YouTube Blames Buffering On Your ISP
YouTube has decided to pull a move similar to what Netflix has recently done. It is now blaming ISPs for the slow loading of YouTube videos. Apparently, any videos that are not playing properly on YouTube will now have a pop up appear underneath them that when clicked will send users to a per-set report. The report is said to indicate the quality of the video playback for the user to see the quality of service being provided by his/her internet service provider. This pop-up link is currently only available in New Zealand, USA, as well as, Australia and Canada users.
Many people feel that through these pop-ups, Google is effectively blaming any slow loading videos on the services being offered by ISPs. This argument brings into play the issue of net neutrality which is currently getting a lot of coverage. In the proposed net neutrality regulations, ISPs are advocating for additional efforts in accountability to be required of streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube. This will ensure that streaming services stop passing on the blame for slow streaming of videos to ISPs and the services they offer.
Netflix Blame Attack Against Verizon
Netflix recently launched a blame attack on service provider Verizon claiming their network was crowded whenever a user encountered any sluggishness in video playback quality. Verizon then threatened to file legal action against Netflix claiming that they were presenting misleading information to users by making such claims and referred to their actions as being deliberately misleading.
While the pop-ups currently being used by YouTube are not as straightforward as the ones that were being used by Netflix, critics say that they are there for the same purpose. This is to point out to clients that ISPs are to blame for the sluggish loading of videos whenever they occur. Google feels that the responsibility to provide adequate infrastructure on the internet which will ensure that users can enjoy all the services available on the net lies squarely on the shoulders of ISPs. On the other hand, ISPs have defended themselves saying that it is not their fault that videos are sometimes slow to load. They claim that video services will almost always lead to congested data routes within any network. We can only wait and see how this argument is settled.
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