Watching Netflix uses about 1 GB of data per hour for each stream of standard definition video, and up to 3 GB per hour for each stream of HD video. This can create headaches for Netflix members that have a monthly bandwidth or data cap on their Internet service. Below, you’ll find a couple of ways to reduce the amount of data Netflix uses, without having to resort to drastic measures (like actually watching less Netflix).Adjust your data usage settings
Adjusting the data usage settings for your account is the easiest way to reduce the amount of bandwidth used while watching Netflix. There are 4 data usage settings to choose from, each estimate below is per stream:
Adjusting the data usage settings for your account is the easiest way to reduce the amount of bandwidth used while watching Netflix. There are 4 data usage settings to choose from, each estimate below is per stream:
- Low (0.3 GB per hour)
- Medium (SD: 0.7 GB per hour)
- High (HD: 3 GB per hour, 3D: 4.7 GB per hour, Ultra HD 4K: 7 GB per hour)
- Auto (adjusts automatically to deliver the highest possible quality, based on your current internet connection speed)
To select a setting that works best for your Internet plan, navigate to Your Account (http://movies.netflix.com/YourAccount) page and click Playback settings in the Your profile section. It can take up to 8 hours for these changes to take affect. Restricting data usage may affect video quality while watching Netflix.
Turn off Auto Playback
Uncheck the box marked “Play next episode automatically”