How Much Data is Used for Streaming TV?
Streaming TV can use a lot of data, especially if you watch in HD or 4K. A good rule of thumb is that streaming may use around 0.3 GB to 3 GB per hour for lower to HD quality, and even more for 4K.
Watch 2 hours a night in HD and you could use roughly 180 GB a month.
The Short Answer
- Low quality: about 0.3 GB per hour
- Medium quality: about 0.7 GB per hour
- HD: up to about 3 GB per hour
- 4K: can be around 7 GB per hour or more
Why it Varies
The biggest factor is video quality.
Higher quality uses more data. Live TV streaming can also add up fast if you watch for several hours a day, especially on mobile data or a home internet plan with a data cap.
What to Watch Out For
If you are streaming over your phone plan or a hotspot, data use matters a lot more.
If you want to use less data, lower the video quality when possible and use Wi-Fi or Ethernet instead of mobile data.
Best Simple Answer
Streaming TV usually uses somewhere between 0.3 GB and 3 GB per hour for normal viewing, and more if you stream in 4K. The higher the quality, the more data it uses.
Sources:
- Netflix: How to control how much data Netflix uses
- YouTube TV: Troubleshoot streaming issues
- YouTube TV: 4K requirements
- Hulu: Change video quality and data usage
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