Internet for 3D Streaming: What to Look for

So you’ve invested in a big TV with 3D capabilities and now you’re thinking of streaming all the best 3D titles available for streaming. If you’re watching 3D, you also want the video to be high-definition. A 3D video itself also has a higher bit rate than a 2D video of the same resolution. If your current internet connection struggles to stream movies and TV shows in Full and Ultra HD, your 3D experience is going to be even worse.

You need a new internet connection with a faster, more reliable download speed. We recommend using a fiber connection such as CenturyLink Internet if it’s available in your area. Fiber internet has higher speeds than cable internet. It’s also less susceptible to bandwidth throttling so you get consistent speeds even at peak times.

In this article, we explain the qualities you should look for in an internet connection for 3D streaming. But first, we’ll briefly discuss how 3D TVs work to better understand the need for a high-speed connection. Let’s dive into it!

How Do 3D TVs Work?

It may come as a surprise but we don’t actually see 3D in real life. Each of our eyes is only capable of perceiving 2D images of the outside world. However, the two images viewed from different angles allow us to perceive depth.Our brains then figure out information about the third dimension. This allows us to tell how far things are and which objects are closer to us than others, which is what we call 3D.

Screens can only display one image. So we can’t send a different image to each eye without using some fancy technologies. There are many such technologies out there such as active shutter 3D, polarized 3D, and more. Each of these technologies works by displaying two images on the TV simultaneously. You have to wear specialized glasses that only allow you to see one of the images with each eye.

Companies are currently working on a new technology called autostereoscopythat allows you to watch 3D movies without wearing any glasses. But regardless of the technology used, all 3D TVs have one thing in common: they display two video clips at the same time.

Now, let’s look at what it takes to stream 3D movies.

Qualities to Look For In an Internet Connection for 3D Streaming

Good Download Speed

3D movies have two images for each frame. This means if you’re streaming a 3D movie, it’ll take roughly twice the download speed. A slow-speed internet will either lower quality or produce lag. There are 3D compression algorithms that bring down the total bitrate, but it’ll still be higher than a 2D movie.

3D movies also tend to be very vibrant, detailed, and action-packed. All of these factors limit how much the video can be compressed without losing quality. Besides, if you’re watching 3D, you want to feel emerged. Watching in a lower resolution will defy the whole purpose.

Your internet will probably be used by other users and devices in your house as well. To be on the safe side, choose a connection with a top upload speed of at least 500 Mbps.

Free From Data Caps

Streaming 3D movies consumes considerably more data than streaming 2D movies. High resolution also increases data use—doubling the resolution roughly quadruples the data rate. You don’t want an internet connection that charges overage fees every month. Most ISPs now offer unlimited internet. Still, verify before making a decision.

Fiber-Based Network

You may have noticed that you rarely ever get the internet speeds your ISP advertises for your connection. At peak times, you may only get a fraction of that speed. This is because of a practice called throttling when your ISP intentionally lowers your bandwidth.

Your ISP has a limited bandwidth and when a lot of users are using the connection, ISPs have to throttle to ration the bandwidth evenly. This isn’t much of a problem for 2D streaming, as download speeds are still enough after throttling. However, you may not be able to watch 3D movies at peak times with a cable connection.

Fiber connections use infrared light to send and receive data. They’re faster than cable and other types of internet, allowing for higher download speeds. But perhaps the biggest advantage of fiber internet is that it has much higher bandwidth than cable internet. This means your ISP doesn’t have to throttle your speed as much even at peak usage times. You can stream Ultra HD 3D movies any time of the day.

Upgrade to CenturyLink Internet

CenturyLink Internet offers super-fast fiber internet across the US. With download speeds of up to 940 Mbps and uptime of 99.9%, CenturyLink Internet is one of the most consistent high-speed connections you can get. Visit buytvinternetphone.com to see if CenturyLink Internet is available in you