Streaming videos - How much bandwidth do I need?

We often get asked about streaming services and connection speeds.

How fast does my internet need to be so that I can watch the latest Netflix series?

- In the case of Netflix, it is recommended that you have a connection of 15 Mbps or greater if you want to stream in Ultra High Definition (UHD). 

But I have a connection that is greater than 15 Mbps and I only seem to get High Definition (HD) films?

 - Most of the content providers will determine how fast your current connection is their servers and then allow you to stream the appropriate quality for your connection. It may be that your main internet connection is higher than 15 Mpbs for example, but there are other people using that connection at the same time, so the available bandwidth left is not enough to support a UHD movie stream.

- You may have a great internet connection to your property but the bottleneck could be your Wi-Fi, are there too many devices connected, is there some other wireless interference causing disconnects, is your Wi-Fi using old technology like 802.11b which will limit is capabilities.,

I can stream UHD films on Netflix but not on Disney+ ?

- Each of the content streaming providers have their own minimum requirements for being able to stream different quality movies  or tv programmes

We have pulled together some details from the most common streaming providers so that you can see what they require.

* All speed requirements have been taken from the respective content provider website or support document and are subject to change by them,

How can I check my speed?

- The easiest way to check your speed is to use an online speedtest, there are quite a few out there. Be aware that this will only show you the current speed you can attain from your current device, you will likely get different results from different devices. this is also a great way to see if your Wi-Fi a part of your bottleneck, by testing a wired computer and a wireless device to see how different their results are

• Speedtest.net
• Fast.com
• Speedof.me