How much internet speed do you actually need for 4K?
Bitrate, buffering and why your 100 Mbps connection can still stutter. The numbers that matter, and the ones that do not.
door Devora TV TeamGepubliceerd op 6 min lezen
Streaming providers quote speeds as if bandwidth were the only variable. It is not. Stability matters more than raw throughput, which is why a steady 25 Mbps line often outperforms a 200 Mbps one that dips every few minutes.
The numbers
- SD: 3–5 Mbps
- HD (720p): 8–10 Mbps
- Full HD (1080p): 12–15 Mbps
- 4K (2160p): 25–35 Mbps
Those figures are per simultaneous stream. If someone else in the house is on a video call while you watch, add their usage on top before comparing against what your line delivers.
Why stability beats speed
A player keeps a buffer of a few seconds. Short dips are invisible because the buffer absorbs them. A connection that drops to zero for two seconds every minute will stutter regardless of its headline speed, because the buffer never gets a chance to refill.
