Re: Binge On! - get your umbrellas out, stuff's hitting the fan.

["Constantine A. Murenin" <mureninc () gmail com>]

This is not a lossless 480p we're talking about, and most Android
phones have been through quite a few generations of having at least
720p, if not 1080p or 1440p, and 5" displays.  I wouldn't at all be so
quick to dismiss that there's no difference.

Also, according to http://www.lighterra.com/papers/videoencodingh264/,
for a high-quality 480p, you're supposed to have a 2.5Mbps link to
accommodate a 1.6Mbps stream; and a few providers already stream at or
above 1.5Mbps for 480p, including BBC at 1500, ESPN at 2000, iTunes at
1500 and Netflix at 1050 or 1750 (1050 results in lower quality 480p).
Being throttled at 1.5Mbps would mean that 480p video from any of
these provides, if forced at 480p, would either result in just enough
stuttering or buffering issues to ruin the experience, or will be
automatically downgraded to 360p (which is still 1400 for ESPN,
meaning, it might even go to 240p).

Moreover, I have a feeling that on HSPA+ their new throttling results
in below 480p resolution, because the network is no longer afforded to
have the bursts to compensate for the occasional variability of the
connection.  (Google Galaxy Nexus is HSPA+ and 720p.)  So much for
480p and the DVD quality.

C.

On 8 January 2016 at 20:25, Mike Hammett <nanog () ics-il net> wrote:
> I'm not certain that most consumers notice or care. How many people can notice 480p vs. 720p vs. 1080p on a 4" 
> display? Now how many will notice the buffering or larger bills?
>
>
>
>
> -----
> Mike Hammett
> Intelligent Computing Solutions
> http://www.ics-il.com
>
>
>
> Midwest Internet Exchange
> http://www.midwest-ix.com
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: "Constantine A. Murenin" <mureninc () gmail com>
> To: "Valdis Kletnieks" <Valdis.Kletnieks () vt edu>
> Cc: "North American Network Operators' Group" <nanog () nanog org>
> Sent: Friday, January 8, 2016 10:07:06 PM
> Subject: Re: Binge On! - get your umbrellas out, stuff's hitting the fan.
>
> On 7 January 2016 at 19:43, Valdis Kletnieks <Valdis.Kletnieks () vt edu> wrote:
> > So we went round and round back in November regarding Binge On! and whether
> > it was net neutrality. So here's some closure to that...
> >
> > The EFF did some testing and discovered that what T-Mobile is actually doing
> > doesn't match what they said it was...
> >
> > https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/01/eff-confirms-t-mobiles-bingeon-optimization-just-throttling-applies
> >
> > Apparently, John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile, doesn't know who the EFF is,
> > or why they're giving him a hard time.
> >
> > "Part B of my answer is, who the fuck are you, anyway, EFF?" Legere said. "Why
> > are you stirring up so much trouble, and who pays you?"
> >
> > http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/7/10733298/john-legere-binge-on-lie
> >
> > /me makes popcorn....
>
> I don't know what people have been smoking, but I'd like to set the
> record straight, once and for all.
>
> T-Mobile US said that ALL video will be affected from day 0!
>
> Here's my comment on
> https://www.reddit.com/r/tmobile/comments/3sbbm5/netflix_hbo_gonow_sling_tv_showtime_hulu_espn_and/cwx16ya
>
> 2015-11-11: «Didn't T-Mobile say that all videos will automatically go
> at 480p from that point on? If so, what's really the point of an extra
> step, you know, of the service explicitly "applying" to participate?»
>
> I've taken the time to find the source material that must have made me
> make such a comment, and, I FOUND IT!
>
> https://newsroom.t-mobile.com/media-kits/un-carrier-x.htm
>
> > Los Angeles, California — November 10, 2015
> ...
>
> > Powered by new technology built in to T-Mobile’s network, Binge On optimizes video for mobile screens, minimizing 
> > data consumption while still delivering DVD or better quality (e.g. 480p or better). That means more reliable 
> > streaming for services that stream free with Binge On, and for almost all other video, it means T-Mobile Simple 
> > Choice customers can watch up to three times more video from their data plan. And, as always, T-Mobile has put 
> > customers in total control with a switch to activate or deactivate Binge On for each line in their My T-Mobile 
> > account. Binge On is all about customer choice.
>
> Here it is again, the relevant bits:
>
> > for almost all other video, it means T-Mobile Simple Choice customers can watch up to three times more video from 
> > their data plan
>
> Those words have certainly been there since at least 2015-11-11!
>
> HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT!
>
> Just like the rest of the increases in ARPU and other metrics.
> Unlimited 4G didn't just have the tethering bucket increased from 7GB
> to 14GB, but the price went from 80$ to 95$, too. (And that doesn't
> include the earlier increase from 70$ to 80$, either.)
>
> Oh, and, to answer EFF's question on why it's enabled by default:
>
> https://youtu.be/MHFUT1_QlB8?t=47s
>
> > > > > Since it's launched in November, we've learned customers were watching 12% more video.
>
> It is not explicit that "12%" refers to a minute-based metric, but
> that's most certainly what was meant.
>
> Now, compare this with the 66,6% savings by throttling all video to
> 1.5Mbps, so that "customers can watch up to three times more video",
> and the net effects of unlimited binge on become quite clear (and
> quite counter-intuitive to a naive guess on the matter).
>
> That said, I have to say I'm disappointed with him going against his
> own consumers this time around. The only truth from his
> https://youtu.be/MHFUT1_QlB8 video is that, indeed, if the Dumb and
> Dumber would have implemented this functionality first, the carriers
> indeed would have found a way to charge extra for it!
>
> Cheers,
> Constantine.SU.