Netflix Asked To Switch To SD To Prevent Internet Overload Amid Coronavirus

The European Union has urged Netflix to switch to Standard Definition to prevent internet overload during the coronavirus pandemic.

Across the world, people are working from home and practicing “social distancing” in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. As a result, people are turning to the internet to continue working, keep themselves amused, and remain in touch with loved ones during this pandemic.

Of course, streaming services such as Netflix are being used more frequently as theaters around the world close and some studios opt to release their recent titles on VOD earlier than planned. Now, this seemingly unprecedented surge in internet usage has prompted Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, to ask Netflix to limit its streaming to standard definition only in order to avoid overloading servers of internet suppliers. In a post on Twitter, Breton wrote:

“Important phone conversation with Reed Hasting, CEO of Netflix. To beat COVID-19, we stay at home. Teleworking and streaming help a lot but infrastructures might be in strain. To secure Internet access for all, let’s switch to Standard Definition when HD is not necessary.”

Will you switch to standard definition on your streaming service choice to prevent internet overload? Have you be turning to Netflix amid the coronavirus? Let us know in the comments section below.

The call for Netflix to limit its streaming to the standard definition is just the latest effect the coronavirus has had on the entertainment industry. As previously mentioned, theaters in multiple countries are closing and some studios have decided to make certain titles available for digital rental or purchase early while postponing the theatrical debuts of others.

Stay tuned to the Heroic Hollywood for the latest news on Netflix’s plans and the coronavirus’s impact on the entertainment industry.

Source: Twitter