Inside Netflix’s Plan to Boost Streaming Quality and Unclog the Internet (Exclusive)

http://variety.com/2015/digital/news/netflix-better-streaming-quality-1201661116/

a new bandwidth-saving technology that the company has been working on for four years

At the lowest end was a file encoded with a bitrate of 235 kbps, which would work even on very slow connections, but also only deliver a resolution of 320 by 240 pixels. Somewhere in the middle was a 1750 kbps file for a resolution of 1280 by 720, and the best quality was a 5800 kbps version for a great-looking 1080p experience.