I just bought an HD box to have Netflix. Very disappointed with the quality. Artifacts in the dark and choppy image.
IT also seems that I don’t have the 5.1 option for sound. On the other hand, it is impeccable with UPC’s DCB-C.
Strange also, on my Marantz network player, with UPC (Netflix app) the sound format is "incompatible, and it works with Swisscom, PCM stereo…
So I have to choose, good image with sound taken from the headphone jack (!) or good sound with bad image. We can’t stop progress!
I have an answer for you.
I was able to test Netflix on Swisscom TV and I noticed the same thing as you. Jerks.
The problem comes from the fact that swisscom tv 2.0 displays all content in 50hz while Netflix content, mainly US films and series, is in 23.976hz and European content in 25hz.
With European content there will be no problem since the synchronization of the images is done well (25hz x 2 = 50hz) while the US does not give a synchronized image (23.976 × 2 is lower than the 50hz that swisscom tv diffuse).
As long as the Swisscom TV does not allow you to change the refresh rates on the fly like when you watch directly with the application on the Samsung TV, LG, etc., you will have jerks on certain content.
Other boxes also make the change on the fly like the Apple 4k it seems to me.
The Nvidia Shield (I have one) also does this through Kodi or with an app to change refresh rates.
So all we have to do is wait for Swisscom to integrate a refresh rate detection option and adapt the image to the content.
There you go, I hope this can enlighten you.
Never mind refresh rates and other so-called technical issues. I knew black and white TV, the beginning of color, but in 2019 all that is blah-blah. All I see is that I bought an HD box for nothing and that I would have done better to find out beforehand. Swisscom undoubtedly does not want to offer its customers an alternative to its own VOD apps.
And when does Netflix think? Personally, I wanted to subscribe, but this failed. But perhaps once again the Swiss market is not important enough for them to intervene.
Hello everyone and thank you for your contributions.
After analyzing your requests, we were unable to reproduce the cited issue. Currently, no disruptions are announced. @obrad For the moment, Swisscom has not provided an option in this direction.
We are in contact with those responsible for Netflix, if any information on this subject reaches us, we will not fail to communicate it to you here.
Have a nice end of the day everyone,
Hello everyone,
Here is the information we collected from our specialists:
The Netflix signal is retransmitted as provided by Netflix. Swisscom does not make any changes.
As previously informed, we did not encounter any stuttering problems during our tests.
Our specialists would need a more detailed description of the error.
If you wish, please provide us with as much information as possible: TV model, possible connection kit, sound bar, additional equipment used, dates and times, program names.
For those interested in the technical aspect, still according to our specialists, it seems that there is a misunderstanding about the terminology used.
Refresh rate is the TV’s ability to display x frames per second. This value is generally given in Hz.
The frame rate refers to the ability of the player and the content to read frames per second. This value is measured in FPS.
If 60 FPS content is broadcast on a 50 Hz TV, the 10 “extra” frames will not be displayed. The content will thus be adapted to television, i.e. 50 FPS, which remains excellent quality.
Best regards
I am by far an expert in the field but I was able to educate myself well on the subject and I was able to do my own experiments.
To have a smooth image, the Fps must be synchronized with the HZ or be double, triple etc. of the fps.
The Swisscom TV UHD in my case broadcasts the resolution in UHD at 50hz while the Netflix content, for example the series 13 reasons why, is in 23,976 fps, so jerks.
The Dark series is European and is broadcast in 25fps (25×2 = 50) therefore perfect synchronization and no jerks.
And since there is no possibility of changing Hz on Swisscom TV, it is not possible to adapt to the content, therefore jerks on certain films and series.
On TV it’s different. The TV automatically adapts the HZ to the content and the image is smooth.
Yes, this seems reasonable to me and seems confirmed on the various video blogs.
More sensible in any case than the answers from Swisscom which doesn’t even see a problem….
So to simplify: fluid European series,
jerky American series? for the moment I only watch Sons of Anarchy (yes, I know...)So what do you think, because if that’s it everyone is right!
There remains the problem of sound (no 5.1) and resampling of the signal.
I just compared some series and my conclusions.
On the Swisscom TV 2.0 UHD:
23.976fps: Sons of anarchy, 13 reasons why –> jerks
24fps: Dark –> jerks
25fps: The Rain –> no stutters
I was able to know the exact fps of each series thanks to the Nvidia Shield and the application to automatically change the refresh rate.
And I remain to say that the problem comes from the fact that the Swisscom TV is at 50hz and which causes jerks with the series which are not in 25fps.
I haven’t tested the films and series in 29.9fps and 30fps yet.
And I don’t think the problem will be resolved as long as a system for changing the HZ of Swisscom TV is integrated because Netflix is not ready to natively integrate it into its application.
If you want me to test other series or films, let me know.
Thanks, that seems to confirm what you were saying. I still have to test on a European series.
But whatever Swisscom says, which claims to send Netflix directly without artifice, there remains the problem of sound (5.1 absent) and also my initial question which remains unanswered, everyone passing the buck, namely, through the TV (UPC), Panasonic (integrated app), audio output via optical cable to Marantz network player I have the message: incompatible format. And by Swisscom, same config, the sound is displayed in 48Khz PCM.
Our wonderful modern TVs do not have a sound line output, so I am reduced to listening to the sound from headphones. A shame to send to HP B&W!
Hello everyone,
In addition to the information requested above, please also indicate more details on the error encountered, no synchronization between sound and image, pixelated image…
We will gladly collect and forward your feedback to the relevant department. However, we cannot guarantee you results.
Thank you in advance for your contributions.
Good day
It’s a complicated subject and it depends on the series you’re watching.
For Sons Of Anarchy, 5.1 sound is not offered and is recognized by my Marantz network player (which suits me..) but for the others, I have an incompatible format message (not a Swisscom problem)
What remains certain, still for this series, are the jerks during tracking shots and shallow and not uniform blacks, but with other series it is good.
Also complicated are all the settings of modern TVs which almost have to be adapted to each program…
I haven’t advanced the scmilblic much, but I hope to be a little helpful…
Hello everyone
Since I changed to the Box 2.0 expressly for the Netflix app, I am a big consumer by the way, many problems have been corrected.
-The App closes randomly and no way to interact with the sound, which is on full blast after restarting, fortunately my Pioneer amp is there
- The App closes and makes me restart the box…
-LApp closes and crashes the box, I have to restart the box
It’s always nice in the middle of an episode…
-And indeed the jerks during traveling or images which vibrate are part of this.
So if Swisscom can’t come up with an app worthy of the name, then we might as well do nothing, and there’s no point in taking me out, things like
Restart the router
Reset the box
Restarting the router does nothing
Update this application, I NEVER have a problem on Android and Xbox Onex…
Frankly it’s amateurism….
L.
@L@Lukos70 very frankly, I abandoned the Swisscom Netflix application, from the start, when I reported this problem and I cannot or do not want to understand the problem. These types of problems greatly degrade the user experience.
I can only recommend that you use a third-party solution.
Like you, I preferred the Xbox One or Apple TV solution, the result is much better, whether in terms of image quality or techniques.
The problem is not only present on Netflix unfortunately. I have a hard drive plugged into my router and with the VLC application for example it’s the same thing… unbearable micro jerking on films with a lot of traveling…. Swisscom this amateurism is tiring! At least pretend to be worried about the problem and stop with your “reset the box”….