We’re days away from Arrested Development premiering on Netflix and here at UPROXX we still have SO MANY QUESTIONS. Thanks to our obsession with all things Bluth, a Netflix executive was nice enough to answer ten of our team-compiled most burning Netflix-related questions in the midst of the final countdown.
Answers are informative and to the point. Consider this your Arrested Development on Netflix best practices FAQ. May we all binge as effectively as possible.
1) What is the exact time the episodes will be available? Time zone and all.
12:01 a.m. pacific time on May 26th, 2013.
2) What precautions have been taken to ensure Netflix Instant can handle the simultaneous streaming over Memorial Day weekend?
Here’s the short answer: We handle millions of streaming hours everyday, this is business as usual.
Here’s the technical answer:
This is not much different from other launches, be it titles or technology features. We continuously release new shows and movies on Netflix, we have a lot of experience doing that. We use the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud to deliver our user interface and content delivery networks for the video. Both are designed to scale and deliver a great experience. We will have a room full of people to monitor and ensure that the show is available and streaming, we do that for every big show as well as any upgrade to our service such as technology feature releases.
3) Why Memorial Day weekend? Is it Netflix’s goal to tear families apart?
Production schedules dictated when the show would be available and we are getting it to our members as quickly as we can.
4) Does Netflix encourage the audience to watch the new episodes in order?
On May 15, Mitch Hurwitz tweeted the following and we think that’s pretty good advice:
Done!Just finished the final mix last night.In two weeks Arrested Development will be yours to do with as you please.
— Mitchell Hurwitz (@MitchHurwitz) May 15, 2013
Except for 1 thing!You gotta watch them in order. Turns out I was not successful in creating a form where the setup follows the punch line
— Mitchell Hurwitz (@MitchHurwitz) May 15, 2013
5) What is the minimal mbps required to get a crystal clear stream?
Below are the internet speed requirements and recommendations for playing movies and TV shows on the Netflix website.
*Note: Internet speeds listed represent Download speeds.
• 0.5 Megabits per second – Required broadband connection speed
• 1.5 Megabits per second – Recommended broadband connection speed
• 3.0 Megabits per second – Recommended for DVD quality
• 5.0 Megabits per second – Recommended for HD quality
• 7.0 Megabits per second – Recommended for Super HD quality
• 12 Megabits per second – Recommended for 3D quality
6) Have you seen a major increase in subscriptions in the past month or so?
We don’t disclose this. We reported 36 million global subscribers on our last earnings call.
7) Can you point us in the direction of any pre-release marketing easter eggs that the internet hasn’t discovered yet?
No.
8) When did Mitch & Co. reach out to Netflix, or vice versa, about bringing AD back?
We don’t have a specific date, but we’ve been talking about this for a while.
9) What other shows would you like resurrected via Netflix?
N/A (Ed. Note: We had to ask. Internet policy.)
10) Can we have the episodes now?
No. But you’re not alone. We’re not doing screeners.
Alas, myself and the UPROXX team will be streaming at 12:01PT this Sunday with the rest of you Howdy Doodats. There may be some discussion next week. Taste the happy, people. Taste it.
