Google plans to lower the quality of its Nest cameras to preserve internet bandwidth as large numbers of adults and children work and play online amid the continuing stay-at-home measures.

nestoutdoorcam
A spokesperson for the company told TechCrunch that it will lower camera quality settings by default this week.

"To answer the global call to prioritize internet bandwidth for learning and working, in the next few days we're going to be making a few changes. We believe these changes have the potential to help make it easier for communities to keep up with school, work, and everything in between."

When the change takes effect, users will see video quality settings revert to Default (the middle setting between Low and High). Users can if they wish change the setting back to a higher quality at any time. Google plans to roll back the settings to users' previous preferences when broadband network traffic eventually eases off.

Many streaming companies have already taken similar precautions, with Disney+, YouTube, Netflix, and Apple TV+ all cutting streaming data bitrates in Europe last month.

Most of these changes began in Europe after the European Union asked companies to temporarily reduce streaming quality to ease the strain on broadband networks. Similar policies have since spread to the United States and other countries.

Tags: Google, Nest

Top Rated Comments

PickUrPoison Avatar
63 months ago
It’s hard for me to believe that decreasing the quality of Nest footage moves the needle at all.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tcgjeukens Avatar
63 months ago
Maybe it is worth considering if you want an 'external entity' remotely altering YOUR camera settings.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reapro Avatar
63 months ago
Of course. Gaming is much more important than my safety. I would really hate it when some 12 year old doesn't get his kill, while I would be able to recognize the guy that stole my car or robbed my house.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unggoy Murderer Avatar
63 months ago
Was a very sad moment when Google acquired Nest, would have bought their home cameras in a heartbeat if it wasn't the case. Will probably go down the route of Ubiquiti's offerings instead (and have the data kept safe on-site).
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zubikov Avatar
63 months ago

Imagine how pissed you'd be if everyone kept everything at full throttle and the ISP's & SP's started to have outages due to lack of bandwidth?

We all have to accept a drop in quality while we are all working/studying from home during this unprecedented time. No one should have the cheek to moan about it either.
in the world of “you get what you paid for” that logic doesn’t work. We all do not have to accept a drop in quality.

if Verizon can’t get you 1Gbps internet, they should charge for the lower tier. If T mobile starts throttling my mobile internet, I would ask for a lower plan where that happens anyways. And with these super high end cams, I’d ask for money back.

This isn’t some kinda internet socialism.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
recoil80 Avatar
63 months ago
Thankfully Apple was prudent and kept releasing MacBooks with 720p cameras so they don't have to reduce quality during these days.
Joking aside, carriers were not ready for millions of people working and studying from home. It is their fault, but since they can't improve their networks overnight it is necessary to reduce quality wherever possible.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

airpods 4 blue

Apple Finally Explains How to Install New Firmware on Your AirPods

Monday January 27, 2025 11:17 am PST by
Apple regularly releases new firmware for the AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max, but the company has historically provided limited information on how to initiate an update. That changed today, and Apple updated its AirPods firmware support page with more specific instructions. Prior to today, here's what Apple said on the subject: Firmware updates are delivered automatically while your...
iOS 18

iOS 18.3 Available as Soon as Today With These New Features

Monday January 27, 2025 6:35 am PST by
Update: Apple has released iOS 18.3. In its press release unveiling a new Black Unity Sport Loop for the Apple Watch today, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.3 is "upcoming." According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple Stores are being instructed to update the software on demo devices today, so iOS 18.3 should be released either today or within the next few days. Below, we recap everything new...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Beta Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday January 24, 2025 8:16 am PST by
iOS 18.3 is expected to be widely released next week, and that means the first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner. Apple has previously implied that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, as that is when it promised to make Apple Intelligence available in even more languages. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri ...
iOS 18

5 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.3

Friday January 24, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.3 next week, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a couple of neat new capabilities to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 devices, and bug fixes. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.3 still introduces capabilities that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've...
iOS 18

Apple Expected to Release iOS 18.3 This Week With These New Features

Thursday January 23, 2025 6:41 am PST by
iOS 18.3 should be released to the public this week, following beta testing since mid-December. While the software update is a relatively minor one, it still includes a handful of new features, changes, and bug fixes for iPhones. Below, we recap everything new in iOS 18.3. Notification Summary Changes Examples of inaccurate Apple Intelligence notification summaries Apple Intelligence...
tvOS 18 Thumb 3

Apple Releases tvOS 18.3

Monday January 27, 2025 10:00 am PST by
Apple today released tvOS 18.3, the newest version of the tvOS 18 operating system that came out in September. tvOS 18.3 comes more than a month after Apple released tvOS 18.2, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and the Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.3 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software....
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Launching This Year With These New Features

Wednesday January 22, 2025 6:01 pm PST by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year. In this article, we recap rumored features and changes for the device. The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, which would be an upgrade over the current Apple TV's standard Wi-Fi 6 support. Wi-Fi 6E extends the...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.3 With Visual Intelligence and Notification Summary Improvements

Monday January 27, 2025 10:04 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3, the third major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 software that came out last year. iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 come six weeks after Apple released iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iPadOS 17.7.4 for...