Netflix fans across Europe may no longer be able to watch shows in HD, in a move to relieve pressure on the internet during the coronavirus pandemic.

The European Union today urged online media platforms to stream movies and entertainment in standard rather than high definition.

As online speeds have increased and screen resolution has improved, web giants like Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO and Amazon have increasingly supplied film lovers with high definition footage of their favourites.

But Thierry Breton, the EU commissioner for the internal market and digital economy, warns the huge file sizes of such broadcasts are slowing the web just as many users are forced to work online from home.

After holding talks with Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, Breton said: 'Europe and the whole world are facing an unprecedented situation.

'Governments have taken measures to reduce social interactions to contain the spread of COVID-19, and to encourage remote working and online education.'

'Streaming platforms, telecom operators and users, we all have a joint responsibility to take steps to ensure the smooth functioning of the Internet during the battle against the virus propagation.'

Breton's office announced that EU regulators had set up a reporting mechanism to monitor internet traffic and react quickly if over-use threatens communications and the economy in Europe.

It follows the announcement all schools in England Сериалы 2021 zhd.life will close on Friday along with those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as coronavirus continues to wreak havoc in the UK.    

Boris Johnson revealed the bombshell move this evening and said that when school gates shut at the end of the week they will not reopen for the foreseeable future.

However, a skeleton operation will be kept in place across the country so that the children of key workers - including NHS staff, police officers and supermarket delivery drivers - can be looked after and enable their parents to continue to work.