Netflix Questions

[Cathart]

I have a new iPad, and the Netflix App. I also live in Mexico, so in order to use Netflix, I need to use a VPN client, so that Netflix thinks that I am in the United States. The movies play fine on my iPad, but when I use the HDMI adapter, and transfer them to my TV, they are completely pixelated, and unwatchable! Why? Also, my TV's are all 720, not 1080, so my other question is: does it matter whether I play movies from my Macbook Pro or my new iPad (retina display)? IE, will they look better coming from the iPad?

 

[AQ_OC]

I don't see why it should matter which you use. The iPad can drive a TV just fine.

 

[Midranger4]

I have a new iPad, and the Netflix App. I also live in Mexico, so in order to use Netflix, I need to use a VPN client, so that Netflix thinks that I am in the United States. The movies play fine on my iPad, but when I use the HDMI adapter, and transfer them to my TV, they are completely pixelated, and unwatchable! Why? Also, my TV's are all 720, not 1080, so my other question is: does it matter whether I play movies from my Macbook Pro or my new iPad (retina display)? IE, will they look better coming from the iPad?

Interesting....

The iPad has the retina display, not a noticeable difference over MacBook Pro. Regardless however if you are receiving a high definition stream on the iPad but your TV is unable to support that resolution you are out of luck I think.

See link below

http://experts.windows.com/frms/windows_entertainment_and_connected_home/f/87/p/60099/280870.aspx

 

[Midranger4]

Is there a setting in Netflix to stream 720 to the iPad despite its higher ability?

 

[AQ_OC]

The better question is will Netflix even stream 1080p. That is not at all a given. Also, the retina display on an iPad is a huge difference from a MacBook Pro, but it won't output anything better to a TV, since no TV will support the better from the iPad. But the question that matters is what is the iPad outputting. I believe it will not attempt to output 1080p to a 720 p TV. HDMI is smart that way. The TV will tell the iPad it can only take 720p.

I don't think the pixelation problem is resolution related. Note that some apps won't let you output to an external screen. The HBO app is bad this way. You can view it on the iPad but you can't view it on a TV. I've never tried to output Netflix to a TV from my iPad because I have at least a zillion ways to watch netflix. But I can try it real quick and report back.

Edit: The Netflix app worked fine on my TV...but it is 1080p. The TV claimed it was getting a 1080/60p signal from the iPad.

 

[Cathart]

I watched a movie last week and it was not pixelated, but now it is! If I replay the same movie I watched last week that was not pixelated from Netflix, it is now--what happened?

 

[AQ_OC]

I watched a movie last week and it was not pixelated, but now it is! If I replay the same movie I watched last week that was not pixelated from Netflix, it is now--what happened?

Ah.....that is very important info. So, you watched this movie using your iPad via the HDMI cable, right? And can you describe what you mean by pixelated? Can you post a picture of it?

 

[Midranger4]

This is new info and eliminates resolution support as the problem.

If the same movie played previously and now is pixelated or otherwise degraded in picture quality I would lean towards strength of connection between the iPad and the wireless network you are on when trying to watch the movie.

Is it the same network you used previously? Did you use it at a time where load may be excessive throughout the house causing you to suffer performance loss on your wireless connection ? Are you physically the same distance from the wireless router as when it played without issue.

You know better than us so search your mind and communicate every difference in environment between the time it played fine and now.

A good test, albeit inconvenient is to try during off peak hours like early morning hours or after midnight hours and see if playback quality improves.

 

[AQ_OC]

Yeah, if Netflix detects a slow connection it will lower the bit-rate until it finds a happy place to let you stream. I was 10ft from my router when I did my testing last night and what I got looked great. Of course, outside weather can impact streaming speeds too. That's how it goes with the internet.

 

[welly8811]

Sounds strange but the best solution is buy apple tv if you can and use www.unblockus.com to configure your router to a smart DNS , it's really cool actually if you want to watch Netflix it defaults to american Netflix however if you want to watch anything from a different country it also let's you without having to configure anything and because the settings are in your router it works on all devices without having to configure all of them

 

[Cathart]

I have tried all (except Welly's) of the above suggestions, to no avail. As I said, Netflix ran just fine from the iPad to the TV last week with no degradation in picture quality at all. When I run it now, it looks fine on the iPad, but not on the TV, and it doesn't matter when I try to connect--night or day. Also I am connecting to the same TV as I did last week, and it is not far from the router.

 

[Midranger4]

I have tried all (except Welly's) of the above suggestions, to no avail. As I said, Netflix ran just fine from the iPad to the TV last week with no degradation in picture quality at all. When I run it now, it looks fine on the iPad, but not on the TV, and it doesn't matter when I try to connect--night or day. Also I am connecting to the same TV as I did last week, and it is not far from the router.

I wish I could suggest something else but I'm at a loss. I still lean towards network performance as the underlying culprit.

Enter the following into a google search and you will find many others with similar problems :

iPad+Netflix+direct connect+TV+pixelated

Good luck and please let us know if and how you ultimately resolve the issue.

 

[AQ_OC]

Did you try another cable? What does pixelated mean?

 

[Midranger4]

Did you try another cable? What does pixelated mean?

I believe he means tiling. When a 720 or 1080 stream has a weak signal these images don't get snowy...they tile

 

[AQ_OC]

I believe he means tiling. When a 720 or 1080 stream has a weak signal these images don't get snowy...they tile

But it should not be a weak signal problem as he is claiming it looks fine on the iPad. He needs to state clearly what he is seeing rather then depending on others to figure it out.