Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

3G iPad: ABC, Netflix etc WIFI only?!?

javaGuru

javaGuru

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 15, 2007
927
352
I'm planning on purchasing the 3G version of the iPad when it comes out on the 30th. But, I was wondering of anyone knew if movie and tv show streaming apps like ABC and Netflix will be wifi only or not.

The ABC app description says that a wifi connection is required but this description was written before the release of the 3G version. Also, the Netflix app doesn't mention wifi at all. It will be a huge downer if apps such as these end up being restricted to wifi.
 
I predict that anything known to take huge amounts of bandwidth will be wifi only - including Netflix and Hulu. It's just common sense, assuming the number of iPads projected to be sold is big enough to affect the 3g network.

It's not just AT&T, it's common sense. My Nexus One can view standard def youtube video on 3g, but it can view high-res video and upload video on wifi. These types of measures are done to preserve the network for other users.
 
wombat888 said:
I predict that anything known to take huge amounts of bandwidth will be wifi only - including Netflix and Hulu. It's just common sense, assuming the number of iPads projected to be sold is big enough to affect the 3g network.

It's not just AT&T, it's common sense. My Nexus One can view standard def youtube video on 3g, but it can view high-res video and upload video on wifi. These types of measures are done to preserve the network for other users.
Click to expand...

I disagree with this. I think its all AT&Ts network. Sprint and VZ use more mobile data than AT&T, and their data is mainly aircards which can use netflix etc. AT&T just sucks. Its amazing that Sprints network holds up so well despite the fact they are 1/3 the size of AT&T

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/report_verizon_sprint_carry_most_mobile_data
 
Even if AT&T does allow streaming with Netflix and Hulu--which seems unlikely the quality will probably be terrible. They'll be freezes, skips, etc. I'm guessing streaming over AT&T's network won't happen until they roll out the 4G network--and Apple releases a compatible iPad. I could be wrong.
 
Sprint's network holds up because they are smaller. They have fewer users hitting particular towers. By the way, AT&T works fine through most of the country. It bogs down in NY and a few other places precisely because of heavy data use on iPhones. btw my Nexus One is on T-Mobile.
 
barkomatic said:
Even if AT&T does allow streaming with Netflix and Hulu--which seems unlikely the quality will probably be terrible.
Click to expand...

YouTube on my iPhone 3G is terrible unless your on wifi. HUGE difference.
Netflix would probably be almost unwatchable on a 3G connection.
 
3g

I work in a crappy signal are for AT&T, but with an antenna I bought for my aircard from www.3gstore.com, it helps me get 2bars of 3g. I share that through the wifi on my macbook pro (it has to stay near the window for 3g) to my iPad and watch netflix/abc successfully.

I can tell it scales the quality down a little bit, but it's not bad on the iPad's screen. Sometimes I have to wait for it to catch up, but it wasn't an unpleasant exprience. It doesn't help that the signal is fickle around here.

I don't know if it will prevent you from connecting when connected directly with 3g through the iPad, but if they don't, the exprience shouldn't be that bad with a couple of bars of signal.

Hopefully the adaptive quality is enough to allow their use over 3g directly
 
shady825 said:
YouTube on my iPhone 3G is terrible unless your on wifi. HUGE difference.
Netflix would probably be almost unwatchable on a 3G connection.
Click to expand...

nah I tethered via Sprint and netflix looked great. We shall see on AT&T however
 
vw195 said:
We shall see on AT&T however
Click to expand...

Thats what I mean :)
Look what ATT does to the YouTube videos on 3G.. I cant imagine a full length movie!
I know streaming 3G is possible but I think ATT might hinder that experience for the 3G iPad users just like they do on the iPhone.
 
vw195 said:
I don't get this, as a smaller network with more data being used is the issue.
Click to expand...

A smaller network covers less of the country. It does not mean fewer towers per square mile covered. Sprint has fewer customers as well. Basically in NY (for example), you have roughly similar coverage and fewer customers.

AT&T's network didn't have an especially bad reputation until iPhone sales took off.
 
wombat888 said:
I predict that anything known to take huge amounts of bandwidth will be wifi only - including Netflix and Hulu. It's just common sense, assuming the number of iPads projected to be sold is big enough to affect the 3g network.

It's not just AT&T, it's common sense. My Nexus One can view standard def youtube video on 3g, but it can view high-res video and upload video on wifi. These types of measures are done to preserve the network for other users.
Click to expand...

If your Nexus One is like the unlocked Nexus One version that's available for AT&T, you should also be able to view high-res YouTube videos on 3G as well. It's just not the default setting. Once a video starts playing in YouTube (while on 3G), hit the menu key, then "More", and select "View in High Quality" (or something to that effect, I forget the exact wording right now). Again, I'm not sure about the T-Mobile version, but this works fine on the AT&T Nexus One version.
 
I use miwi on my jail broken 3GS and connect my iPad to that when I'm out and about or the wifi connection is crummy and streaming netflix, abc etc works and looks just fine. AT&T can handle the data, its not like the 3G speed sucks, its just the load iPhone users put on the towers that is giving them a bad reputation.

SO, could the 3G iPad stream netflix? Absolutely. Will AT&T allow it? Who knows. But it is unlocked so you can out any sim you want in there.
 
Really depends on what kind of coverage you are getting in your area. Love the people that come on saying that blanket statement something like 3G sucks and can't handle anything. Maybe in their part of the world 3G sucks, but its just fine in mine. And I'm not fan of AT&T by any stretch of the imagination. My wife has AT&T, and I have Verizon. Not much of a difference really in my area. So bring on the streaming!
 
wombat888 said:
Sprint's network holds up because they are smaller. They have fewer users hitting particular towers. By the way, AT&T works fine through most of the country. It bogs down in NY and a few other places precisely because of heavy data use on iPhones. btw my Nexus One is on T-Mobile.
Click to expand...
Yeah, well that's not so true. I'm in the middle of the St. Louis metro area, and my AT&T service there stinks. I get dropped calls, missed calls, connection failures, and data failures all the time. My contract is up in a year. If iPhone isn't on a better network by then, I will switch to something else. It will be sad to abandon iPhone, but the network is just too far sub-standard.
 
Any given carrier can be poor in any given location. That's always been true. Add to that AT&T's problems in big cities due to iPhone users, and there you are.
 
Well, I was at the Apple store on Friday and I overheard some guy asking an employee if the Netflix app would would work streaming over 3G. The Employee had to ask around in the back but when she came back she said yes. Hopefully she's right.
 
this would be terrible, as this is the only reason i am buying the 3g. high quality videos can be fine over 3g, my droid can steam high quality videos over verizons 3G. if at&t limits this, i will be so mad. If this is true and apple doesnt go to verizon, it will make no sense. they are clearly the better company.
 
icanhasiphone? said:
Well, I was at the Apple store on Friday and I overheard some guy asking an employee if the Netflix app would would work streaming over 3G. The Employee had to ask around in the back but when she came back she said yes. Hopefully she's right.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't take much stock in that. The Apple store has been very helpful to me taking care of issues, but the employees aren't always that knowledgeable.

I had an Apple store employee tell me the Dual-Link DVI to miniDisplayport adapter is designed for use with the 24" ACD and that I wouldn't need it for a 30" ACD with my uMBP. They got that one totally bass-ackwards.
 
Well, there was a video of that Woz character watching netflix on his iPad 3G. I think he was on 3G, but he could have been on wireless since he was inside a building. We won't find out for sure until someone gets to try it out. AT&T never say anything until the last minute.
 
Engadget has specifically stated in an article that Netflix worked well over 3G, and just had a few seconds more of buffering before the video started.
 
wombat888 said:
AT&T's network didn't have an especially bad reputation until iPhone sales took off.
Click to expand...

I disagree. AT&T has always had a bad reputation for their network, which is why there was so much disappointment when they were announced as the exclusive carrier in the US. It's also why there has been speculation/hope of a Verizon iPhone since the first iteration (edit: just to clarify, I'm not saying Verizon would handle the traffic better, that's just the mentality I've seen).

AT&T has improved the quality of their network a great deal in response to the tremendous iPhone sales and increased demand from users however. It's still not the best, but they're investing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back