Netflix is a service that we use in our home regularly and have been very happy with. Its quality is generally really good and I think we have about a dozen different devices that support it. As I continue on my quest to cut the cord from cable, Netflix has been at the front and center of my strategy. Netflix has now published on their tech blog their findings on how the different ISPs perform in delivering sustained video. Check it out at http://techblog.netflix.com/2011/01/...-networks.html
I can't tell you how happy I am to hear today that Time Warner is bring DOCSIS 3.0 50mbps wideband internet service to the NC Triangle area... specifically, Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Wilson. I don't expect that it will be cheap, but the current cap on upstream with Time Warner her is 384kbps for regular, and 500kbps for Turbo. I have no complaints about the downstream speeds as I usually get about 16-17mbps with turbo, but 0.5mbps upstream is ridiculous. I have a couple of VoIP lines and an AT&T microcell, and together with gaming, streaming, and regular internet work... its lacking. Plus, if I have to load files to the web server, it takes FOREVER. The problem is that there isn't much competition around her for Time Warner. I can get AT&T DSL, but I live in the country and so the max speed I can get from them is worse than Time Warner. I'm sure the new service won't be cheap. Currently, without any bundles, Time Warner charges $57.95 for regular Roadrunner - 7mbps down and 384kpbs up. I think actual downstream for that service hits more around 10mbps. And for an extra $10 per month, you can get Turbo which bumps it to 10mbps down and 512kbps up. I have this service and regularly get 16-17mbps down which is plenty fast for me. I have, however, had problems with it timing out doing large ftp transfers of many files and haven't had time to diagnose the problem, It is definitely the ISP causing it because I've tried directly attached to the cable modem and it still fails. The rumored pricing for the new service is $82 per month for 30mpbs down and 5mpbs up, or $100/month for 50mpbs down and 5mpbs up. I'm not sure what the hang up is with them capping upstream speeds. I don't know if they are afraid people will run servers from their house, or what??? The big question is whether they will raise the upstream cap on existing plans when they bring DOCSIS 3.0 to town. I may be able to stay with my current plan if they upped it 1mpbs upstream. But I will probably end up going with the 30mbps plan for $15 per month more. It will give me a 10x upstream speed improvement and a 2x downstream improvement. That should make my VoiP troubles a thing of the past! Speeds here are 7MB down, 384k up for the $57.95 standard rate, and turbo is 10MB/512k for $9.95 extra. Having digital cable gets you a $10 discount. Something has to pay for TWC's swanky new building that opened last year. I hope that Charlotte's upgrade to 10MB down/1MB up comes with this announcement. 30/5 for $82 is a good deal but certainly no bargain. The bandwidth doesn't allow you to use this speed anyway - always congested.
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