How much bandwidth do you really need to stream?
We get a lot of questions about streaming from our clients. One of the most common questions is: “How much upload bandwidth do we need to stream?” This is a very simple question to answer and a very important one. You don’t want to make the mistake of making upload bandwidth an afterthought.
One thing you should be aware of is that upload speed is not the same as download speed. When sending a stream, you need to be concerned with the upload speed, which is often smaller than your download speed. Start out by figuring out your video resolution. The resolution will determine the bitrate.
It doesn’t matter if you are streaming multiple bitrates (MBR) or only one, all you have to do is add all the bitrates together (for example, 2500Kbps + 1000Kbps + 500 Kbps = 4000Kbps) and you’ll get the amount of data that you’ll be uploading on average.
Please note that this is the average, which means you’ll go over that number sometimes. Also, you won’t always get the total upload speed your ISP says you will. You need to add an additional 15–20% of upload bandwidth on top of your total.
Finally, most often you will buy bandwidth by the Mbps. Simply take your Kbps total and divide by 1000 to get Mbps. In the example above you had 4000Kbps, which would equal an upload speed of 4Mbps. Add the 15–20% on top of that and you’ll have your upload bandwidth need. In this case, an upload speed of 5Mbps would be sufficient.
Be sure to connect with the right individuals before you get started so you can make sure you have adequate bandwidth and ask them to set up your network to give your stream priority over other connected devices. Your IT director will also want to know how much bandwidth is being transported across the internal network. It’s their job to take care of the network and it’s important that they stay informed.
If you have any other questions about streaming, Stream Monkey would love to help! Give us a call at 855.GO.CHIMP and get started streaming today.
Stream Monkey is an online video company focused on simplifying the way users share, connect, and engage with their audience.
