What Triggers Throttling?

Ian wonders what causes Netflix to throttle your account: "It is really not that big of a deal for me, but it has set off my intellectual curiosity. What trigger did I flip that caused the throttling? Has anyone charted what factors cause throttling for each of the Netflix plans? I am on the 5 out at a time plan and have been watching a lot of TV series lately, so I have had a constant stream of movies flowing back and forth. At the same time, there is usually some film I have from Netflix that sits at my house for several weeks..."

Are you a high-volume Netflix customer? When does your service start to slow down?

Comments

[Scribe1964]

The closest thing to throttling I ever experienced from Netflix was a couple of years ago. At the time, if a returned DVD arrived on Monday, they wouldn't ship the replacement until Tuesday. I'm not even sure if that even was throttling.

For the last couple of years, Netflix has been extremely consistent. I almost always get DVDs from my local DC and they almost always ship the same day that my returned DVD arrives there. I probably see 32-35 dvds a month on a 7 out plan.

[Rusty Ramrod]

What causes throttling?

Using their service as advertised.

[mimyc]

A sure trigger for throttling for me is if I send back more than one disc at a time. The last few times I sent back all three movies at once (watch them all over the weekend, send back on Monday) it took them three days after receipt to send me out new movies.

[CJ]

Yes I'm a high volume customer - 8 out plan for last 5 years. My service doesn't slow down. I get 8 DVDs on average per week or 32 to 35 DVDs per month. It is irrelevant if I get 4 in one day or 4 during the whole week, I always average the 32-35 per month, assuming I'm not on vacation or not returning DVDs on a regular basis. My 8 out at a time subscription is really a 32 to 35 fixed amount per month subscription plan.

[Manda]

I've been keeping a log of my Netflix account for over two years, and the only possible connection I can come up with is what plan I'm on.

I suppose I'm a medium-to-heavy renter. I expect to get one cycle (i.e. 3 discs on the 3-out plan, 4 on 4-out, etc.) per week. I think that's pretty reasonable. I stick with 4-out most of the time, but whenever I downsize to 3-out, discs take 1-2 more days to get from me back to Netflix. It doesn't matter how many or few discs I rent, it always takes longer on the lower plan.

[tvindy]

One intriguing possibility that was brought up here several months ago by one of the commenters (I don't remember who) was that Netflix is far less likely to throttle you if you are good about rating movies and writing occasional reviews. I suppose this is either because they want to maximize the number of reviews on their site or because they interpret this to mean that you are actually watching everything they send you and not just pirating the DVDs en masse. I'm curious if anyone else here has found that to be true.

[hawk5391]

I agree with Manda. I got throttled a lot more on the 3-out plan than the 4-out plan. It wasn't so much that movies took longer to get back, or to be processed, but all of my New Releases were on Long Wait. Switching to 4-out solved everything for me.

[gir]

Is it really accurate to consider it a trigger?

With the way NetFlix prioritizes, I think it's probably a continuum. People who rent 18 disks a month are going to see more shipments from remote centers and more 'shipping tomorrow' than users who rent 12, and those more than someone who rents 8 (assuming they're all on the same plan).

[Edward R Murrow]

Netflix is like a dope dealer. You get great service when you sign up, then when you're 'hooked' they will choke the life out of you with throttling. Throttling is triggered simply by using their service.

The way you can avoid throttling with Netflix is to close your account for a week or two then sign up again.

[type-cast]

Netflix was very fast when I started. They'd send 20 discs a month on 3-out. Then 18, 16, 15. An un-mistakeable trend. I kept track of how many were sent each month from NF and BB and how many were usable. BB was faster even with slow shipping. That's the difference of throttling. BlockBuster seems to throttle as you pass a certain threshold. Netflix limits total shipments and gives light users higher priority. BlockBuster's system is more fair, the limits are softer and more targeted.

[Matt]

I'm on the 5 out plan, and watch 5-6 disks per week. (I don't subscribe to cable, so indeed, that's all the TV I get any more). At that rate, there's no perceivable throttling.

[junkfood]

I agree that your service will never be as good as it was when you first sign up. I guess they figure that once you're in they don't care as much.

But the best way to get that the best way to get throttled is to speed up your movie watching. I have the 3-out plan and during the summer I didn't have anything to watch on TV so I was blowing through them as fast as I could get the DVDs. I quickly learned what throttling was all about - having them "received" on Tuesday morning, but the next one doesn't go out until Wednesday afternoon meaning it really doesn't ship until Thursday; DVDs coming from out of state; etc.

However, once the summer was over and I slowed down they sped back up. I took a few days with the DVDs and when I sent them back I was promptly sent three more back.

Then just recently I signed up for Blockbuster and tried to put them head-to-head testing their speed. So I tried to turn around all of my DVDs as quickly as I could. As you might guess, the throttling returned.

By the way, BBO throttles too. So far in my test, Netflix is faster but I get more DVDs from BBO because of the in-store returns.

[peter]

>>A sure trigger for throttling for me is if I send back more than one disc at a time. The last few times I sent back all three movies at once ..SNIP..it took them three days after receipt to send me out new movies.<<

Doesn't happen w/ us. Most of the time I send 2-3 discs per envelope & they send out that # upon receipt.

On the 8/mo plan, we typically watch 34-43 p/mo.

It could be my faulty perception, but it seems like they aren't throttling us anymore...?!?#?$

[Aron]

Two articles rehashing throttling on the same day. Must be sweeps week in the blogosphere.

[smgpugfaw]

Add me to the 'never had a problem' list. I've lived in two different metra areas since joining Netflix and always been on the three out plan. Never had a problem getting new releases as long as I time my returns to get to NF on a Monday or Tuesday. If you miss those release days, you'll be waiting for the gazillion other people who were smart enough to time their returns to get the discs.

When there's no new releases that I'm wanting, I can turn around discs twice a week for a total of 24 DVD's per months with the occasional hiccup knocking it back a disc or two.

Been like that for as long as I've been a member and no matter where I've lived.

[neilk2350]

i was getting throttled a lot (8 out 3-4 back a week on mondays) 6 months ago. it improved drastically recently. i was getting all my dvd's until i got my xbox 360 HDdvd player. they seem to be restricting hd dvd's if i no longer am getting 3-4 on monday (usually 1-2 is hd dvd) and if i toggle my choice between hd dvd and dvd the wait gets shorter

[RAYMOND KNIGHT]

Being on the 8-out plan and getting 8-per week is not a high-volume user just like getting 5 per week on the 5-out plan is a low volume user. Of course, you aren't going to be throttled.

[peter]

>>..SNIP...Must be sweeps week..SNIP..<<

that's funny..

[orb]

If I average less than 20 per month on a 3 out no throttle but last three months averaged 23 per and last 2 of three shipments were from over 2000 miles away

[t325]

I'm on the 2 at a time plan and don't get throttled, but I guess I'm not a heavy user. The only slow downs I get are due to the fact that I'm about 300 miles away from the nearest DC so USPS can be pretty unpredictable. Its usually next day, but occasionally longer.

[Hunter McDaniel]

Like gir, I believe NF application of priorities is more of a continuum than a sharp on/off. But I also think they have tuned the algorithm somewhat over the years. When I first joined three years ago it was obvious that they had some job which ran once per month to recalculate priority - my queue could change from 98% "Now" to only 60% "Now" overnight, and it seemed to be based entirely on my usage that one month. That just doesn't seem to happen anymore.

I also suspect that they give some consideration to how long you've been a subscriber, but not in the manner so often alleged. While there may be a honeymoon for brand-new subscribers, I think a six-month subscriber with high usage will get lower priority than a multi-year subscriber with the same usage - and they will be less likely to adjust priority for a couple higher than normal months.

[ChicagoGuy]

It is interesting that so many here say they are not throttled when they use one turn per week.... try upping the ante.. if you start to routinely get more than one turn (that is send back quickly) you will immediately get into the NetFlix "customer service hell". I am a heavy user.. never copy a single dvd (not even sure how I would do that) and watch and return the same or next day. I am therefore a prime Throttle target.

I get filx sent from all over the country, sometimes as many as 25% of my flix come from Timbuktu. I'm in Chicago area and near a major distribution center so it isn't that they are doing this to "serve me". I get multiple day check in, shipping tomorrow noted at 9 AM, etc., etc., etc.. I could go on but lets be clear here..

Throttling is caused by one thing and one thing only. If you attempt to utilize NetFlix as advertised for "unlimited" use through the prudent use of the USPS and timing of your returns you will be subjected to a raft of NetFlix business practices that will limit your number of Flix. As I have said here before.. I know I get a good value for my investement in NetFlix. My objection is plain and simply that NetFlix and old Rod lie to their customers. There is no question that a limit is placed if you attempt to use NetFlix as "unlimited" I just with they would fess up and try honesty with their customers.

[ChicagoGuy]

Oh by the way that is nonsense about rating movies... I have rated over 4000 and i get throttled. NetFliz has one criteria only.. do you attempt to use the service as advertised....."UNLIMITED"

[Mr. Nethead]

I used to be lightly throttled, but over the last 18 months or so it hasn't been happening. I'm on the 8 out plan and generally do one turn a week.

I think if people would just keep it at one cycle per week we'd see a lot less throttling. My service has actually been improving. There are three different distribution centers that give me one day delivery now! (Madison, WI; Milwaukee, WI; Carol Stream, IL.)

[hueristix]

I was getting worse service a while back, but I sent an unhappy email and I guess they took me off. I get 2 day turnaround on 80%+ Most who are complaining are trying to do the "burn and return"- like anyone will confess to that on a forum- or the same few schills that always chime in even though they claim they quit Netflix long ago.

As far as HD-DVD, there are just a lot less of them, it does take a day longer sometimes. Cheers to Netflix for at least having both new formats in what could be a bloody battle, but they probably don't want to invest in too many copies of HDDVD. or BluRay just yet.

If you really feel you are being unfairly "throttled" and not just a victim of the inherent logistics in such a service, then why not quit?

IF you have enough time to constantly watch movies, you can't expect any service other than the truly unlimited VOD of the future to fulfill your needs. But that ain't gonna be a cheap, sorry. What everyone fails to point out is that Netflix is the best deal out there. Period. Total Smackcess included. That is why you talk smack and continue to use the service.

If you feel a need to watch 2+ movies a day then I say find another solution to your problem, like a BB AND netflix account, buying DVDs, PPV, etc., because you are saying you want to spend about a third of your waking life getting your flix- I guess you dont have a job like normal people and should be able to afford plenty of movies.

[type-cast]

"IF you have enough time to constantly watch movies, you can't expect any service other than the truly unlimited VOD of the future to fulfill your needs."

The in-store deals do a good job letting you watch all you want. Also, subscribing to 2-3 online services and reserving things through the library. Downloading on p2p. I work and have time to watch 1-2 DVDs a day. NFLX will throttle at that level with the 3-out plan.

[cyber.diva]

I'm on the 8 out plan. My household has several people watching different older tv series. Everybody wants to find out what happens in their favorite TV series, so they watch them on the computor or on 1 of the 3 DVD players we have. (Had to get this many to cut down on the fighting over what to watch next). Sometimes after supper and homework we have 3 TV series playing at once. Who knew the kids would want to watch Hogans Heroes??? The kids know to put the watched discs in my purse and I will mail them at work first thing the next day.

So, we almost always mail discs back the next day, I noticed when we went to 8 out we started getting discs from other DCs rather then the closest one in Bakersfield CA.

We seldom want current movies or just released movies, so getting them quickly is not a problem. We can wait.

I would say when we upgraded, the monthly total of discs we got did seem to drop.
I don't really feel throttled, maybe "slowed" a bit. We average about 40 discs a month.

Anything is better than going to BB.

[Edward R Murrow]

"If you really feel you are being unfairly "throttled" and not just a victim of the inherent logistics in such a service, then why not quit?"

I totally agree with hueristix; if anyone feels like they're not getting their moneys worth from Netflix - like upgrading to a higher program, paying more and getting less then try something else. You can always come back to Netflix since I believe they maintain your queue entries, ratings, etc.

Comcast with On Demand is awesome! I used HBO On Demand today and had a marathon session of watching this seasons "The Wire" episodes. That's right, I don't have to wait until they're released on DVD. Same with all HBO, Showtime, etc. series. On Demand stuff is also available for HD.

Why not try BBO and Total Access? People post 4 week free trial codes here and elsewhere on the internet, so you might as well make use of them.

Just because Henry Ford invented the automobile doesn't mean we all have to be loyal and drive Fords for the rest of our lives. Maybe a hybrid is more appropriate in this day and age.

Same with Blockbustomer Online and Total Access; it's the ultimate DVD rental hybrid program.

[throttlehater]

NF very simply throttles ANYONE who tries to get 2 turns per week after a 2-6 week trial period.

Nobody can sustainably get 6 per week on the 2 out plan even if you return the discs the next day and get 1 day shipping.

The will pretend they havent gotten it back, they will wait a day to ship and sometimes both.

Is it still a good value ? Of course.

Is it a better value than BB total access ? NO WAY !

Despite the fact that I can NEVER get 1 day shipping with BB, its still a better value.
When you consider the free instore rentals with no late fees, its a no brainer.

But, Im stuck with NF for the next 9 months because I bought a 1 year gift certificate from someone who had won it in a sweeepstakes. (So I dont pay $17.99 per month)

[jimofoz]

I've noticed throttling. When I first started I was getting 15-16 DVDs a month and it soon slowed down to 10-12 where it sits to this day. I'm on the 3-out program.

The term "unlimited" soon lost its meaning when the Internet got popular. I've had more than one ISP say I was using too many "unlimited" resources of one kind or another. I've come to the conclusion that there is very little offered online that is literally unlimited.

[cyber.diva]

We dropped BB because we feel this Total Access program is a rip off for us. The BB store we go to does not allow Total Access and we are not going to run to stores that we never even drive by on our busiest days.

We signed up to BB on a 3 out 2 coupon a month deal and now it has dropped to 1 coupon a month. That is not what we signed for and we feel BB is not doing right by us. One free movie may not seem like a big deal but it is not what we originally signed for.

We made a deal to pay for 3 discs and 2 coupons and now without our permission or input BB had changed the deal. Goodbye BB!

[Jaan]

I've been keeping track since day 1. I'm on the 1 at a time plan. It's $2 per rental, and no less. I'll never get more than 5 rentals in a month, since my plan costs $10 a month.

You always pay at least $2 per rental. That's the long and the short of it.

[vio]

"We made a deal to pay for 3 discs and 2 coupons and now without our permission or input BB had changed the deal. Goodbye BB!"

So in otherwords you're going to run over to Netflix where you'll receive no free in-store rentals what-so-ever, get throttled and pay the same amount of money each month as you did with BB? Ok, that sounds like a good move.

[type-cast]

"We made a deal to pay for 3 discs and 2 coupons and now without our permission or input BB had changed the deal. Goodbye BB!"

Netflix can change the terms of the deal any time they want, too, so how are they better? Signing up with either of them is like doing business with Darth Vader. "I'm altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further." If Total Access works, I'd only use Netflix for the rare titles they don't have.

[thecheshirecat]

I'm on the 6-out program and the only time I've noticed any significant throttling is when I return a large number of discs back at once. (If it matters, I return each disc in the envelope it came in, so if I return 4 at once, there are 4 separate envelopes.) So if I send back 4, the next day only 3 will have been received. This isn't always the case though and sometimes NF is very good about processing all 6 at once on the next day. However, this weekend I sent 2 back in Sat's mail, 2 in Mon's mail and 1 in today's mail just to see what would happen. No throttling whatsoever - the 2 I sent back Sat were received Mon, the 2 I sent yesterday were received today and I'd assume that the one I sent back yesterday will be received tomorrow.

[hueristix]

I noticed a lot of people try to come in here and say they get throttled every time they have a chance, yet if you read carefully, many of them claim to have quit Netflix long ago- and actively recommend BB. 401k BBI anyone?

I get FAST service. No throttling, although a couple of years ago I may have been briefly throttled. I always return 2 in one envelope to save $ and they are done the same time with 2 day turnaround about 90%+ of the time.

[type-cast]

"I get FAST service. No throttling,"

Lucky you. That doesn't prove the rest of us are BB employees. Netflix sends me DVDs from 3-5 days away routinely. They often take two days to get my returns and wait a day before sending the next thing. They rarely send new releases, even though I don't ask for a lot. Most are "long wait" or "very long wait" for me. They say movies are "available", then go to "long wait" when moved to the top.

[hawk5391]

"Netflix sends me DVDs from 3-5 days away routinely."
Where do you live, type-cast? The Unibomber shack?
And why do you keep getting DVDs from Netflix if you are so displeased with their service?

[type-cast]

"And why do you keep getting DVDs from Netflix if you are so displeased with their service?"

Why don't you mind your own business? I just said Netflix isn't fast in my experience. It doesn't warrant a response from you. Half of the discs from Netflix come over-night, half take 2-3 days or longer. BlockBuster's a bit slower for delivery, about 1/3rd over-night. But they're just as fast overall, cuz of not throttling as hard. Total Access rentals put them ahead. I have one store in easy walking or biking distance. Another at 4 miles and 6 miles, in places I go by often.

I would continue to use Netflix if they have titles that Blockbuster doesn't. (Which they do.) But I would most likely drop to a lower plan or use them intermittently. There is no call for you telling me I should cancel NFLX if I'm displeased. I'm just pointing out the facts. I didn't say I was displeased. You're reading things into my posts that simply are not there. I wonder why that is...

[NorthernIllinois]

R. Hawkins -- I live a day from TWO Netflix distribution centers, and for the first 10-12 weeks of service the routine was to return a movie and receive a new one two weekdays later, making for six movies per week. And then the throttling started....

First, they'd claim movies that were returned on the same day didn't arrive on the same day. I inquired and indicated I would notify the postmaster for investigation... and the movies promptly arrived the next day again.

Then they'd suddenly start shipping movies from a shipping center across the country, three, four days away (I think that's what type-cast was referring to). Suddently, I'd get movies from Florida, Utah or Texas. The sad irony of that is that the return envelopes still refer to the "Nearest Netflix Shipping Facility" and they *print* a far-away address on that.

No, it doesn't bother me that a business restricts service if they're about to loose money -- and they can't make money shipping 30 movies/month for $18 -- that doesn't even cover postage. What does bother me is that they're dishonest about it, and that on top of all that, they're wasting resources doing so -- a movie shipped from 2,000 miles away will incur a higher cost of fuel and time to the carrier (the USPS) than a movie shipped -- for the same price -- from 50 or 70 miles away. If Netflix does that often enough, they're also deliberately hurting the environment by lying about their throttling policy.

Throttling isn't that hard to overcome, however... you're allowed to send two movies back in each envelope, so I usually include the long-distance movie in the envelope to truly "nearest" netflix center. And of course, you always have to option to just open another account and cancel the throttled one.