Data amounts for streaming 3G/4G

[skatergirl]

How much data do you all estimate it would take to stream say Netflix for two hours on 3G and on 4G, and would those numbers be the same if the streaming came through the hotspot onto a laptop or tablet?

Thank you!!

 

[cmandd]

It depends on the stream quality.
600mb or so on lowest quality
2-3gb on HD

 

[skatergirl]

How much data do you all estimate it would take to stream say Netflix for two hours on 3G and on 4G, and would those numbers be the same if the streaming came through the hotspot onto a laptop or tablet?

Thank you!!

After creating this thread, I decided to start a test on my phone in 3G. I am streaming a 134 minute movie on Netflix on my phone. I'll let you all know how much data I used.

 

[skatergirl]

After creating this thread, I decided to start a test on my phone in 3G. I am streaming a 134 minute movie on Netflix on my phone. I'll let you all know how much data I used.

Ok ... so on my 3G connection I ran a 125 minute Netflix movie (there was no buffering either) and it took 333 MBs. I am going to do the same test during the week (hopefully Wednesday) when I am in 4G.

 

[humpagardengnome]

Ok ... so on my 3G connection I ran a 125 minute Netflix movie (there was no buffering either) and it took 333 MBs. I am going to do the same test during the week (hopefully Wednesday) when I am in 4G.

Prepare yourself for big numerals, since tiered plans and the push to 4g for one and all is already in full swing. Number crunching isn't so amusing anymore, to see the difference between, especially since data users are on the cusp of the first "ice age", mobile data widgets being turned off for lengthier terms for many.

 

[rootbrain]

Why wouldn't the data be the same for 3G and 4G? Just different speeds. But wouldn't the same movie of the same length be the same data?

If you download a 1GB file over 3G and 4G it's still the same 1GB file.

 

[humpagardengnome]

Why wouldn't the data be the same for 3G and 4G? Just different speeds. But wouldn't the same movie of the same length be the same data?

If you download a 1GB file over 3G and 4G it's still the same 1GB file.

That's completely logical and it's exactly what I would normally think and I'm not sure why but 4g always produces much higher #'s streaming for some reason. It's bizarre and makes little sense but the numbers are never remotely consistant for me. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Skatergirl ezperiences w/ it b/c I can't make heads or tails of it.

 

[cmandd]

Why wouldn't the data be the same for 3G and 4G? Just different speeds. But wouldn't the same movie of the same length be the same data?

If you download a 1GB file over 3G and 4G it's still the same 1GB file.

Not the way Netflix works, it's not a static file size. They raise and lower the quality based on bandwith. On 4G, you could have bandwith for HD if available, that can run 1-2GB/hr. This is why they let you choose the upper limit of bandwith use.

 

[dpham00]

That's completely logical and it's exactly what I would normally think and I'm not sure why but 4g always produces much higher #'s streaming for some reason. It's bizarre and makes little sense but the numbers are never remotely consistant for me. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Skatergirl ezperiences w/ it b/c I can't make heads or tails of it.

netflix always starts at the lowest bandwidth and increases as it sees that more bandwidth is available, adjusting as necessary so that there is a minimal skipping.

Per netflix, the tiers are as follows:

https://account.netflix.com/HdToggle

1. Good quality (up to 0.3 GB per hour)
2. Better quality (up to 0.7 GB per hour)
3. Best quality (up to 1 GB per hour, or up to 2.3 GB per hour for HD)

Based on that, 2.3GB per hour is around 5.1mbps. There is no way that you would be able to get that bandwidth on Verizon 3G which is 1xEVDO Rev. A, which has a theoretical cap of 3.1mbps, though, I have personally seen about 2.1mbps max. Either way, it is below the 5.1mbps needed for Netflix HD streaming.

And, realistically speaking, if you are in a crowded 3G area you are most likely streaming at "Good Quality" which is 700kbps. It would be possible to stream at "Better quality" which is 1.6mbps, but, at least where I am, 3G rarely gets above 1mbps, and usually, lower.

This of course is in contrast to Verizon 4GLTE, I have seen speeds in excess of 60mbps, and typically see around 8-12mbps during peak times.

 

[humpagardengnome]

netflix always starts at the lowest bandwidth and increases as it sees that more bandwidth is available, adjusting as necessary so that there is a minimal skipping.

Per netflix, the tiers are as follows:

https://account.netflix.com/HdToggle

1. Good quality (up to 0.3 GB per hour)
2. Better quality (up to 0.7 GB per hour)
3. Best quality (up to 1 GB per hour, or up to 2.3 GB per hour for HD)

Based on that, 2.3GB per hour is around 5.1mbps. There is no way that you would be able to get that bandwidth on Verizon 3G which is 1xEVDO Rev. A, which has a theoretical cap of 3.1mbps, though, I have personally seen about 2.1mbps max. Either way, it is below the 5.1mbps needed for Netflix HD streaming.

And, realistically speaking, if you are in a crowded 3G area you are most likely streaming at "Good Quality" which is 700kbps. It would be possible to stream at "Better quality" which is 1.6mbps, but, at least where I am, 3G rarely gets above 1mbps, and usually, lower.

This of course is in contrast to Verizon 4GLTE, I have seen speeds in excess of 60mbps, and typically see around 8-12mbps during peak times.

Never paid attention to this. Makes sense, since Netflix responsible for the bulk of the cinematic viewage on my phone. I'll have to keep this handy for future reference.

 

[Gu1l7y5p4rk]

I would firmly believe that any content streamed at the same quality would be the same amount regardless of the service.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

[humpagardengnome]

I would firmly believe that any content streamed at the same quality would be the same amount regardless of the service.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

Sign on with Netflix and get your mind blown.

 

[skatergirl]

Ok ... so on my 3G connection I ran a 125 minute Netflix movie (there was no buffering either) and it took 333 MBs. I am going to do the same test during the week (hopefully Wednesday) when I am in 4G.

Well, the results are in and Netflix in 4G uses nearly twice as much data as in 3G.

Morning Glory: 110 minutes on 3G used 264 MBs (2.4 per second)

Morning Glory: 60 minutes on 4G used 256 MBs (4.2 per second)

I did not have time to run Morning Glory in its entirety today, but I think 60 minutes tells the story. I did not change any of my Netflix settings, so yes Netflix can use twice as much data in 4G.

 

[pcabe5]

Wow that is significant. Does your Netflix account have a way to throttle the stream. No wonder they advertise streaming and reduce/more expensive data plans.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

[mhans311]

I would firmly believe that any content streamed at the same quality would be the same amount regardless of the service.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

Yes if it is the same quality it will use the same amount of data. The thing is that 4G can stream at a much higher quality and therefore uses much more data.

Bionic'd from my tapatalk.

 

[skatergirl]

Wow that is significant. Does your Netflix account have a way to throttle the stream. No wonder they advertise streaming and reduce/more expensive data plans.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

Yes, I can change the streaming quality on Netflix, but I did not have time to test that while in 4G today.I wanted to see the data difference between 3G and 4G first. I suppose it would be just as easy to turn 4G off while streaming Netflix movies.

 

[rstikele]

I want to point out that Skategirls math is incorrect. For using 256Mb in 60 minutes that works out to 4.2Mb/min or 0.071Mb/s. Actually, most of the math on this thread is wrong. It appears that most are taking the data used and dividing by 60, and that gives you the unit per minute. If you want the the data in units of per second then divide by 3600. Lastly, if your data used is in GBs then multiply by 1000 first, then divide by 3600 to get your data usage in MB/s. If its in MB then divide by 3600 straight away.

 

[dpham00]

I want to point out that Skategirls math is incorrect. For using 256Mb in 60 minutes that works out to 4.2Mb/min or 0.071Mb/s. Actually, most of the math on this thread is wrong. It appears that most are taking the data used and dividing by 60, and that gives you the unit per minute. If you want the the data in units of per second then divide by 3600. Lastly, if your data used is in GBs then multiply by 1000 first, then divide by 3600 to get your data usage in MB/s. If its in MB then divide by 3600 straight away.

Typically, speed is measured in megabits per second, not megabytes per second. Verizon's 4GLTE network is rated at 72 megabits per second, or 9 megabytes per second. The speed test app measures in kilobits per second, or megabits per second.

One byte being 8 bits.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II

 

[Brenda Hitchcock]

You can choose streaming speed in your account settings at netflix.

 

[MsSparkie]

Would there be different qualities in streaming youtube videos or is it all regular?
No low, and no HD?

How much data would my cell use on 4G is I use wifi, or on my PC without wifi, to watch 90 minute movie?