Netflix, the popular on-demand web streaming media provider, has gamely updated its iOS app, now letting owners of the iPhone 6 Plus enjoy videos at 1,080 pixel resolution.
Released last Tuesday, the updated Netflix app (designated version 7.0) is now capable of streaming movies, TV shows, and other videos at a very high resolution, taking full advantage of the iPhone 6 Plus's display screen.
However, those who use the app on the iPhone 6 will be limited to viewing videos at 720 pixel resolution. Netflix stated that the screen resolution of the iPhone 6 simply can not hold up 1,080 pixels. Still, iPhone 6 users will be able to see relatively more content on their screens.
Before the app was updated, Netflix streaming was only limited to 720 pixels on Apple devices such as iPhones and iPods. It did offer 1,080 pixels but only for the iPad whose display screen size supports that much resolution.
But with the release of the iPhone 6 Plus, there finally comes an Apple smartphone that can handle 1,080 pixels. Provided that users possess the needed bandwidth, they can easily watch 1,080p resolution videos on the their iPhone 6 Plus's 5.5-inch display screen.
With regards to bandwidth, Netflix is recommending at least 5 megabits per second. With that in mind, Wi-Fi would sound like the better option for most users. They can stream the 1,080 pixel video on a strong cellular connection, but they will likely use up their plan's data allowances too.
Netflix claims that most of the content it is offering is already capable of streaming in 1,080 pixels. That includes Netflix originals like House of Cards and Orange Is The New Black, which are huge hits among the iPhone-using demographic. If they have a good WiFi connection, they can truly enjoy these shows in high-res.
But wait -- doesn't 1,080 pixels eat more bandwidth than low-res streaming? Yes, but Netflix uses adaptive streaming, which varies the resolution depending on the bandwidth used by the viewer. Thus, the actual video quality will depend on how strong the user's Wi-Fi connection is and how good his Internet service provider is.
Also, Netflix has a feature called Open Connect that lets its users avail of specific Internet service providers that can offer the best high-res videos. Want to know how good your ISP is at streaming Netflix content? Head on to Netflix's ISP Speed Index page and find out.
