The Covid-19 outbreak and its resultant social distancing has given rise to an unparalleled increase in internet usage. In this scenario, OTT platform MX Player has launched its ‘Data Saver Mode’ as an initiative to reduce broadband strain on infrastructure across the country. This mode is now set as the default setting on all mobile devices. This mode restricts its streaming on mobile devices to a lower resolution (480p instead of 1080p).
MX Player has additionally taken steps to reduce bandwidth consumption without affecting user experience. It has taken the lead to support H.265 (HEVC) transcoding for Live TV and on-demand content. This single achievement has helped nearly halve the bandwidth consumption as compared to the earlier used H.264 stream. With this improvement, users are now able to get better quality live streams even under poor network conditions with very low buffering and low latency. On an Android mobile, 1 GB on MX Player can stream or download up to 6 hours of video.
Speaking about this development, Vivek Jain, COO, MX Player noted, “Considering that a majority of offices have declared work from home, we understand the impact this will have on network infrastructure. Internet bandwidth is scarce. At such times, it is key that wheels of the economy keep running and all activities can be continued with sufficient bandwidth available. Especially at our scale (175 Million users), it is important that we play our part in preserving a smooth functioning of the internet during this crisis. As a result, we have decided to double down on our efforts to provide the best customer experience while conserving bandwidth. I am happy to share that collectively, all our advancements will reduce MX bandwidth consumption by over 70%.”
Operating at scale in India with an advertising led model for premium content, MX Player integrates its offline video playing capabilities with a wide library of streaming video content including originals, movies, web series, TV shows, news, music and games.
