Looking for an identical experience when using a "Wi-Fi-only" iPad versus Apple's just-released iPad 3G? Guess again. Electronista is reporting that a number of common applications, including the iPad's YouTube viewer, Netflix, and ABC's TV viewer, are running at downsampled resolutions over the 3G connection--or simply not at all. Previews of video content on the iTunes Store remain unaffected.
What's to blame for the quality loss? TechCrunch got a hold of an AT&T spokesperson who had a brief, but cryptic response: "It's just a question for Apple." Or is it?
Subsequent investigations, however, have revealed that the policies are so far self-imposed. ABC is allegedly prevented from streaming over 3G due to rights issues, for example. YouTube is most likely emulating the same bitrate scaling seen on the iPhone, with the larger screen size magnifying any drops in quality.
AT&T is known to have called for adaptive video quality on iPhone apps to avoid oversaturating its network, but it has stopped short of making that a requirement on its own. Sling Media noted earlier this year that its 3G-aware version of SlingPlayer had no help from AT&T and that it appeared to have been an unannounced change in policies that allowed it into the App Store.
Self-throttling is common on mobile apps for other platforms, but it has usually been voluntarily imposed to maintain a constant connection rather than for concerns about the carrier or for rights issues.
The 3G service on the iPad comes in two different flavors: an unlimited data plan for $29.99/mo and a 250MB plan for $14.99/mo. We've covered the nuances of the plans previously, including some helpful recommendations for what exactly constitutes 250MB-worth of service based on a few casual scenarios.
If jacked-up multimedia quality is your primary interest when it comes to your iPad, there are a few alternative solutions that could maximize your Wi-Fi connectivity when on-the-go--including AT&T's basic 3G plan, which gets you free access to the company's Wi-Fi hotspots, or a less expensive nationwide Wi-Fi service like Boingo Mobile Wi-Fi.
