Figure 1: Forecast for Average Monthly Home Internet Use (2013-2025) Over the next five years, average home monthly Internet usage in the UK will triple from its 2019 level, surpassing 1 TB per month by 2025, as shown in our forecast shown above. This growth, which is in line with usage growth predicted for the USA, will be primarily driven by TV and video services delivered via superfast and ultrafast broadband networks. To take full advantage of the broadening […] . Click here to read the full article.
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Disney Plus in the UK Finally Matches Bit Rates in the USA
The exciting launch of Disney Plus in the UK in March 2020 was sadly hampered by the widespread reduction in bit rates among streamed TV providers requested by the European Commissioner Thierry Breton due to the coronavirus pandemic. This resulted in 4k content not being delivered in true 3840 x 2160 resolution and the removal of high-quality Dolby Atmos soundtracks, as reported in our article Review of Disney Plus in the UK: Shame About the Picture and Sound Quality. We believe […] . Click here to read the full article.
Review: Sky Finally Launches HDR With Its Ultra HD 4k Service and It’s Fantastic But…
New! A 4k HDR Christmas Present from Sky: movies go HDR with Dolby Atmos It’s finally here – High Dynamic Range (HDR) on Sky – but not for everyone with a Sky Q box! Finally, Sky offers a ‘full-fat’ 4k service. While Sky has offered Ultra HD 4k programming for several years via its Sky Q set-top box, Sky has lagged behind its online streaming rivals Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime by not offering HDR. HDR makes pictures […] . Click here to read the full article.
Online Speed Tests: The Best and Worst and How to Use Them
Updated May 2020: We’ve lost count of the number of people that have told us that their broadband connection is not working properly because an online speed test has reported low or highly variable speeds. We identify the best and worst online speed tests. You need to be very cautious with online speed tests. In most cases, because of the many factors involved, they may indicate that your broadband connection is performing much worse than it really is. It’s not […] . Click here to read the full article.
How To Speed Up DNS Look-ups for Faster Performance
Updated July 2020: DNS or Domain Name System look-ups play a huge role in defining how fast your broadband connection really is with ‘real world’ applications such as browsing. In this article, we’ll be show you how to speed up DNS look-ups easily and for free by choosing the best and fastest DNS server(s) for your particular broadband connection. For more tips and guides in improving your broadband, visit our Increase Broadband Speed Guide. What is the Domain Name System […] . Click here to read the full article.
Chart of Fibre Broadband (FTTC) Speed Versus Distance From the Cabinet
‘Fibre broadband’, or Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) as it is more formally known, is the technology that delivers the vast majority of superfast broadband connections in the UK currently. Often, the term ‘VDSL2’ is also used. The technology has two major weaknesses – by using the copper wires between you and the street cabinet, speeds diminish the further you are located from the street cabinet and the the technology is sensitive to a certain type of interference called ‘crosstalk’. This means that the […] . Click here to read the full article.
Review of Disney Plus in the UK: Shame About the Picture and Sound Quality
New! As of 29th June 2020, Disney bit rates have improved and Dolby Atmos is now available. Here is our latest review: Finally Disney Plus in the UK Matches Bit Rates Used in the USA. After launching in the USA in November 2019, Disney Plus has finally arrived in the UK at one of the most challenging periods for the UK and the world. Disney has scaled back bit rates, which means that the promised Ultra HD 4k content – […] . Click here to read the full article.
Amazon’s Music HD Service Spells New Era for CD-Quality Music Streaming
Amazon’s launch of its new Music HD service comes at an opportune moment, at a time when superfast broadband (with download speeds in excess of 30 Mbps) is available to 95% of UK homes. Say goodbye to compressed music streaming. At a relatively affordable price of £12.99 for Amazon Prime customers, it offers true-CD-quality streaming of about 50 million tracks, with “millions of songs” available in better-than-CD-quality. Now even the most dedicated audiophile will be delighted with the sound quality […] . Click here to read the full article.
Bufferbloat: Why it is Harming Your Broadband and How to Easily Fix It
In this article, we tackle one of the biggest issues facing broadband users today, known as ‘bufferbloat’. The good news is that you can fix it, and we’ll show you how. While this term will be rather meaningless to most people, its devastating effects are very widely noticeable. With bufferfloat, other devices or applications running on your network can disproportionately wreak havoc with delay-sensitive applications you may be using, such as online gaming, web browsing and voice telephony (e.g. Skype and […] . Click here to read the full article.
Review of Apple TV+: Apple’s Streamed Service Leads the Pack in Picture Quality
Apple launched its new TV streaming service in the UK on 1st November 2019, to compete with rivals Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Pricing is certainly aggressive. Apple TV+ currently costs £4.99 per month although there is a cheaper way to subscribe for buyers of Apple products. Apple offers a year-long trial for buying a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac. Up to six family members can share an Apple TV+ subscription. Streaming of video content using broadband is […] . Click here to read the full article.