The Impact Of COVID-19, Netflix And YouTube Lower Streaming Quality In Europe

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JAKARTA - After Netflix announced that it would reduce the quality of video streaming on the European continent in the aftermath of the COVID-19 or corona virus pandemic, YouTube is following the same steps. This step is clearly taken to avoid access difficulties that are likely to occur in the next few days, especially the lockdowns imposed in several countries.

This decision was taken after the European Union Commissioner, Thierry Breton, discussed with the video streaming provider. This action is made so that people who are in the house do not 'scramble' to access, resulting in a slow connection. Breton met with Google, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, and Youtube CEO Susan Wojcicki.

"We will work closely with European governments and connection operators to minimize the system and provide a good experience," said YouTube in a statement released by Variety, Friday, March 20.

The high usage of video streaming services increases the performance of both Netflix and YouTube in serving their best quality. Ease of access and choice of exclusive content are believed to be the factors why both of them are closely in the grip of today's internet users. Moreover, the corona virus pandemic that is spreading on the European continent forces residents to move indoors.

Quoted from Sandvine, recently, YouTube's popularity has increased sharply, beating Netflix. This result is calculated not only based on users in Europe but also China and India.

Those who are staying at home often choose to watch video streaming applications both for learning and for entertainment. This activity complements social distancing in order to avoid leaving the house. One of the ways that the two streaming service giants can do is by lowering video quality standards and updating the service with the latest content.

YouTube is constantly perfecting YouTube Music and its content, while Netflix prepares various series and films such as the third season of Fauda, the Korean drama The King: Eternal Monarch and Extracurricular, Money Heist season four, and many others.