Netflix just launched globally only a few weeks ago, and if you want the best Netflix experience, you might find it in an unlikely place.
Say what you might about the Windows Store apps or Microsoft Edge browser, be ready to pick your jaw off the floor when we prove that Edge and the official Netflix app for Windows 10 are the two best ways to stream the best Netflix experience.
As stated earlier, there are indeed several ways to stream Netflix when on your desktop. From using your browser of choice to the dedicated app on the Windows Store. While there certain benefits of using browsers, the Windows 10 app is clearly the best winner in delivering a combination of image and sound quality that manages to trump Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.
As the attached image shows, the Windows 10 app offers audio at 192 kbit/s bitrate as opposed to the offerings of web browsers at 96 kbit/s, When we move on to video quality, we see that Microsoft Edge and the Windows 10 app are neck in neck at 5800 Kbps, while in Chrome / Firefox we get around 3000 kbits/s. These findings lead us to the conclusion: the official Windows 10 app and Microsoft Edge offer the best Netflix experience on any platform.
According to Netflix’s own website, they have given a comprehensive breakdown on the best viewing avenues for their program:
As you can see, most browsers are capped at delivering image quality at 720p, while Edge isn’t. There are additional reports from various sources to suggest that using Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge and the Windows 10 app also deliver the authentic 5.1 surround sound experience, while Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple’s Safari are limited to lesser quality audio. Why Netflix is doing this we do not know, but it is happening for sure.
These reports come from various users on Reddit who have cited notable differences in video & audio streaming experience across viewing platforms on the desktops, with a majority of the people giving high praise to the Windows 10 app.
If you would like to weigh in your opinion on this: do you notice any differences on viewing Netflix between browsers and the desktop app? Feel free to leave us a comment below!
The post The Best Netflix Experience Is On Windows 10 Apps & Edge Browser appeared first on Windows Clan.
