How to check the data traffic consumption of streaming platforms? Estimates on the use of the smartphone application network.
It is not always possible to connect to a Wi-Fi network and users who do not have telephone rates with unlimited internet know how frustrating it can be to finish their Gigabytes before the end of the month or the next recharge. Some small tricks to save GB intervene to help users, even when it comes to reproducing a film, an activity that usually absorbs a lot of our data.
Watching streaming feature films on PCs, smartphones, tablets and smart TVs can be very expensive in terms of traffic, but there are some differences between the various apps that provide this service.
We therefore compare the different consumption with the same activity to understand which platform offers the best performance.
How many gigabytes does watching a Netflix movie
On its website Netflix it declares that the playback of movies and TV series on its platform requires consumption of 1 GB per hour for standard format content and up to 3 GB per hour for HD content.
Downloads and streams burn almost the same amount of data traffic because the consumption rate of data depends on the quality of the video:
- minimum (low data consumption) up to 300 MB per hour;
- standard (average data consumption) up to 700 MB per hour;
- maximum (high consumption from) up to 3G per hour in HD and up to 7 GB per hour in Ultra HD.
However, there is also the possibility of adopting automatic data consumption. In this case, Netflix automatically identifies the consumption that guarantees the best quality based on the speed of the Internet connection you have.
If, on the other hand, you are watching a film on devices such as smartphones and tablets, you can choose between these data consumption modes:
- automatic - with a balance between GB consumption and visual quality: about 1 GB every 4 hours;
- Wi-Fi only;
- highest quality - approximately 1GB every 20 minutes of streaming.
Here too Netflix has added the new option called "Mobile data consumption" which allows you to save gigs when watching a movie without a Wi-Fi network. With data savings we are talking about 1 GB approximately every 6 hours.
How many Gigabytes does a movie consume on Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime Video is one of the apps that allows the user to monitor the consumption of gigabytes while watching movies. These values are quite standardized and on desktop, based on quality, you will have the following hourly consumption:
- good - about 380 MB per hour;
- high - about 1.40 GB per hour;
- maximum - about 6.84 GB per hour.
If you are watching something through the app, you can manually set the quality of the streaming and download. The average consumption therefore vary according to the preference setting:
- maximum - 460 MB per hour;
- high - 330 MB per hour;
- good - 270 MB per hour;
- data saving - 140 MB per hour.
How many Gigabytes are consumed for a YouTube and Sky on Demand movie
Sky on Demand predicts a consumption of gigs estimated upwards and if you are watching a movie in streaming you should know that you will consume a variable number of gigs based on the resolution:
- 1080p (Full HD) - from 2 to 6 GB per hour;
- 720p (HD) - from 1 to 4 GB per hour;
- 480p (SD) - from 750 MB to 2.5 GB per hour.
Different and more standardized is the case of Sky Go which, on the other hand, consumes from 500 MB per hour on a smartphone to 1 GB per hour on a tablet.
Finally, to save data YouTube allows you to adjust the quality according to the connection available. In this way, the average consumption for a Full HD movie can be between 750 MB and 2.8 GB per hour.
How to save on data traffic
The solution to keep our data traffic under control is therefore to adjust the GB access settings of our apps.
To regulate the use of the internet in a generalized way, you can set a data consumption limit directly from the settings of your smartphone. With this system you will be started with a notification when you have exceeded the limit threshold.
The simplest advice to not spend too many GB is still to connect to a Wi-Fi network whenever you have the possibility but also and above all to always deactivate the remotely active apps because, even if they are not used, act in the background and consume data.
Original article published on Money.it Italy 2022-10-30 23:54:54.
Original title: Quanti giga si consumano guardando un film sul cellulare?
