Typical bandwidth per stream
| Quality | Typical bitrate | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| SD (480p) | 3 Mbps | Phones and small screens |
| HD (720p to 1080p) | 8 to 10 Mbps | Most TVs and live sport |
| 4K UHD | 25 Mbps | Large TVs and 4K channels |
How the number is calculated
We add up the bitrate of every stream, add the speed other devices are using, and multiply by a margin for how the device is connected (Ethernet 1.0, 5 GHz Wi-Fi 1.15, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 1.35). Then we add 20 percent headroom, because a connection that is exactly as fast as the stream needs will buffer the moment anything else uses the network.
If the result is higher than your speed
- Use an Ethernet cable or move the device to the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band.
- Lower the picture quality in the player for one screen.
- Pause large downloads during live sport.
- Follow our guide to fix IPTV buffering step by step.