Satellite internet comes with lower monthly data allowances than any other internet type, which makes it less than ideal for streaming. Anything you do online will contribute to your data usage, though no activity is likely to use up as much data as streaming TV. Additionally, streaming TV isn't the only thing in your home that consumes data. Granted, 240 hours seems like a lot, but when you consider streaming on multiple devices, or perhaps falling asleep with the TV on, those hours, and data, can quickly add up. After 240 hours, you've reached the magic 1.2TB limit and are on the verge of overage fees. For example, let's say you typically stream in HD quality, sometimes 4K, and use roughly 5GB of data per streaming hour. While that is a ton of data - the average household uses somewhere around 500GB in a month - excessive streaming could have you rapidly approaching that limit. On the other hand, if you have a data cap and are a heavy streamer, you'll want to keep an eye on your usage.Ĭox and Xfinity both come with data caps of 1.2TB per month. If your internet plan has unlimited data, there's no need to worry about how much data streaming uses. So feel free to skip the gig service - it's far more than you'll need for streaming.ĭepending on the picture quality, streaming TV can use anywhere from 3 to 8GB per hour. Spectrum also offers a gig plan, but it's pricier than most competing providers, starting at $90 per month. Or, for $20 more, you can upgrade to Spectrum Internet Ultra for double the speed, up to 400Mbps per month. The cheapest plan, Spectrum Internet, comes with speeds up to 200Mbps starting at $50 per month. However, local networks are not included, so you may want to invest in a cheap digital antenna to watch your local channels if Spectrum TV Essentials is your only live TV service.Īny standard plan will likely suffice when choosing a Spectrum internet tier for streaming. It includes popular channels such as A&E, Discovery Channel, HGTV, Lifetime, Nickelodeon and Travel Channel. It's the only low-cost, live TV streaming add-on I've seen from a major cable TV provider. Spectrum TV Essentials is a streaming add-on with 60-plus live channels starting at around $20 per month. Spectrum also offers a low-priced, add-on streaming service to all internet customers who don't sign up for a traditional cable TV plan. Spectrum is CNET's choice for best cable internet provider overall, thanks to its fast speeds, simple pricing and unlimited data - all qualities that make it ideal for streaming, too. While many providers on this list also offer unlimited data, a plan with no data cap can be tougher to come by in rural areas where satellite and fixed wireless services often have strict monthly limits. Additionally, Kinetic has an expanding fiber network, dedicated to rural and suburban areas, that can deliver speeds up to 1,000Mbps.Īnother perk to Kinetic internet service is that all plans have unlimited data. Speeds of 100Mbps or higher - ample speed for streaming - are available to around 65% of households serviceable for Kinetic. Kinetic offers the fastest DSL speeds of any major provider, up to 200Mbps in select areas. DSL internet is another popular choice in rural areas, but speeds can still be an issue unless Kinetic by Windstream is available in your area. Satellite internet, a popular internet option in rural areas, often fails to deliver the speeds needed for quality streaming, not to mention the low data allowances. Internet options are limited in rural areas, so finding a provider with speeds and data suitable for streaming can be a challenge. The providers on our list of the best ISP for streaming are chosen as particularly good options due to their exceptionally fast speeds, cheap internet pricing or extra streaming-specific perks. Some internet providers are better suited than others, but all providers listed below offer speeds of at least 100Mbps or higher, which should be ample speed for streaming of any quality. So, in reality, you'll want an internet service provider and plan with max advertised speeds well above these recommended speeds for the best streaming experience. If your internet plan advertises "speeds up to 50Mbps," the actual speeds to your streaming device are likely to be much slower, especially when using Wi-Fi and connecting multiple devices. It's important to note that the recommended speeds reflect actual, not advertised, speeds. As you can see, streaming doesn't require a ton of speed, even in 4K.
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