Stream quality netflix vs prime vs...

EdwardTeach · 16 Jul 2021 at 21:16

Like many of you we have ended up subscribing to practically everything. We have netflix, prime, Disney,
And now TV (via bt).

We do not have the 4k add on for netflix. I tried it out and thought it looked decent, but I wasn't massively interested in the shoes they have in 4k, so I dropped it.

What I want to know, is when a show or film is available via several of these services, will the stream quality noticeably be any different?

For example we are going to watch Zodiac this evening which is on prime and netflix. Will the quality be the same on both?

I have tended to opt for prime when given the choice, because I figured the is a change it will be in 4k as they don't charge extra for it. But I presume this is not normally the case? Unlike with Disney and netflix, prime doesn't seem to highlight its 4k content.

While we are here.... We also have now TV and sky cinema through a bt 4k box. I pay for bt's HD add on which I think covers now TV. How should the quality of now TV compare to netflix, prime etc?

theone8181 · 17 Jul 2021 at 07:28

I've got netflix, Disney, prime and proper sky. In all honesty I don't see a difference between them although theres not always the same content so hard to do a like for like comparison.

kinetic747 · 17 Jul 2021 at 09:35

I think it depends on the TV to some extent. I have a LG Oled as our main TV, and the difference is night and day when something is showing in Dolby Vision on Netflix for example. Anything on Prime in UHD is also a big step up in picture quality so I always look for UHD content when available. To me the difference is worth paying for on Netflix to get the most out of the TV. If two shows were available on Netflix and Prime, I'd choose Netflix as I find the app far less clunky.

EdwardTeach · 17 Jul 2021 at 09:39

kinetic747 said:
I think it depends on the TV to some extent. I have a LG Oled as our main TV, and the difference is night and day when something is showing in Dolby Vision on Netflix for example. Anything on Prime in UHD is also a big step up in picture quality so I always look for UHD content when available. To me the difference is worth paying for on Netflix to get the most out of the TV.

We have an LG oled as well, cx55, very nice TV!
On prime how can you tell when content is uhd, and is it possible to filter for it?

kinetic747 · 17 Jul 2021 at 10:13

EdwardTeach said:
We have an LG oled as well, cx55, very nice TV!
On prime how can you tell when content is uhd, and is it possible to filter for it?

There's no filter as far as I'm aware, so I usually perform a search and then if it's available in UHD, it'll show you. They need to learn from Netflix and recognise the TV's capabilities. This isn't bang up to date but here's a list of what's available in UHD on both Netflix and Prime.
https://www.trustedreviews.com/how-to/find-netflix-amazon-hdr-content-2942413

EdwardTeach · 17 Jul 2021 at 10:52

kinetic747 said:
There's no filter as far as I'm aware, so I usually perform a search and then if it's available in UHD, it'll show you. They need to learn from Netflix and recognise the TV's capabilities. This isn't bang up to date but here's a list of what's available in UHD on both Netflix and Prime.
https://www.trustedreviews.com/how-to/find-netflix-amazon-hdr-content-2942413

Thanks

XeNoN89 · 17 Jul 2021 at 10:56

I have a LGCX and Netflix, Prime and Disney. Disney and Netflix have a slight advantage as they have dolby vision which seems to make a big difference to the HDR on Amazon. Also I feel like Amazon 4K is lower bitrate and has more artifacts

nands · 17 Jul 2021 at 11:01

Amazon is very annoying, as said above, as it does not default to the best possible output. You have to find the UHD which is a very thin black stripe with UHD on under the blue/white Prime stripe on the top left corner of the picture.

EdwardTeach · 17 Jul 2021 at 11:52

nands said:
Amazon is very annoying, as said above, as it does not default to the best possible output. You have to find the UHD which is a very thin black stripe with UHD on under the blue/white Prime stripe on the top left corner of the picture.

I'm fairly sure prime defaults to 4k for me? I just tried playing bosch s7, and after it launched the hdr logo flanged up (top right).
I couldn't see any means of manually
changing the output.

This is on a LG cx55

theone8181 · 17 Jul 2021 at 12:18

EdwardTeach said:
I'm fairly sure prime defaults to 4k for me? I just tried playing bosch s7, and after it launched the hdr logo flanged up (top right).
I couldn't see any means of manually
changing the output.

This is on a LG cx55

I think ot depends on the program. I think if you click on the HD version of something it won't play that at 4k, but the 4k version may drop down to HD if that makes sense.

Sirrel Squirrel · 17 Jul 2021 at 12:57

In terms of how they process their content and create the streams, Netflix is top dog, closely followed by iTunes and Disney, then Prime, then the likes of BT and Sky.

beachBOYken · 17 Jul 2021 at 13:15

For me Apple tv+ hands down the best quality, although I watch all my subs via ATV4K and the bitrate is also apparently higher if streaming apple content from the device vs tv internal app.

Pawnless Endgame · 17 Jul 2021 at 16:33

I don't have a TV. Just a computer hooked up to a ViewSonic VP2768 @ 2560x1440.

On Disney+ (in a web browser), I have played a few films of films that I already own on blu-rays. I have taken screenshots of both streamed and blu-ray, and the blu-ray version comes out as more crisp. In practice though, you're watching the films at 30 or 60FPS and will be down to what TV you have, for those who own a TV. I don't know what HDR looks like as I've never seen it.

Rroff · 19 Jul 2021 at 04:03

Find the whole thing resolution, UHD/4K and HDR support a pain in the rear and on my Philip 436M6 even when I can get 4K, etc. content most stuff just looks like 480p with compression artefact hell! the state of streaming is a joke really.

NowTV rolling out unskippable ads on the standard plan means that one is getting binned off once my current subscription ends - I could understand it on a free or basic account but using it to try and push people onto the booster plan is a big nope from me, even though I was considering adding the booster plan again to see if the quality was any better yet. The constant having to re-login was doing my head in anyhow.

Netflix boring me with their content as well - bit of a faff but I'll probably just subscribe for 1-2 months of the year instead of leaving it going now as there is the odd show I like. Sadly some of the best produced content doesn't really interest me and much of the rest seems to have been written and/or directed by an empty headed idiot jumping on the SJW or whatever the latest incarnation is bandwagon.

Amazon Prime disappointed with the streaming quality and the mess of trying to get UHD supported but has some stuff that interests me at least and generally not too much messing about though occasional ads but IIRC they are skiable ones for their own shows.

Disney+ quality is OK though not as good as I'd like but at least they have a good spread of content at the moment and some promising shows in the works.