Netflix is abandoning SD resolution as an option in its subscription plans by upgrading its cheapest Basic plan to 720p HD resolution. You still need Netflix Premium for 4K HDR.
With the introduction of Basic with Ads, Netflix will have four subscription plans.
- "We are excited to announce that we are adjusting the video resolution from 480p to 720p HD for both our Basic with Ads and our existing Basic plan, so essentially the entire Netflix offering will be in the HD to Ultra HD domain," announced Greg Peters, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer, Netflix.
Source: Netflix
You still need Netflix Standard for 1080p HD streaming and Netflix Premium for 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos streaming. There are also differences in the number of simultaneous streams; 1, 2 and 4, respectively.
Even though Netflix will soon abandon SD streaming as an option, you can still get its streams in SD resolution by watching on an SD screen or if your internet connection is very slow. All Netflix titles are stored on the servers in multiple resolutions, bitrates, and codecs.
The change will take effect in November.
