# Does Netflix streaming really work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** netflix\ **Created:** [January 21, 2021, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091 "2021-01-21T13:22:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/21 "2021-01-22T13:52:21Z")
Thanks - obviously I don’t understand the network. I signed up for Netflix through the Dish connection. Is dish simply routing the signal from HughesNet through their box? The only thing that’s dish is the control? It’s just an internet connection? That would definitely explain what is happening and I’ll just drop the service. I thought it was a Dish thing. . ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/22 "2021-01-22T17:00:56Z")
There should be two dishes–one for “cable”, one for internet. And in the plan I use, it is 10 GB/month full speed from 8 AM to 2 AM, 15 GB from 2 AM to 8 AM, and throttled to 1 megabit/sec after that. (That’s an improvement–it used to throttle to 128 kilobits/sec.) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/23 "2021-01-22T17:03:31Z")
Does Netflix allow you to stream content for offline viewing? If so, perhaps you can download overnight to watch during the day. In general, though, satellite internet is not good for streaming stuff. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/24 "2021-01-22T19:02:01Z")
That’s your home internet plan, not your cellphone plan?? ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/25 "2021-01-22T19:06:54Z")
Only on mobile devices, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/26 "2021-01-22T19:10:04Z")
I think, but I’m not positive, that if you use the Windows App for Netflix (rather than just going to the website), you may be able to download for offline viewing. Similarly, on a Chromebook, you can probably download the Android Netflix app and download for offline viewing. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/27 "2021-01-22T19:24:31Z")
I have downloaded Netflix shows on a laptop. I had to first load the “Netflix app”, it wouldn’t do it through a browser. But there is a Netflix app for Windows 10, and once I downloaded that, it worked fine. Netflix has started limiting the number of devices that are allowed to download, based on the netflix plan you select. This must be new, because I had to disconnect about 6 machines from the ability to download before it would let me add one more. I also watch Netflix all the time, and have never seen the problem you describe. I’ve occasionally have it say “this show is currently not available”, but then it let me watch other stuff. And that has been pretty rare. Mostly it just works. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/28 "2021-01-22T19:28:48Z")
That only has happened to me in hotels with bad internet connections. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/29 "2021-01-22T19:37:33Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > That’s your home internet plan Yes. > **[Hughesnet Satellite Internet Review](https://www.reviews.org/internet-service/hughesnet-reviews/)** > > Hughesnet satellite internet service is budget-friendly. Find out how it compares to Viasat (Exede) for price, download speed, and data caps. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/30 "2021-01-22T19:37:37Z")
Also consider what device you’re streaming Netflix to. My house has great internet, and we have zero troubles streaming Netflix to various tablets, laptops, the Roku, etc. But, streaming Netflix to the Blu-ray player has an issue. Almost _every_ time we start a show, it works great for a minute or so. And then the stream fails. We restart it immediately and the stream is fine until the end of the show. I can only figure there’s a bug in the player’s Netflix app. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/31 "2021-01-22T19:46:51Z")
Holy crap! 1080p streams use something like 3GB/hour – my kids would blow through your cap before lunchtime. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/32 "2021-01-22T22:14:45Z")
Yes- Dish is generally a satellite TV service, and Netflix is an internet streaming service. IIRC, HughesNet is some sort of satellite internet service that’s mostly used where you can’t get anything better. So if you have HughesNet for your internet, and Dish for your TV, you’re going to be streaming your Netflix through the HughesNet connection even if you’re using your Dish equipment to navigate it. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/33 "2021-01-22T22:33:54Z")
> [@Crane](#): > > I use Hughes for internet and Dish for TV. Do you have other Internet options? I’m assuming that you’re rural, but are Windstream or ATT Fixed Wireless not options for you? I’m pretty sure that both of them offer uncapped Internet. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/34 "2021-01-22T22:43:38Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Holy crap! 1080p streams use something like 3GB/hour – my kids would blow through your cap before lunchtime The house is about 50 feet (literally) too far off the road for Charter to be willing to install. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/35 "2021-01-22T23:14:11Z")
If you ran the coax from the house to the road yourself, would they connect to it? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091/36 "2021-01-22T23:32:10Z")
The coax is already there, unused, from when there used to be Charter cable once. It literally just needs to be reconnected to the house. No go. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-netflix-streaming-really-work/931091.md?page=1)