Guide
How much internet speed do you need for IPTV?
Short answer: less than you think for HD, more than most rural lines can hold for 4K. Here are the numbers, and what to do when the picture breaks up at 9pm.
The numbers
| Quality | Speed per stream | Data per hour |
|---|---|---|
| SD | 3-5 Mbps | ~0.7 GB |
| HD (720p) | 8-10 Mbps | ~1.5 GB |
| FHD (1080p) | 12-20 Mbps | ~3 GB |
| 4K | 25 Mbps and up | ~7 GB |
These are per stream. A household running IPTV, a video call and a game download at once needs the sum of all three, not the largest.
Speed is not the whole story
- Stability beats peak. A steady 15 Mbps outperforms a 60 Mbps line that drops to 4 every few minutes.
- Wi-Fi, not broadband. Most "slow internet" is a 2.4 GHz signal crossing two walls. Move to 5 GHz or run a cable.
- Test at your viewing hours. A line that tests at 100 Mbps at 2pm tells you nothing about 9pm.
Mobile data
Roughly 1.5 GB per hour at HD and 3 GB at FHD. An evening of viewing on a phone plan makes a visible dent in most allowances.
A realistic target
For one stream in a normal household, 25 Mbps of steady wired bandwidth covers everything up to 4K comfortably. Below 10 Mbps at peak, stay on HD feeds and expect occasional pauses on any service, not just this one.