Whether it’s watching Netflix, Ten Play or YouTube, pretty much everyone streams video from the internet these days. What internet speed do you need to ensure that your streaming is smooth and uninterrupted?
We’ve investigated all the major streaming platform and have listed all the details below.
We’ve already done a deep dive on Netflix and Stan so this blog post is more of a summary of the requirements of all the streaming platforms on one page.
How fast does your internet need to be to stream video from the internet?
The table below shows the recommended internet speeds for streaming video content on all the major streaming services.
| Streaming Service | Standard Definition (SD) | High Definition (HD) | Ultra High Definition (4K) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix | 3 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 25 Mbps |
| Stan | 3 Mbps | 7.5 Mbps | 15 Mbps |
| Disney+ | 5 Mbps | 25 Mbps | |
| Youtube | 1.1 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 20 Mbps |
| Amazon Prime | 1 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 20 Mbps |
| Binge | 1.5 Mbps | 5 Mbps | |
| Apple TV+ | 7 Mbps | 25 Mbps | |
| Foxtel | 3 Mbps | 7 Mbps | 20 Mbps |
| ABC iView | 1.1 Mbps | 5 Mbps |
What does all this mean?
There is quite a bit of information in the table above but you will notice that all the streaming services have similar internet speed requirements for the different video qualities.
In summary, if you want to watch in 4K UHD you’ll need a 25 Mbps connection. If you are happy with 1080p HD, a 10 Mbps connection should be fine. A standard definition video stream will only require about a 3Mbps connection.
How much data does streaming video use?
A summary of how much data in gigabytes each streaming service uses is shown in the table below.
| Streaming Service | Standard Definition (SD) | High Definition (HD) | Ultra High Definition (4K) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix | 0.7 GB per hour | 3 GB per hour | 7 GB per hour |
| Stan | 0.6 GB per hour | 1.1 GB per hour | 7 GB per hour |
| Disney+ | 0.7 GB per hour | 2 GB per hour | 7.7 Gb per hour |
| Youtube | 0.6 GB per hour | 1.7 GB per hour | 2.7 GB per hour |
| Amazon Prime | 0.8 GB per hour | 2 GB per hour | 7 GB per hour |
| Binge | 0.5 GB per hour | 3.25 GB per hour | |
| Apple TV+ | 1.5 GB per hour | 3.4 GB per hour | 8 GB per hour |
| Foxtel | 1.4 GB per hour | 3.2 GB per hour | |
| ABC iView | 0.8 GB per hour | 2 GB per hour |
Monthly data requirements for video streaming
Based on the above table at UHD 4K you would use about 7 GB per hour and at HD 1080p you would use about 3 GB per hour.
| Video Streaming use | Hours per week | Data required per month |
|---|---|---|
| Light | 3 hours (2 movies) | 36GB for HD 85GB for UHD |
| Medium | 7.5 hours (5 movies) | 90GB for HD 210GB for UHD |
| Heavy | 15 hours (10 movies) | 180GB for HD 420GB for UHD |
| Addict | 25 hours (16 movies) | 300GB for HD 700GB for UHD |
Our Recommendation
We recommend a minimum speed of 25 Mbps for streaming movies and videos on any platform. If you have a large family, live in a share house or more than one movie will be streaming simultaneously then upgrading to 50 Mbps would be a wise choice.
In terms of data use, if you are a light or medium user of video streaming services ie a few movies a week, a 200 GB monthly data allowance should be fine. If you are heavy user we would recommend an unlimited data plan.
Best NBN plans for light to medium video streaming
If you watch movies or stream video for about an hour a day on average then these are the plans for you.
| Company | Plan Name |
Monthly Cost |
Avg Monthly Cost (2 years) |
Typical Evening Speed | Quota | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Exetel |
Everyday (NBN) (Month by month) |
$63.99
$50.99 for first 6 months |
$60.74 | 25 Mb/s | Unlim |
Read Reviews |
 Superloop |
Everyday (NBN) (Month by month) |
$69
$59 for first 6 months |
$66.5 | 25 Mb/s | Unlim |
Read Reviews |
 Vodafone |
Basic (NBN) (Month by month) |
$70 | $70 | 25 Mb/s | Unlim |
Read Reviews |
 iinet |
NBN25 (NBN) (Month by month) |
$74.99 | $74.99 | 25 Mb/s | Unlim |
Read Reviews |
 TPG |
NBN25 (NBN) (Month by month) |
$74.99 | $74.99 | 25 Mb/s | Unlim |
Read Reviews |
| Click here to view more great value NBN internet plans for video streaming | ||||||
Best NBN plans for heavy video streaming
Heavy video streamers need the unlimited data and 50Mbs speed that these plans offer.
| Company | Plan Name |
Monthly Cost |
Avg Monthly Cost (2 years) |
Typical Evening Speed | Quota | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Vodafone |
Essential (NBN) (Month by month) |
$75 | $75 | 50 Mb/s | Unlim |
Read Reviews |
|
TPG |
NBN50 (NBN) (Month by month) |
$79.99 | $79.99 | 50 Mb/s | Unlim |
Read Reviews |
|
Exetel |
Extra Value (NBN) (Month by month) |
$79.99
$60.99 for first 6 months |
$75.24 | 50 Mb/s | Unlim |
Read Reviews |
|
Vodafone |
Essential Plus (NBN) (Month by month) |
$80 | $80 | 100 Mb/s | Unlim |
Read Reviews |
|
Superloop |
Extra Value (NBN) (Month by month) |
$81
$67 for first 6 months |
$77.5 | 50 Mb/s | Unlim |
Read Reviews |
| Click here to view more great value NBN internet plans for video streaming | ||||||
Best Wireless 4G and 5G plans for Streaming Video
4G and 5G wireless plans that support streaming of video are listed below:
| Company | Plan Name |
Monthly Cost |
Avg Monthly Cost (2 years) |
Typical Evening Speed | Quota | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Moose Mobile |
100GB (Wireless - 5G) (Month by month) |
$29.8 | $29.8 | 50 Mb/s | 100 GB |
Read Reviews |
 Belong |
100GB Mobile Broadband (Wireless - 5G) (Month by month) |
$35 | $35 | 150 Mb/s | 100 GB |
Read Reviews |
 More |
100GB (Wireless - 5G) (Month by month) |
$40 | $40 | 150 Mb/s | 100 GB |
Read Reviews |
|
Moose Mobile |
200GB (Wireless - 5G) (Month by month) |
$45.8 | $45.8 | 50 Mb/s | 200 GB |
Read Reviews |
|
More |
200GB (Wireless - 5G) (Month by month) |
$55 | $55 | 250 Mb/s | 200 GB |
Read Reviews |
| Click here to view more great value wireless 4G and 5G plans for video streaming | ||||||
Does your video streaming stop to buffer?
Maybe you need a faster internet plan? Our broadband plan finder can help! Check it out here.
Further Reading
This article is the part of our ultimate guide to NBN, wireless and broadband internet in Australia. Other articles in this series are:
- The ultimate guide to NBN, wireless and broadband internet in Australia
- Types of Internet and broadband in Australia
- What are the different types of NBN internet connections?
- How to choose a broadband internet plan
- How do I connect to the NBN?
- How to read and compare NBN plans?
- What internet speed do I need for working from home?
