Connection quality
What internet speed do you need to stream TV? (HD and 4K)
How many Mbps you need per stream for SD, HD and 4K, how to test your real speed on a TV, and what to change when it isn’t enough.
Plan for about 5 Mbps per SD stream, 10 Mbps per HD stream and 25 Mbps per 4K stream, then add them up for simultaneous viewers. Stability matters as much as speed: test on the TV itself, in the evening.
Speed per stream
| Quality | Suggested speed | Data per hour (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| SD | 5 Mbps | ~1 GB |
| HD 1080p | 10 Mbps | ~3 GB |
| 4K (where offered) | 25 Mbps | ~7 GB |
These are planning figures that include headroom for other traffic on your network. Two people watching HD at the same time therefore need about 20 Mbps, plus whatever else the household is doing.
Test where you watch
A test on your phone next to the router says little about the TV in the basement. On Fire TV, Settings › Network shows signal strength; press the Play/Pause button on a network to see connection details. On Google TV, a speed test app from Google Play gives a quick reading. Test around 8 p.m., when neighborhood networks are busiest.
What to change if it’s not enough
- Use 5 GHz Wi-Fi instead of 2.4 GHz: faster and less crowded, though it reaches less far.
- Plug in an Ethernet cable where possible; many streaming sticks accept a low-cost Ethernet adapter.
- Move the router higher and away from microwaves, aquariums and thick walls.
- Add a mesh point rather than a cheap repeater, which halves throughput.
- Pause large downloads such as game updates and cloud backups while watching.
Data caps
Some internet plans in the U.S. and Canada have monthly data limits. Four hours of HD per day is roughly 360 GB per month. Check your provider’s plan before committing to 4K.
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