tip to make them look better via a graphic setting or something with the laptop? My TV is a 42" Panasonic Viera.

 

[tmorris1]

Its probably your internet connection speed. Netflix streaming quality will back down if you speed isn't high enough. What is you internet speed?

 

[Vibe_2007]

My internet speed is only 2 megs download and 1 meg upload. I figured it would still look decent because I figured it would just take longer to buffer, but would still look decent. Darn, might be time to spend the extra 20 bucks and step up my cable internet plan.

 

[eljefino]

Is there a seperate setting for resolution between desktop and HDMI? Maybe try setting the desktop to a native 720p (or 1080) 16:9 resolutioun. It could be resampling and therefore using lots of graphics power on *that*.

I have rr lite at 768k down and netflix looks okay on a 720p 32" TV hooked up with a $25 newegg PCI card with HDMI.

 

[tmorris1]

I am pretty sure that they can throttle the resolution based on your network speed. Most I have seen need 4-6Mbps to get 1080P video.

 

[Slick17601]

Your internet speed is the problem. You need at least a 6 meg connection for HD quality.

 

[97tbird]

yep. Slick is right.

2MB is not gonna cut it. Even my 10 MB connection slows down a lot during peak hrs, and i don't get full HD Netflix when that happens, but otherwise it works very well for HD Netflix streaming...

 

[Vikas]

Does anybody have a cheap set-top box for Netflix streaming? Since my blue-ray player does not have streaming capability, I am thinking of picking up the cheapest streaming capable device. The only requirements are
1) at least 720p
2) wired ethernet
3) wireless G or better
4) Component + digital audio + HDMI
5) easily portable so that it can be moved from one room to other
6) fast reboot

Does Roku fit the need? Which one?

- Vikas

 

[Points]

Get Apple TV. Its only 100 bucks and you can do alot more with it than watch movies.

 

[97tbird]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
Does anybody have a cheap set-top box for Netflix streaming? Since my blue-ray player does not have streaming capability, I am thinking of picking up the cheapest streaming capable device. The only requirements are
1) at least 720p
2) wired ethernet
3) wireless G or better
4) Component + digital audio + HDMI
5) easily portable so that it can be moved from one room to other
6) fast reboot

Does Roku fit the need? Which one?

- Vikas


Looks like Roku XD or XD|S fits your needs:

 

[Vikas]

Any personal experience with Roku XD or XDS or Apple TV? Especially, the ability to move the box from room to room? With my Comcast cable set-top box, it is a pain as once it loses power, it takes quite a while before it can be useful again.

Most of my other requirements cab be confirmed from the product specification but the real usability data only comes from you guys!

 

[Beachboy]

Originally Posted By: Slick17601
Your internet speed is the problem. You need at least a 6 meg connection for HD quality.


Yikes!!! That's going to keep me out of the streaming video lifestyle! My only internet availability is DSL and to get a 6.0 Meg speed would cost $100/month. The internet company says most folks in this town get subscribe to either 384K or 512K. Even with dinosaur-slow 512K internet and basic analog cable TV, my monthly "communications" bill is around $125, which doesn't include cell phone...and is more than my usual monthly electric/water/sewer or natural gas bill. Staying "in the loop" is becoming too expensive!

 

[Rand]

I use a seagate freemedia threatre+

it has no wireless.

and with netflix you have to instant Queue from the computer

cost was 40$ on sale.

it does 1080p flawlessly as long as I have at least 6mb of internet bandwidth available.