What’s better than HD? Super HD! And it’s coming to Netflix on your Apple TV and iOS device.
As you might recall, Netflix started teasing Super HD back in January, unveiling it as an option only available to members who had ISPs that had joined the company’s Open Connect Network. The Network was a good deal: it helped ISPs reduce the bandwidth costs that Netflix places upon their networks, allowed Netflix to reduce its dependance upon third-party distribution services like Level 3, and didn’t cost ISPs a dime.
Nevertheless, not every ISP was a member of the alliance, leaving some people (like yours truly) out when it came to Super HD. But today, that’s over, with Netflix giving it as an option for literally everyone on every plaform.
So what is Super HD, and how is it better than HD? Here’s where it gets funny. Back when televisions first went high-resolution, they were called HDTVs. The dirty secret, though, is that this marketing term only referred to what we usually refer to as 720p, or a resolution roughly 1366 x 768. Super HD refers to 1080p. So, in other words, it’s probably what you assumed you were getting from Netflix all along!
You don’t have to do anything to get Super HD on your Apple TV or iOS Device. The new option is all server-side, so if a movie supports 1080p, you’ll start getting it normally.
Source: Netflix
