Here we can see, “how much data does netflix use”
Be sure not to exceed your data limit by limiting how much data Netflix makes use of.
While video compression technology is constantly improving, watching a lot of Netflix is still eating up data. This could be a huge issue if your Internet has a data limit, and it could cause extra charges or bandwidth throttling. What is amount of data does Netflix consume? What can you do to modify the bandwidth used by Netflix?
If you know the exact amount of Netflix data usage, you will more quickly avoid exceeding your limit. It’s fairly easy to locate and modify the Netflix choices for data usage.
How Much Bandwidth Does Netflix Use?
Netflix’s bandwidth usage varies based on the quality setting that you select. You can choose from four Netflix data usage options:
- Low: This requires 0.3GB per hour for each device.
- Medium: Standard Definition that utilizes 0.7GB per hour.
- High: The highest possible video quality, encompassing equally HD (720p as well as 1080p) as well as Ultra HD (4K). HD can use up to 3GB of data per hour, whereas Ultra HD uses 7GB per hour.
- Auto: Netflix will automatically raise or decrease the quality of your stream depending on the performance of your Internet.
Suppose we consider these numbers that a typical 90-minute HD film would consume approximately 4.5GB in data. You can binge-watch a TV show of 10 episodes with Ultra HD, with one-hour episodes; that’s an impressive 70GB of information.
In the Netflix application in Windows, We logged into the Task Manager while watching a 4K version of the nature documentaries Our Planet.
After a few seconds in buffering time, Netflix’s usage soared to 84MB/s. This was because Netflix cached the video. Then, it changed between 2MB and 0 per second. 7GB per hour comes out to 1.94MB every second, suggesting that Netflix’s claimed bandwidth is true.
How Much Data Does Netflix Use on Mobile Devices?
It’s clear how quickly data usage could increase while you watch Netflix. It could be a more serious issue if you’re connected to mobile phone connections that have an even lower monthly allowance for data.
The good thing is that Netflix provides some settings for data use that are specifically designed on mobiles:
- Automatic: This balances the use of data by balancing high-quality video, which consumes around a gigabyte of information every 4 hours.
- WiFi Only: Netflix can only stream videos when it is connected via WiFi.
- Saving Data: increases the viewing time to around 60 minutes per gigabyte.
- Maximum Data is the best quality setting that is ideal for people with Unlimited Data plans. It will use up to one gigabyte of data every 20 minutes.
Importantly, if you set an amount of data you can use on Netflix, The app will not exceed that limit.
Our Tests: How Much Data Does Netflix Use for Different Video Qualities?
To check Netflix’s usage of data, we looked into the streaming bitrate tests Netflix offers. These videos, dubbed Test Patterns on Netflix, are organized by the resolution and frames per second (fps) and show the current bitrate, which directly translates into real-world performance in the upper right-hand corner.
We then observed the bitrate as the resolutions varied (as streaming buffered increased to the highest resolution) and then changed the number of kbps (Kilobits each second) to Gigabytes per hour. What we found is with a neat little chart showing the resolution, resolution, maximum and minimum bitrate (if both are available), as well as the data usage per hour:
23.976 fps
| Resolution | Streaming Bitrate | Hourly Conversion |
| 480p (720×480) | 1750 kbps | ~792 MB per hour |
| 720p (1280×720) | 3000 kbps | ~1.3 GB per hour |
| 1080p (1920×1080) | 4300-5800 kbps | ~1.9 GB to ~2.55 GB per hour |
| 1440p (2560×1440) | 6350 kbps | ~2.8 GB per hour |
| 4K (3840×2160) | 8000-16000 kbps | ~3.5 GB to ~7 GB per hour |
Most of the content you watch on Netflix will be 23.976 frames/second, which means this table should work for most of the videos you stream. But, Netflix also offers tests for 59.940 FPS, and we ran these numbers too. (Unfortunately, there’s no way to know if a program or movie is running in 23.976 or 59.940 frames per second.)
59.940 fps
| Resolution | Streaming Bitrate | Hourly Conversion |
| 720p (1280×720) | 3600 kbps | ~1.6 GB per hour |
| 1080p (1920×1080) | 6960 kbps | ~3.1 GB per hour |
| 4K (3840×2160) | 16000 kbps | ~7 GB per hour |
If we now look at Netflix’s suggested rates above, you’ll notice that they’re right in the middle, though our table is more precise. The highest I could obtain Netflix to offer was 16000kbps (right at 7GB per hour). This is the highest rate they offer on “high” settings “high” settings.
If you’ve ever worried about the possibility that Netflix has more data than it’s claimed to use, be assured that it isn’t the case. The suggested numbers are very close to what I observed during my tests.
How to Change Your Netflix Data Usage Settings
To alter your primary Netflix choices for Data, You must log into your account via your web browser. You cannot do this through an app. Netflix application.
- Go to www.netflix.com/YourAccount and scroll down to Profile & Parental Controls. Each profile has specific data usage settings, and you should follow the procedures for each profile that you wish to alter.
- Click the Arrow to increase the settings of your profile. Look for the Playback settings, then select Change.
- Under the Data usage screen, select the option you would like to select. Click Save. The Netflix videos will begin streaming with the Data you have selected for options.
- To modify your mobile data settings, Open your Netflix app and select more or profile. Tap App Settings.
- Under Video Playback, Select the option Cellular Data Use (depending on the region you live in, it could be something else, for example, “Mobile Data Usage”).
Select one of the options as described above.
You can also change the settings for downloading on this page too. You can modify the video download quality, restrict downloads to WiFi-only and turn on Smart Downloads.
Smart Downloads will automatically replace watched episodes with fresh versions when connected to WiFi which is great if you do not have much space on your smartphone.
How to Fine Tune Your Resolution and Data Usage
This is the issue: If you choose”High,” which is the “High” setting, Netflix will stream at the highest resolution available to your TV. However, if you have a TV with 4K resolution, it’s a lot of data – up to 7GB per hour! If you’d like to limit your usage to less than, Netflix makes you go back to the standard definition using a “Medium” setting, which isn’t the best choice.
There’s a trick to avoid this. For instance, let’s say that you don’t want the huge data consumption of 4K video. However, you’re happy with the 1080p video, which is still high definition, but with around half the data. To achieve this, you could change the resolution of the streaming device to ensure that it only requests the 1080p stream provided by Netflix (and other streaming services).
This is contingent on the set-top box you are using. However, here are some of the most popular and the best places to locate the required setting:
- Roku: Settings > Display Type
- Fire TV: Settings > Display & Sounds > Display > Video Resolution
- Apple TV: Settings > Video and Audio > Resolution
- Android TV: Settings > Display & Sound > Resolution
Although some boxes won’t allow you to drop completely to 720p, if you’re not using a TV with 720p resolution (like NVIDIA SHIELD, for instance), This allows you to have a bit more control than Netflix’s setting.
Tracking All of Your Data Use
It’s not only Netflix that consumes data. Watching videos online on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Hulu, and any other streaming service that you could think of has similar issues.
If your internet service provider restricts you, ensure that you monitorNetflix and all of your data usages to ensure you don’t face any fines.
Conclusion
I hope you find this article useful. Should you need any concerns or questions, do not hesitate to contact me using the contact form below.
User Questions:
- How many GB are in a two-hour film?
On Amazon streaming a film in SD for two hours would consume around 1.6 1 GB. To watch a film that lasts two hours with HD or on (Ultra HD) UHD, Amazon would use approximately 4GB and 12GB, and 12 GB, respectively.
- Does you leave Netflix on data usage?
Video content within the Netflix application for X1 is streamed on the Internet. This is why that if you fail to remove the Netflix application and close it, it will continue to utilize your allocated data in your Xfinity Internet data usage plan.
- Does Netflix use WiFi?
If you’re watching Netflix on your phone or tablet, the two Internet choices are WiFi as well as the plan’s 3G or 4G connectivity. Although both the Android and Apple Netflix apps include a WiFi-only option, you’ll need to activate the feature manually via the app’s settings.
- How much Data can I use to stream about 20 hours worth of Netflix.
How much data woudl I use to watch about 20 hours of Netflix. from netflix
- How much data does Netflix use? [AUS]
