Netflix has become an integral part of our daily entertainment. However, understanding how much data these services consume is important, especially for those on limited data plans.
Netflix’s data usage varies based on the quality of the video you are streaming, the device you are using, and the length of your viewing session.
For example a one hour Netflix movie with Medium definition consumes about 700 MB. The table below shows Netflix data consumed per hour for different quality settings.
| Quality | Data Consumed |
|---|---|
| Low | 300 MB |
| Medium | 700 MB |
| Standard Definition | 1 GB |
| High Definition | 3 GB |
| Ultra High Definition (4K) | 7 GB |
The calculator tool below computes the data consumption of Netflix.
- Enter the Length of the movie or show
- Select the Quality of your Netflix stream
The tool will then give you the total data usage
Example Calculation
A one hour movie with standard definition quality consumes about 1 GB of data.
If you’re watching a one hour movie every day of the month, enter 30 hours and the tool will provide the bandwidth consumption per month.
Netflix Bandwidth Table
How much bandwidth does Netflix consume?
Netflix is a streaming service. The table below (derived from the hourly data consumption) shows the download bandwidth. The rate in Megabit per second, depends on the quality of the stream.
| Data Usage Setting | Bandwidth (Mbps) |
|---|---|
| Low | 0.67 |
| Medium | 1.56 |
| Standard Definition | 2.22 |
| High Definition | 6.67 |
| Ultra High Definition (4K) | 15.56 |
From the table above a bandwidth of 15.56 Mbps is required for 4K streaming.
Unlike video conferencing or VoIP calling, the upload is minimal. If two people within one house are watching Netflix at the same time, the bandwidth requirements are doubled. In the 4K setting, the bandwidth goes from 15.56 to 31 Mbps. If your internet connection is not fast enough, you may need to adjust the quality setting from Standard down to Medium.