How much data does DSTV now use? It’s a question that we have been getting from some of our readers. We have a previous article in which we talk about the internet speed that’s needed for DSTV Now. In this article, we will focus on the amount of data that you need in order to stream to your heart’s content on DSTV Now. This information is important in that it allows you to plan which package to buy. Is 10GB of data enough for DSTV Now? Or do you need 20GB? Let’s find out.
Data needed for DSTV Now
In the table below, we take a look at the amount of data that the average person needs when streaming using the DSTV Now app on a phone or tablet. We make the assumption that you will be spending an average of 4 hours per day streaming.
| SD viewing | HD viewing | |
|---|---|---|
| Per minute | 1.15 MB | 41 MB |
| Per hour | 69 MB | 2.4 GB |
| Per day | 276 MB | 9.6 GB |
| Per week | 1.3 GB | 48 GB |
| Per month | 5.5 GB | 192 GB |
Note: Data indicates that in the U.S, people spend 3.2 hours per day watching Netflix shows on their mobile devices. For South Africa, we have rounded that figure up to 4 hours to be on the safe side.
How much data do I need for DSTV Now?
That’s the data needed for DSTV Now. To stream a minute of video in SD, you need 1.15 MB. To stream an hour in SD, you need about 69 MB. If you are streaming for 4 hours a day, you will need 276 MB in SD. Per week that translates to 1.3 GB. Finally, you need 5.5 GB per month for SD streaming at 4 hours per day.
Should you choose to stream at the highest HD quality, you will need 41 MB per minute. That translates to 2.4 GB per hour. For 4 hours of streaming per day, you need 9.6 GB. For the entire week, you will need 48 GB. Finally, for the entire month, you will need 192 GB of data.
Which video quality should I opt for?
That’s the answer to the question how much data does DSTV Now use. Here we assumed that you will be streaming on your phone using the DSTV Now app. You can also stream on your laptop directly from the DSTV Now website.
One thing to note is that data usage is depended on the streaming quality that you have chosen. If you stream at the highest HD quality, you will likely need a lot of data. Data usage will also depend on how many hours you spent per day glued to your device.
In this article we assumed that people stream for 4 hours per day. That’s probably won’t be the case if you are at work. In that case, you will probably spent an hour or so a day catching up on your favorite shows.
However, if you are at home, then you will need a lot more data. In any case, you can make your calculations based on the above figures. You can make further calculations that take into account the amount of time that you spend streaming on your mobile device.