Internet plans
How much data IPTV uses, per hour and per month
Short answer
About 1.1 GB an hour in SD, 2.3 GB in HD, 3.6 GB in Full HD and 9 GB in 4K, for each screen playing. Three hours of Full HD a day adds up to about 324 GB a month. On an unlimited internet plan that does not matter; on a capped plan or mobile data, choose the HD version of channels and keep 4K for the games you care about.
Data per hour, by picture quality
Each figure is for one screen. Two screens playing at the same time use twice as much.
| Picture | Stream rate | Per hour | 2 h a day, 30 days | 4 h a day, 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD (576p) | 2.5 Mbps | 1.1 GB | 68 GB | 135 GB |
| HD (720p) | 5 Mbps | 2.3 GB | 135 GB | 270 GB |
| Full HD (1080p) | 8 Mbps | 3.6 GB | 216 GB | 432 GB |
| 4K Ultra HD | 20 Mbps | 9 GB | 540 GB | 1,080 GB |
How the numbers are worked out
A stream at 8 Mbps sends 8 megabits every second. Divide by 8 to get megabytes: 1 MB a second. Multiply by the 3,600 seconds in an hour: 3,600 MB, or 3.6 GB an hour.
The rates used here are the typical ones for each quality, the same rates behind every speed figure on this site. Real channels move around them: fast sports and busy scenes use a little more, news and talk shows a little less. Treat the results as a budget, not an exact bill.
What a month of TV adds up to
- One TV, Full HD, 3 hours every evening: about 324 GB a month.
- Two screens, Full HD, 3 hours each every evening: about 648 GB.
- One TV, 4K, a 3-hour game 8 times a month: about 216 GB.
- A phone on mobile data, HD, 30 minutes a day: about 34 GB a month.
Does data usage matter on Canadian internet plans?
Many home internet plans in Canada are unlimited, and then data usage does not matter: only steady speed does. Some plans still have a monthly cap, often rural, fixed-wireless and older DSL plans, and mobile data always has a limit or a slowdown after a set amount. Your provider's account page shows your plan and your usage so far this month.
If you are close to a cap, the next section lists the biggest savings first.
How to use less data without freezing
- Pick the quality per channel. News and talk shows look fine in HD; keep Full HD or 4K for sports and movies. Going from Full HD to HD saves about 1.4 GB an hour.
- Stop the stream before you turn off the TV. On many setups the streaming device keeps playing to a dark screen, and keeps downloading.
- Use Wi-Fi for phones at home. Keep mobile data for when you are out, and choose HD there.
- Do not go below what the screen needs. SD saves data but looks soft on a large TV; HD is usually the better floor.
Our line check downloads at most about 150 MB per run, so testing your line a few times barely registers.
Data usage and speed are two different limits
Speed is how fast data must arrive for the picture to keep playing; data usage is how much arrives over the month. A plan can be fast and capped, or slower and unlimited. For stable IPTV you need both: a steady speed above what the stream needs, which the stability test measures, and enough monthly data for the hours you watch.
If the picture freezes rather than your bill growing, the IPTV buffering guide is the place to start.
Data usage questions
How many GB does IPTV use per hour?
About 1.1 GB in SD, 2.3 GB in HD, 3.6 GB in Full HD and 9 GB in 4K, for each screen playing.
Does IPTV use data when the TV is off?
It can. If the player is still running when you switch off the TV, the stream keeps downloading. Stop playback or put the streaming device to sleep first.
Can I watch IPTV on mobile data?
Yes. Each phone counts as one screen on your plan. Budget about 2.3 GB an hour in HD and 3.6 GB in Full HD per phone, and choose HD to make your data last.
Does each screen use its own data?
Yes. Two screens playing at the same time use twice the data and need twice the steady speed.
Do movies on demand use the same amount of data?
About the same for the same picture quality. A two-hour Full HD movie uses roughly 7 GB.
Back to stable IPTV in Canada, or compare the plans.