With the influx of people staying home to practice social distancing, Netflix (and other streaming services) needed to make adjustments to their servers to lower the strain of having so many people watching at the same time. In order to do this, Netflix is squeezing back video bit rate to reduce the strain on bandwidth-stressed networks worldwide in Europe and the U.K as a response from the European Union who urged to degrade video quality to conserve internet bandwidth. The cutbacks started in Italy and Spain, where the networks have been hit the hardest. Ken Florance, Netflix’s VP of content delivery, wrote in a blog post:
âThe action weâve taken maintains the full range of video resolutions. So whether you paid for Ultra-High Definition (UHD), High Definition (HD), or Standard Definition (SD), that is what you should continue to get (depending on the device you are using).â To chop bandwidth utilization, Netflix for the next 30 days has âremoved the highest-bandwidth streams,â i.e., those with the best quality.” Florance attempted to justify the move by writing, “if you are particularly tuned into video quality you may notice a very slight decrease in quality within each resolution,â Florance wrote. âBut you will still get the video quality you paid for.â
Australia and India also saw a reduction in traffic networks by 25%. The move has gain criticism for lowering the quality but still keeping the prices the same. With the public given time to pay bills, and loans, it only makes sense for Netflix to lower costs since a significant amount of people are not going to work. Joining Netflix on the effort is Amazon, Youtube, Disney+, and Apple in response to the EE.UU request. The internet has evolved to not only be considered a luxury but a necessity of life. Without it, we are truly isolated from society, so it is imperative to keep the internet going, and if that means less than 1080p, then that is a fair sacrifice.
It is always fun the look through the weekend box office results, at it gives us an idea of what is popular, or what people feel like watching. I wrote before the world of cinema is going through a significant change, with more and more theaters closing to fight against the Coronavirus the movie industry is forced to adapt. With more movies shifting their digital release in order to help people stay indoors  it is no surprise that this weekend box office numbers are drastically small. For the third week in a row, Disney’s Onward is still number one; however, what the biggest news of the weekend is that the box office arguably made no money.
As always, the numbers reported are mostly estimated, and when reports claim that there was no profit made, that is not necessarily the case. However, it is important to note that this is a big blow to the film industry. Movies are bigger, and budgets reflect this, so when a movie makes no money, it is something worth talking about. Now I am not saying to go to the theaters because we all need to do our part to stay safe. What I am saying is that film studios have realized that if they want to make money from their movies, then theaters are no longer going to work (at least for the foreseeable future). Recently it was announced that The Sonic The Hedgehog Movie is also going to move its digital release date.
The shift to digital is going to be a gamechanger, but while the reasoning is not the most ideal as I said before, it will be interesting to see how this trend evolves going forward.
For now, I will not be covering the weekend results since it seems that there won’t be any changes coming anytime soon.
As coronavirus continues to spread around the globe, famous actors, athletes and politicians have begun to test positive for the virus. Celebrities going public with their diagnoses has helped with destigmatization, and has put a face to the virus.
Many celebrities have shared the news of their diagnoses via social media and news conferences, and have been offering frequent updates on their symptoms and conditions.
Here is a complete list of public figures that have tested positive as of the afternoon of March 18.
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson
Image via Tom Hank’s Instagram.
Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were the first to go public with their diagnoses. The Academy Award-Winning actor and his wife, went public about their diagnosis in a statement on March 11 while they were in Australia.
“We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches,” Hanks said on his Instagram. “Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers, too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the coronavirus, and were found to be positive.”
They have since been released from hospitalization and are in self-isolation in order to avoid spreading the virus to others, and are “taking it one day at a time.”
Idris Elba
This morning I tested positive for Covid 19. I feel ok, I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus. Stay home people and be pragmatic. I will keep you updated on how Iâm doing đđŸđđŸ No panic. pic.twitter.com/Lg7HVMZglZ
The actor posted a video on social media on Monday to announce that he had tested positive for coronavirus. “Listen, I’m doing Ok,” he said in the video, alongside his wife Sabrina. “I didn’t have any symptoms,” he added. Elba decided to get tested after he learned he had been in contact with someone who tested positive.
Rachel Matthews
Image via Rachel Matthew’s Instagram.
Actress Rachel Matthews best known as the voice of Honeymaren in Frozen II, shared her diagnosis via Instagram on Monday. The actress has been in quarantine since testing positive. “I’m feeling better,” she said. Matthews has been providing daily updates on her symptoms the past seven days, which have included sore throat, fatigue, shortness of breath, fevers, and loss of appetite.
Kristofer Hivju
Image by Getty Images, via Kristofer Hivju’s Instagram.
The “Game of Thrones” actor made the announcement that he had tested positive for the virus, along with his family, in an Instagram post on Monday. They have all remained in self-isolation since. “We are in good health-I only have mild symptoms of a cold,” he said. “Together we can fight this virus and avert a crisis at our hospitals.”
Olga Kurylenko
Image via Olga Kurylenko’s Instagram.
Actress Olga Kurylenko is best known for her role in the 2008 James Bond film “Quantum of Solace” and the “Magic City” television series. She posted on Instagram on Sunday to share the news that she had tested positive for the virus. “I’ve actually been ill for almost a week now,” she said. “Fever and fatigue are my main symptoms.” Kurylenko is still unaware of how she contracted the virus.
Kevin Durant
Image via Drake’s Instagram.
On Tuesday, the Brooklyn Nets announced that four of their players had tested positive for coronavirus, but refrained from naming who. Kevin Durant, went on to reveal that he was on of the four that had been infected. “Everyone be careful, take care of yourself and quarantine,” he said. “We’re going to get through this.”
Rapper Drake has reportedly been in self-quarantine since Durant tested positive. The two were seen hanging out last week.
Callum Hudson-Odoi
Image Via Hudson-Odoi’s Instagram.
The Chelsea Football Club player tested positive for the virus, and said on Instagram on Friday that he had recovered, but is still following health guidelines, including isolating himself from others. “I’m feeling good and hope to see you all soon,” he captioned his video.
Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell
Image Via Rudy Gobert’s Instagram.
Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, stars of the Utah Jazz, became the first NBA players to test positive for coronavirus, leading the league to freeze its season. Gobert apologized for making light of the health crisis before his diagnosis. “I was carless and make no excuses,” he said in an Instagram post.
Mitchell told “Good Morning America” that he feels “fine” and has not shown any symptoms. He went on to say that the test was unpleasant and made him cry. In an Instagram post, Mitchell said he hopes that everyone is educating themselves and “realize that they need to behave responsibly both for their own health and for the well-being of those around them.”
Francis Suarez
Image via Francis Suarez’s Instagram.
Francis Suarez, the mayor of Miami, has become the first US elected official to test positive for coronavirus. “I feel completely healthy,” Suarez said in a video message. Mayor Suarez will remain in isolation, while governing the city remotely from home.
Suarez like other public figures has been posting daily updates on his condition. He has described a mix of symptoms including congestion, aches and cold sweats. The mayor decided to self-quarantine himself after he had been in close contact with a top advisor to President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, who has also tested positive for the virus.
The wife of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, has tested positive for coronavirus. In a statement from the Prime Minister’s office on Thursday it said, “She is feeling well, is taking all the recommended precautions and her symptoms remain mild.” Trudeau himself has not shown any symptoms and will remain in self-isolation with his family, and work from home for the next 14 days.
Fiona Apple has been telling her fans that a new album is on the way for months now. Last Fall she teased a 2020 release date, in January she said she’d be ready “in a few months,” and earlier this month fans rejoiced when she finally announced she’d completed the long awaited LP.
Apple opened up in an interview with The New Yorker on Monday (March 16), about her fifth studio album, Fetch the Bolt Cutters. In the expansive profile she reveals that the album’s title came from a line she heard from Gillian Anderson‘s character in the British crime drama, The Fall. Her character, a lead detective, calls for the bolt cutters to unlock the door to a room where a young girl has been tortured. “Really, what it’s about is not being afraid to speak,” she told writer Emily Nussbaum.
The album was recorded at her home studio in Venice Beach over the past few years, with the 13 tracks being described as “raw and unslick” and “percussion heavy.”
The article teases songs like “The Drumset is Gone,” “Ladies,” “On I Go,” and “Newspaper,” which features vocals from her sister Amber on a lyric that goes like “It’s a shame, because you and I didn’t get a witness, we’re the only ones who know!” The title track features harmonizing vocals from supermodel Cara Delevingne.
The track “For Her,” was written shortly after Brett Kavanaugh‘s Supreme Court nomination hearings and features the line, “Good Mornin’!, Good Mornin’! You raped me in the same bed your daughter was born in.”
Apple also recalls her experience quitting cocaine after “one excruciating night” several years ago at Quentin Tarantino‘s house with the director and her then boyfriend Paul Thomas Anderson. “Every addict should just get locked in a private movie theatre with QT and PTA on coke,” she jokes, “and they’ll never want to do it again.”
The album still has no official release date, but we hope we get to enjoy it some time soon. Her 1999 album When the Pawn Hits... will be reissued on vinyl, replacing its original Paul Thomas Anderson-shot cover art. Read the entire New Yorker article here.
President Trump has announced the near-closure of the Candian border:
We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic. Trade will not be affected. Details to follow!
The closer of the Canadian border is part of the growing effort to control the spread of the Coronavirus. Last week Trump closed travel between the U.S and Europe. The countries included: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. President Donald Trump later added the United Kingdom and Ireland to this list. Travel between China, Iran, and U.S are also banned.
U.S. citizens are allowed to return home but must fly into 13 designated airports and undergo “enhanced entry screening.”
The president is expected to speak in detail at a news conference scheduled for 11:30 a.m. EDT.
The speed of the closures demonstrates just how fast the virus is spreading, while the U.S response has not been the strongest. It is important to take any precautions that could keep the general public safe.
AMC has announced that the company is closing its theater chain across the U.S. due to coronavirus concerns, creating a new market. Last week Disney announced that it is pushing the Disney+ release of Frozen II; the movie is now available to stream in Disney+. With the Coronavirus affecting gatherings of over 50, and as reported before affecting Box office results. Other studies started tackling the in-home streaming market by making a few of this year’s biggest hitters available for streaming earlier than expected.
Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), and The Gentleman have both moved their home video release dates to next Tuesday. This is a surprising move because Bird of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) theatrical run is still going with the movie raking up $2.1 million last weekend. Traditionally, a movie would spend around three months in theaters, before another few months would pass, and lining it up with another studio release the movie would start going on DVD to hype up the old movie, and the new release. Streaming changed the formula, as a movie that did not succeed in theaters would quickly be pushed to streaming in the hopes that it makes its money back.
Warner Bros.’s decision to move all the home release dates comes as a response to Universal’s decision to make The Hunt, The Invisible Man, and Emma available on streaming this coming weekend. However, the biggest game-changer comes from Universal’s announcement to release Troll 2: World Tour online while the movie hits theaters at the same time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSthXsw_uhM
As the coronavirus spreads and communities are closing, this is a safe way to keep the audience safe while bringing in revenue for newer releases. This move could also solve the constant delays of movies such as Mulan, F9, and James Bond: No Time to Die, âNBCUniversal will continue to evaluate the environment as conditions evolve and will determine the best distribution strategy in each market when the current unique situation changes,â Jeff Shell, CEO of NBCUniversal, said in a statement Monday.
While the reasoning behind these moves might be tragic because of the Coronavirus, this is a massive game-changer. For the first time, audiences now have complete control of how they want to view the latest movies. It will be interesting to see how this will affect the summer movie box office and movies going forward.
