Netflix Is Downgrading Video Quality In Australia To Help Keep Networks From Overloading

As is already the case across Europe, Netflix is downgrading the video quality of movies and TV in Australia as part of an effort to mitigate problems related to internet overload as more people stay home amid concerns around COVID-19.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Netflix will begin compressing the bit rates of content from this evening (24 March) to help the National Broadband Network (NBN) continue to operate normally.

Netflix vice president Ken Florence told SMH that the reduced bit rates will be in place for the next 30 days. "Given the crisis, we've developed a way to reduce Netflix's traffic on the telecommunications network by 25 percent while also maintaining the quality of our service," he said.

Florence downplayed the impact of this move, saying only those who are "particularly tuned into video quality" may notice a "very slight decrease" in quality.

In other news about Netflix and the coronavirus pandemic, the streaming company has created a $100 million fund to help support hourly workers on its various productions now that every Netflix TV show and movie that was in production has now been shut down.