Reason for very low quality images..?

[Bob Newhart]

What is the reason for getting very low quality images on the chrome/opera browser, bbcnews app, engadget app, other apps?

 

This was when connected to a strong LTE signal, also tried it on 3G, same issue.

 

Is this a temporary problem that is introduced when a tower is testing? Why is this issue introduced?

 

Does Sprint normally alter images to reduce the bandwidth on their servers, are all images cached on their proxies?

 

In Federal Way, WA.

[S4GRU]

What is the reason for getting very low quality images on the chrome/opera browser, bbcnews app, engadget app, other apps?

 

This was when connected to a strong LTE signal, also tried it on 3G, same issue.

 

Is this a temporary problem that is introduced when a tower is testing? Why is this issue introduced?

 

Does Sprint normally alter images to reduce the bandwidth on their servers, are all images cached on their proxies?

 

In Federal Way, WA.

 

I have never had this occur before.

 

Robert from Note 2 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

 

[digiblur]

Me either.. Even on horribly performing LTE sites, I haven't seen it. I can do a quick comparison on and off the vpn tunnel.

[Bob Newhart]

A speed test on that same tower was very good. http://www.speedtest.net/android/489808604.png

 

I'm another tower now, slow speeds , but full quality images.

 

I didn't try a vpn/proxy of my own. I have seen other reports online of people seeing similar problems.

 

 

[owensri2]

Happens to me quite often, even with strong signals.  Don't know why.  Usually a restart will fix it.

[tauruskazoo]

I was just wondering if Sprint, with Network Vision, was installing some silent, front-end compression technology to ease the load a little.  I thought I caught compression artifacts on the web that didn't seem to be there on WiFi, but figured it was just being paranoid. 

[Steven800]

Just use the full version of the page. That should make the images full quality.

[NGeorge]

Been happening to me pretty much all the time now... started one day about 3 days after NV got installed in Olympia, WA and has been doing it ever since... it followed from my PhotonQ to my HTC One, and it doesn't happen when I go to Minneapolis or Des Moines... It has to be a network thing. It also doesn't do it on WiFi, but it does do it on 3G.

 

 

EDIT: Just noticed your in Federal Way -- that's just up the road about 40 miles... So it's a network in Western Washington thing... I tried putting in a ticket and Sprint denied it, saying update my software. Hopefully they aren't trying to use us to trial some new compression scheme--I'm all for helping ease bandwidth, but the example above is exactly what I am seeing as well, and that's a little over the top. There are ways to get awesome compression that are invisible or barely visable on a mobile device...

 

Nat

[Txmtx]

Just use the full version of the page. That should make the images full quality.

No. Sprint dynamically recompresses content ("transparently to the user" to hear them tell it lol) based on loading and other variables. A VPN *can* prevent it but it depends on the configuration. Basically, if Sprint can detect that it is video or image content, it will usually recompress it. AFAIK, this does not happen with audio, and obviously it cannot happen to PNGs and such. There are threads on bypassing the proxy but I never saw anything conclusive across devices, and I don't know where to tweak it on my handset. It is generally not noticeable with images, but if I tether to my retina iPad, it really looks like hell. Streaming video looks like crap pretty often. Sprint doesn't touch actual downloads, so if you have a site which lets you DL the vid or watch it, sometimes the difference is pretty dramatic.

 

Other guys do it to some extents, and it is part of the unspoken tradeoff Sprint does to offer unlimited data. Actually, on Verizon or AT&T you'd think, if they had consumers' interests at heart, they would at least have this as an optional network tech for users who select it... Guess they don't care how quickly you pay them for 10GB -- in fact they are financially motivated to want you to use as much as possible! Maybe we'll one day see a scandal where Verizon inflates streaming video with padding to up consumption of users in wealthy areas.

[Bob Newhart]

The video streamed from a few sites looked awful too. This would explain it.

I will try it again with a vpn and/or proxy if it does it again this week.

 

On my work AT&T nexus4, no visible issues.

[Steven800]

Well I've never noticed it. My eyes must be bad. Lol

[Bob Newhart]

Well I've never noticed it. My eyes must be bad. Lol

 

 

If it happens it is very easy to see.

 

http://goo.gl/6KsMJ

http://goo.gl/Xi7T2

http://goo.gl/TTBTR

http://goo.gl/XL7u5

http://goo.gl/djKsL

http://goo.gl/VOh4b

 

I wonder what is going on, it is like the jpg is gradually being built, but it only gives the first pass.

[Txmtx]

Well I've never noticed it. My eyes must be bad. Lol

Then it is working the way they want in your area. You can verify it happens to almost images, or you used to be able to unless they've fixed it, by looking at the alt-text. Also the metadata if you examine the object.

 

The amount of compression is variable based on network loading.

[Txmtx]

Removed: tapatalk app double post, ironically due to spotty connection (and shit app coding)

Edited June 20, 2013 by Txmtx

[Bob Newhart]

Verified it again today.The images were of higher quality, but not great.

 

I downloaded a jpeg from my server on the Sprint cell over both 4G/3G, different towers, the file size was 87KB.

 

I downloaded it the same Sprint cell using a VPN connected, the file size was 304KB.

I downloaded it from an AT&T phone, the file size was 304KB.

I downloaded it from a PC, the file size was 304KB.

 

 

The images were of noticeable differences in quality, one was very good, one was meh.

 

When did Sprint start doing this? 

Do all cell companies do this too?

From the differences in qualities from today and yesterday, it looks like they are tuning it, my guess.

[Sonic13]

I notice this as well, and it's even more apparent when I tether my iPad to my phone. I always thought it was the website's response to my slow connection (if that's even possible). But with apps like Instagram and Flickr, the pictures are always low quality unless I'm on wifi (even if the wifi is slow), whether 3G is performing well or not.

[digiblur]

They used to do this all the time when CDMA2K launched in my area....  I still remember going to places where the little arrows had a slash through them indicating no data service.  Funny that the area was one of the first to get LTE around me.

[mrknowitall526]

Mine look compressed when I connect to my Mifi, but nothing THAT bad!

[Bob Newhart]

I do wonder, in the data used, especially when roaming, which image size goes towards the count, the pre or the post compressed image? That would be interesting if it was the pre but gave you the post. I really don't like this altering the data downloaded, what if I was wanting the real image, how can they choose it for me? So wrong.

 

I have heard of the mifi devices having tethered devices having their images altered before.

[Txmtx]

I do wonder, in the data used, especially when roaming, which image size goes towards the count, the pre or the post compressed image? That would be interesting if it was the pre but gave you the post. I really don't like this altering the data downloaded, what if I was wanting the real image, how can they choose it for me? So wrong.

 

I have heard of the mifi devices having tethered devices having their images altered before.

 

If it happened while you were roaming it will be post. Except this happens on the Sprint end of the network path to you, so unless you were roaming on a network that did similarly, it won't happen roaming.

 

My opinion on it is, while it is a little sketchy to my geek tendencies, I also noticed it and knew how to prevent it when required (secure VPN). My work has one, but you can get one for super cheap too. And anything encrypted obviously can't be touched. It's a little like Pandora -- and even Pandora One, the paid version -- defaulting to lower-bitrate audio, unless you go and specifically change it. Most folks may never notice or know they should care.

[miguell2]

It is not noticeable in DC or Northern VA as far as I can tell.

[teeitup]

I remember this happening a few months back. It was right after I removed the camera module (security requirement to bring my phone to work). Always thought it was just my phone or assumed it had something to do with the camera module being removed and not able to process images correctly. Haven't noticed it recently so sprint may have fixed something on the network side in the area. When it happened it was obvious and made images difficult to make out.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk

 

 

[rcro]

Sprint doesn't touch actual downloads, so if you have a site which lets you DL the vid or watch it, sometimes the difference is pretty dramatic.

 

 

umm, yes they do. Try downloading a picture over wifi and LTE. The LTE will be compressed, about half the size or less of the original picture. Not very good if you have text intensive pics or actually want the hi res/quality image, need to zoom in to see detail and so forth.

[dbsynergy]

They probably won't be able to do this on sites you visit over HTTPS. Next time you see this, try going to the same page with HTTPS in the url instead.

[gcousing]

This is still happening to me, and I live in Los Angeles. I have a 5s and borrowed a friend's 5s (but who is on Verizon) and went on the same website with both. My phone had awful compression. This seriously should be fixed, it makes web browsing a worse experience.