Covid-19: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Facebook and others won't show HD videos on smartphones!

Video streaming platforms have decided to remove the high definition (HD) and ultra high definition (UHD) options when streaming on smartphones during the 21-day lockdown period in India.

This is to reduce unnecessary consumption of Internet and ensure the smooth running of critical services on communications infrastructure amid Coronavirus crisis.

The list of participants includes Sony, Google, Facebook, Viacom18, MX Player, Hotstar, Zee, Tiktok, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

“The digital industry has decided to act immediately in the larger national and consumer interest and to ensure the robustness of the cellular network,” digital companies said in a joint statement.

“It was unanimously agreed that as an exceptional measure, all companies will immediately adopt measures, including temporarily defaulting HD and ultra-HD streaming to SD content or offering only SD content, at bitrates not higher than 480p on cellular networks.”