The revolution in consumer TV is officially here! Use this guide to see if your internet provider is up to the challenge.
How Much Data is needed for streaming TV services?
In this review, we’ll look at how much data these popular services like Stan, Netflix, and Foxtel Now use, and give you a few pointers on how to select a data plan that matches your viewing habits. If you are looking for more information about Australian broadband providers – and want to find out about the latest offers and deals – have a look at the Broadband section, where our experts compile, compare, and review all the best offers for you!
I like to have the option of watching what I want, wherever I am. So with my Australian Netflix account I stream one or two episodes of my favourite shows during my downtime, and maybe a movie or two on the weekend.
Doing the math, that’s easily four hours a week – so my viewing habits average out at 16 hours a month. Keep in mind that this is on top of my other internet-related activities. Bottom line? It all adds up to quite a lot of data.
I’m one of the many Australian viewers that have been howling for better TV. Streaming services like Stan, Netflix, Foxtel Now, Kayo Sports and BINGE have answered my howling with some much-needed variety. They also add on-demand access into the mix as well. However, the increase in viewership might impact how much – and when – I can watch my favourite shows.
ISP Data and Speeds for Streaming in Australia
According to research done by the ABS, June 2018 saw over 14.7 million Australians owning an internet subscription. That’s more than half of the over-25 million of us paying for the internet. This is not counting users that piggy-back their housemate’s connection or leech from the cafe down the road. Add them to the list and you get a whole lot more people logged into the world wide web – as much as 88% of the population, according to some statistics.
Unfortunately, Australia’s communication infrastructure wasn’t designed for this kind of usage. That’s why, when we all log in at once, we can experience “evening slowdown”. Everything slows down as the ISPs’ servers try to sort out which requests go where. Streaming TV caught ISPs by surprise, but thankfully they’ve made moves to fix this very annoying problem.
Plus, you have the issue of data caps. Australia is one of the few countries where caps can still play a part in a broadband plan. You go over, you pay. Or your download speed gets throttled. Plans with “unlimited” data are available from most major providers now, which are ideal for streaming but can cause slowdown if everyone’s taking advantage of them.
So what happens when you plug high-definition streaming services into the mix?
Getting the best Streaming Experience
Streaming TV services try to remove buffering and loading screens as much as possible. One way they do this is by controlling the video definition you receive. The better the speed, the better the quality – but more data gets used.
Our increased streaming habits can quickly demolish our monthly data quota. This often results in one of two outcomes:
- You either pay an overage fee for every MB you consume after your cap.
- Your broadband speeds get throttled. Which means you only get low-res versions of your favourite shows, if they can play at all.
Moreover, with more people crowding onto your local network, chances are that – without a solid connection speed – you might experience some kind of quality slowdown during peak times. From experience, that’s usually between 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm on a weeknight and 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm on weekends. This happens as everyone settles down in front of their favourite devices. Maybe they’re streaming a movie on the big TV, trawling eBay on the tablet, and scrolling through Facebook on the smartphone – it all adds up.
Complete Streaming TV Data Usage Listing
To start, you need to know just how much data your binge-watching actually requires. Here’s a quick breakdown of how much bandwidth your favourite shows can use up.
Netflix Data Usage
For starters Netflix Australia offers four tiers of viewing quality. The service automatically adjusts video quality based on your connection speed. This is done to avoid buffering. But you can also choose your preferred viewing quality in account settings.
Video Quality | Gigabytes per hour | Recommended minimum connection speed |
---|---|---|
Low | 0.3GB/h | 1.5MBit/s |
Standard | 0.7GB/h | 3MBit/s |
HD | 3GB/h | 5MBit/s |
Ultra HD (4K) | 7GB/h | 15MBit/s |
Stan Data Usage
Stan offers four tiers of video quality. These are adjusted automatically to avoid buffering.
Video Quality | Gigabytes per hour | Recommended minimum connection speed |
---|---|---|
Low | 0.57GB/h | 2.5MBit/s |
Standard | 1.13GB/h | 3.5MBit/s |
HD | 2.89GB/h | 6.5MBit/s |
UHD | 7GB/h | 15MBit/s |
Foxtel Now Data Usage
Foxtel Now, formerly known as Foxtel Play, offers three levels of viewing quality, which users can switch between to save bandwidth or improve quality.
Video Quality | Gigabytes per hour | Recommended minimum connection speed |
---|---|---|
Low* | 0.47GB/h | 2MBit/s |
Standard | 1.4GB/h | 3MBit/s |
HD | 3.2GB/h | 7MBit/s |
(*not available on Xbox One, or Sony Smart TVs)
At the highest resolution, I would need over 51.2GB extra bandwidth when using Foxtel Now.
Kayo Data Usage
For everything sports there’s Kayo, and the amount of data you take up not only depends on the quality of streaming, but also whether you use the SplitView feature or not (data usage on table below is based on one-screen streaming use). In terms of viewing quality options, Kayo currently has three: Automatic (stream quality based on internet connection), SD, and HD.
Video Quality | Gigabytes per hour | Recommended minimum connection speed |
---|---|---|
Automatic | N/A | N/A |
Standard | 0.3GB/0.5GB | 4Mbps |
HD | 1.5GB/3.25GB | 7.5Mbps |
BINGE Data Usage
Streaming with BINGE is made more worthwhile with new features to add to the whole fun experience. Like Kayo, data usage can also depend on how many screens you’re using but the information on the table below is based on just using one.
Video Quality | Gigabytes per hour | Recommended minimum connection speed |
---|---|---|
Standard | 0.3GB/0.5GB | 4Mbps |
HD | 1.5GB/3.25GB | 5Mbps |
What can you do if you need more data?
As you can see, even mild viewing habits like mine can quickly add up. So if your current data package doesn’t support your watching habits, you have two options. You can upgrade your plan, or switch to an ISP with an unmetered option.
Want to see which broadband pack works for you? Check out our comparison tables. They even include plans with unlimited caps.
Check out the table below and see how the best plans from these leading providers stack up against each other!
Streaming Data on a Mobile
It’s possible to watch sports and entertainment while, say, waiting in line at the bakery. At the time of writing, signing up to Telstra’s postpaid plans gives you access to Kayo Sports at a discounted rate of $15 per month (usually $25) saving you $10 per month for a 12 month period.
Last audited 12th of June 2022
Is your internet plan up to the task?
If you’re not sure that your current broadband pack is going to work out, maybe it’s time to take a look at the alternatives.
For example, Telstra is one of the increasing numbers of Australian providers that offers an unlimited broadband bundle with entertainment with the inclusion of Telstra TV 3. If you have Foxtel broadband, streaming Foxtel Now is unmetered. Browse through multiple offers until you find one that best suits your needs.
However, if you’re a heavy streamer, unlimited broadband is the way to go. This feature means I don’t have to count the megabytes every time I feel like re-watching The Avengers in HD (which is a lot). Or, if I ever decide to try binge-watching, I can do so without fearing that I’ll bust through my data cap and have to watch cartoons in *shudder* standard definition.
Check out our unlimited broadband plans to find one that suits you.
The future of Streaming TV?
Here at CompareTV, we like to keep tabs on what’s happening in the world of Australian TV options. It‘s pretty clear that Netflix, Stan, Foxtel Now, Kayo and BINGE have fundamentally changed the way we all view our favourite shows, sports, and discover new ones. We’re going to make sure we stay on top of these new developments.
Whether you’re looking for Streaming TV reviews or trying to pick cable TV packages that meet your needs, you’ll find some of the hottest deals right here.