Requirements for Streaming Content

Streaming requires a relatively fast Internet connection - just how fast depends on the type of media you are streaming. 

The bandwidth you’re allotted is shared among all devices on your connection. Video streaming tends to eat up the most bandwidth, Online video games don’t require much bandwidth to play. However, downloading a video game or other huge file takes lots of bandwidth.

Netflix recommends a 3 Mbps connection for one standard-quality (SD) stream and 5Mbps for a high-definition (HD) stream. Two simultaneous HD quality streams would need around 10 Mbps, and so on. Online video games don't require much bandwidth to play. However, downloading a video game or other huge file takes lots of bandwidth.

Internet Connection Speed Recommendations: 

• 0.5 Megabits per second - Required broadband connection speed.
• 1.5 Megabits per second - Recommended broadband connection speed.
• 3.0 Megabits per second - Recommended for SD (standard) quality.
• 5.0 Megabits per second - Recommended for HD (high-definition) quality.
• 25 Megabits per second - Recommended for Ultra HD quality.

In terms of theoretical peak performance, cable modems run faster than DSL. Cable technology currently supports approximately 300 Mbps of bandwidth in many areas, whereas most forms of DSL reach speeds of only up to 100 Mbps.

Verizon offers a variety of high-speed internet plans, including broadband DSL and Fios services, reaching download speeds of up to 940 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 880 Mbps.

Problems With Streaming

Many streaming issues are caused by problems with your Internet connection or low available bandwidth. Because streaming delivers data as you need it, slow or interrupted Internet connections can cause problems. 

The most common streaming error that crops up has to do with buffering. The buffer is a program's temporary memory that stores the streamed content. The buffer is always filling up with the content you need next. For example, if you watch a movie, the buffer stores the next few minutes of video while you're watching the current content. If your Internet connection is slow, the buffer won't fill up quickly enough, and the stream either stops or the quality of the audio or video is reduced to compensate.