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How Much Data Does Streaming TV Use? (IPTV and Netflix)
How many GB an hour of SD, HD and 4K streaming uses, how much you need per month by viewing hours, and tips to cut usage on mobile and capped home internet.
5 min readPublished: 2026-09-29
How many GB does an hour of streaming use?
An hour in HD uses up to 3 GB and an hour in 4K up to 7 GB, while standard definition stays around 1 GB per hour. These figures come from the Netflix Help Center and apply roughly to IPTV, Shahid and other platforms, varying slightly by channel and stream quality.
Data usage by quality
| Quality | Per hour | 3 hours a day for a month |
|---|---|---|
| Low (mobile) | Up to 0.3 GB | About 27 GB |
| Medium SD | Up to 0.7 GB | About 63 GB |
| High SD | Up to 1 GB | About 90 GB |
| HD / Full HD | Up to 3 GB | About 270 GB |
| 4K Ultra HD | Up to 7 GB | About 630 GB |
Is a capped home internet plan enough?
A 200 GB monthly plan, for example, covers roughly two hours a day in HD for one person, but not a family watching 4K daily. So:
- For daily 4K viewing, an unlimited plan is best.
- On a capped plan, make Full HD the default and keep 4K for matches and important movies.
- Remember other devices share the same allowance: updates, games and video calls.
How to reduce data use on mobile
- Choose low or automatic quality in the app when on mobile data; Netflix's automatic mode allows about 4 hours per GB.
- Download episodes and movies over Wi-Fi on platforms that support it, such as Netflix and Shahid, and watch later without using data.
- Turn off autoplay so episodes don't keep running while you sleep.
- Live streams can't be downloaded in advance, so watch matches on Wi-Fi when possible.
How does data usage relate to internet speed?
Speed decides whether the stream plays without buffering; usage decides how many GB come off your plan. Your speed may be enough for 4K while your data cap can't handle it. For the speed each quality needs see our internet speed guide, and for the real picture difference see 4K vs Full HD vs HDR.
Source: Netflix Help Center: controlling data usage. Monthly figures are approximate, based on 30 days.
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