What Internet Speed is Good for Streaming Online?

We all pay a significantly high price for our internet service while still receiving a meekly slow speed.

18:06 12 September 2020

This is more likely to frustrate you if you are one of those households who chose to cut the cord resorting to an internet connection to enjoy quality entertainment like UHD 4K movies and your favorite series.

 

You need at least 25 Mbps of broadband speed to stream an ultra-high-definition 4K movie or a TV show. At least 10-18 Mbps to stream standard high-definition movies. However, be mindful that this would suffice a single device only, in case you plan on using multiple devices with optimal quality then the speed should ideally go up to 50-100 Mbps for an average 4-user household, check Spectrum internet packages to find exactly what you need.

 

Moving on, broadband speeds are measured in megabits per second (Mbps), or the number of data packets that are transmitted to the internet from your home in one second and vice versa. The one concern that we often ignore with internet speeds is that even if your subscribed number of Mbps is significantly high but if there isn’t enough bandwidth for each connected device then there’s a high possibility that you might run into buffering issues. This raises the question of how you can mend these streaming speed related issues, read on to find out:

 

How to improve the streaming speed?

 

To find the right internet speed for your household, you need to factor in several elements including the number of devices and users connecting to the internet at the same time (it divides the bandwidth). The kind of internet usage is another factor to consider before finalizing the internet speed you are going to subscribe to. Ultra high definition video streaming takes up greater bandwidth than usual internet surfing, checking email, or browsing social media.

 

So, if you belong to the self-employed group of individuals working from home, you like to host a lot of movie nights, or you are a hardcore gamer then you are going to need an internet connection strong enough to support such high-bandwidth demanding activities. Here’s how you can fix a spotty Wi-Fi connection for a seamless streaming experience.

 

Update your equipment

 

If you chose to invest in a high-speed internet plan and still face connectivity issues then there is a very high possibility that you need to upgrade your equipment. Either the physical equipment is outdated (see if it supports 802.11ac technology or ask your ISP to upgrade your equipment) or in another case; the software needs a quick update. Check for both, updating the software is the easiest part and it gives an instant boost to your internet’s speed.

 

If you face drops in internet speeds, only when you stream videos online then you should look into subscribing to a live TV streaming service like Roku, etc. to ensure a dedicated streaming device that doesn’t have to go through buffering due to interference from other apps.

 

Upgrade your internet plan

 

Internet service providers with fiber optic infrastructure in place offer uninterrupted gigabit internet speeds. However, all you need is a good 100 Mbps of internet speed for HD streaming on multiple devices.

 

Take a quick speed test and see what your current speeds are, make sure no extra device is connected to the internet as you run the test for more accurate results. Record what your upload and download speeds are and decide if you need to upgrade your connection speed that too if it fits your budget.

 

To sum it up, streaming services recommend 18-25 Mbps of broadband speed for Ultra HD Video streaming including HDR, 4K and UHD, 10-18 Mbps for HD video, and 1-10 Mbps for standard definition quality video.