Can you imagine a world where we ditch our iPhones and Galaxies and are forced to use Blackberries and flip phones again? With so much demand on broadband internet due to streaming television, gaming, and work-from-home conferences, some of the world’s largest video platforms are going back in time, reducing quality to standard definition.
What if there were other ways to stream video that maintained, or even improved, picture quality, even during times of high demand?
Entertainment at Home is on the Rise
Even before Coronavirus plagued the world, streaming video was in hot demand. In the past weeks, according to the Verge, subscriptions and consumption have increased for companies like HBO, Netflix and Amazon. With people stranded at home in isolation, media companies, internet providers and users are competing mightily for bandwidth.
In response, Netflix has halved the bandwidth its 4K Ultra HD streams consume in efforts to ease Coronavirus congestion. Also, coming soon to a PC or TV near you, YouTube will default to standard definition video streams. (Never fear, you can still adjust the bandwidth manually if you are having new-age withdrawal symptoms.)
More People Are Working at Home
Over the past four weeks, Wired tells us that internet traffic has peaked with levels at 20% to 40% higher than usual in areas highly impacted by Covid-19. With the majority of the non-essential workforce online at home, we may be zooming our way into slower and slower download and upload speeds.
Who hasn’t stalled out in the middle of a video conference?
We’re Putting Stress on Broadband Bandwidth
All of this increased demand puts stress on our nation’s internet infrastructure; and, thus far, the infrastructure has risen to the challenge.
With streaming platforms sharing the same bandwidth at some point users will be forced to accept either slower connections, a downgrade in picture quality, or both. And the impact is perhaps more significant for the work-at-home executive than it is for the Netflix binge watcher.
What if there were an alternative for home entertainment that doesn’t put unneeded stress on your bandwidth – or your neighbor’s, or more importantly, your doctor’s?
Now There’s A New Way to Stream
Evoca is soon to launch a service that delivers streaming television right to your home in a different way than cable, satellite or streaming services. Using new broadcast technology called ATSC 3.0, Evoca is able to stream the internet over the air instead of relying solely on pipes shared by the rest of the world.
What this means to families is better picture quality and less stress on your home’s internet infrastructure. This translates to less buffering, stalling out and pixilation – during your favorite shows and important conference calls. With 80 channels, including live news, sports, movies and more, you can relax and watch programs uninterrupted.
We’re launching the service in Boise, ID, this summer, with plans to rollout nationwide over the next few years. If you’re interested in learning more about our new service, sign up now and we’ll update you when Evoca comes to your neighborhood.