Live NetTV v5.0The formula
Bitrate is the amount of data per second, usually in megabits per second (Mbps). Storage and data allowances are measured in gigabytes (GB). There are 8 bits in a byte and 1,000 megabytes in a gigabyte, so:
- GB per hour = Mbps × 3,600 ÷ 8,000, or roughly Mbps × 0.45
- Mbps = GB × 8,000 ÷ seconds
For example, a 6 Mbps stream uses 6 × 0.45 = 2.7 GB per hour.
Typical bitrates
| Content | Typical bitrate | Data per hour |
|---|---|---|
| SD live stream | 1–2 Mbps | 0.45–0.9 GB |
| HD (720p) live stream | 3–5 Mbps | 1.35–2.25 GB |
| Full HD (1080p) live stream | 5–8 Mbps | 2.25–3.6 GB |
| Full HD sport (50/60 fps) | 8–12 Mbps | 3.6–5.4 GB |
| 4K stream | 15–25 Mbps | 6.75–11.25 GB |
Mbps is not MB/s
Internet speeds use megabits per second (Mbps), while download managers and file sizes often use megabytes per second (MB/s). One megabyte is eight megabits, so a 100 Mbps connection downloads at about 12.5 MB/s. Mixing the two up is the most common reason people think their connection is slower than advertised.
For monthly totals across all your viewing, try the streaming data usage calculator.