Google ranks ISPs and pledges to name and shame the worst in YouTube video row

[Scubbie]

Google ranks ISPs and pledges to name and shame the worst in YouTube video row | Mail Online

How fast is YOUR internet connection? Google ranks ISPs and pledges to name and shame the worst in YouTube video row

• Google rates the Internet service providers based on how quickly billions of hours of YouTube videos watched every month load over 30 days
• Link to the website appears when videos on Google's streaming service, YouTube, are slow to buffer
• Netflix also ranks ISPs for customers

Google is rating Internet service providers' video streaming quality on a new website, the latest development in the fight between broadband providers and content companies over who is to blame for slow streaming speeds.

A link to the website appears when videos on Google's streaming service, YouTube, are slow to buffer.

The website quietly launched in May, but recently drew growing publicity.


Google shows users how their ISP is doing - and which one can offer faster speeds

'There are many factors that influence your video streaming quality, including your choice of Internet Service Provider (ISP). Learn how your ISP performs and understand your options,' the website reads.

Google rates the Internet service providers based on how quickly billions of hours of YouTube videos watched every month load over 30 days and divides those results by provider and location to determine the quality of performance viewers get 90 percent of the time, the company said.

The website is intended to inform customers who want to view video in high-definition how best to do it, Matt McLernon, a YouTube spokesman said.

'We are just basically providing information, not trying to tell people to change their behavior or do anything different,' said McLernon.

Customers can compare the performance of various Internet service providers in their area through the website.

Google is not the first content company to send messages directly to consumers about their Internet service providers.

In June, Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) sent its customers messages that Verizon Inc (VZ.N) and other Internet providers were to blame for slow speeds.

Last month, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission announced it would investigate agreements between Internet service providers and content companies to determine whether they are causing slow speeds.

WHAT IS NET NEUTRALITY?

Under the plans for priority usage, Netflix and other video providers would pay extra to use fast lanes to get the maximum amount of bandwith to its customers, and maintain and improve streaming quality and reliability.

This is being heavily criticised by net neutrality campaigners.

At the heart of net neutrality is an open internet in which all data being sent from websites to customers is treated the same, regardless of size or destination.

All this traffic is given the same priority along the same lanes and no site is given preferential treatment.

Although it seems like a fair model, in which sites that use the most bandwith pay the most money, campaigners claim it will drastically impact on industry competition.

For example, Netflix has the money to pay for better service, using the fast lanes, while smaller companies don't.

This means smaller companies may have the same range of content, but because they can't stream at the same quality, they are effectively priced out of the market.

To address these claims, the new rules include a 'competition test'.

ISPs would need to decide if a website meets the critieria to be given priority access and that this bar must be set high enough to protect competition.

Netflix has been calling on the FCC to do away with fees content companies pay to Internet service providers for smooth delivery of their services to consumers.

The FCC is expected to consider that idea as it seeks public comment on recently proposed Internet traffic, or 'net neutrality,' rules that suggest content companies should be allowed to strike 'commercially reasonable' deals with broadband providers to give priority to their traffic.

Why not test your connection?

http://www.google.co.uk/get/videoqualityreport/

It appears that you need to right click a video on YouTube to get a link to the test. The link wasn't available on my own connection.

Please feel free to post your results.

[dnpark38]

I failed to understand how to get it to work, it's not user friendly.

[Scubbie]

Although this was taken from the UK press, I am thinking that it hasn't been rolled out to the UK yet.

The example is for New York and I couldn't test it myself. Sorry for the false alarm, but it is something to watch out for. Quite a few members have complained about YouTube buffering in the recent past.

[gymno]

It would be good to know when it does get up & running properly Scubbie.

What i'm seeing at the moment under 'your results' is:

Resuls from your location are not yet available.
Please check back soon.

Despite the odd post by fibre customers noting problems with youtube, personally i've never had an issue streaming anything from there.

I should point out that that's using a ps3 browser in conjunction with this add-on:
The PlayStation 3 Bookmarklet (Home)
Well not an add-on as such, but ps3 browser users will know what i mean.

Can't believe i've never mentioned the playstation bookmarklet on the forum before.
It offers streaming* & downloading in upto 1080p as well as all the usual desktop features one would expect, such as posting comments etc.


*1080p was disabled at some point, due to ps3 browser limitations.
*720p was disabled after some time, possibly due to a more recent ps3 firmware update which reallocated some RAM elsewhere.
*Quality options for downloading are unaffected.

Prior to the aforementioned limitations, i was happily streaming at 720p on my ps3 with an ADSL throughput speed of approximately 18Mb down &1Mb up.
I continue to stream 480p from youtube with 19Mb down & 0.9Mb up using ps3 bookmarklet & have never experienced buffering or any other kind of problem.

[Scubbie]

All I can do for the present time is to ask for everyone to watch for the update and to post on the forum when it is available.

I shall do likewise of course, but it is useful to have many other eyes watching for it too.