Is 100 GB enough for Netflix?

Netflix is popular and for good reason – there are plenty of shows and movies you can watch. So much that it is challenging to select what to watch when you are on bandwidth limit.

Watching Netflix is a hobby for many people, but it is important to know that spending data on it can easily turn expensive if you are not careful. The more you use it, the more data you consume, but when you have 100 GB on your hands, there are very few limitations to your viewing experience.

100 GB is enough for most Netflix viewing sessions, though the rate of its spending will depend on the time you spend watching the shows and the quality you watch them in. It is enough to handle100 to 400 episodes of most TV shows that have one-hour episodes each, as each episode takes data between 250 and 300 MBs.

What factors affect the usage of 100 GB of data on Netflix?

Usage allowance

All your activities will have some impact on data as long as you are doing them online. In the case of Netflix, you will require a substantial bandwidth because it is a video content platform.

Streaming quality

The quality you use when streaming will determine the picture sharpness. Netflix usually manages the streaming quality automatically, depending on the bandwidth and network strength – though you can set your preferences in your account settings.

There are three main settings you can work with, and each consumes different amounts of data:

• Low quality: think of basic viewing quality, usually 240p or 360p. It demands a maximum bandwidth of 300 MB per hour.
• Standard or medium quality: the resolution in this mode is 480p, and it looks good on most devices. It consumes 700 MB per hour on average.
• High quality: the resolution is 720p, 1080p, or 2K. If watching in 720p, you will use up to 1.5 GB, 1080p uses 3 GB per hour, and 2K uses up to 4 GB.

Aside from these, there are also the automatic quality and ultra HD (4K) quality. The automatic quality works with the network strength you are using, so the bandwidth consumption varies; while the ultra HD quality uses a minimum of 7 GB per hour.

How long can 100 GB last when using Netflix?

100 GB is almost unlimited when using it on Netflix and you can even manage 100 hours when watching your favorite content in high quality.

Streaming quality	Data use per hour	Data per month	How long 100 GB lasts
Low	300 MB	14.1 GB	7 months
Standard/Medium	700 MB	47 GB	2 months
High	3 GB	141 GB	3 weeks
4K/UHD	7 GB	329 GB	1.4 weeks

What data-limiting options can I use with a data limit of 100 GB?

Even though you cannot control your data limits on Netflix, you can set one of four options to help you with that goal when you are on a limit:

• Automatic: This option is your budget-friendly mode, as it balances good video quality with data usage to ensure you get more viewing hours per GB of data.
• Maximum data: This usually means you are streaming your content at the highest quality possible for your device. It is probably in 4K UHD or HD quality.
• Save data: True to its name, it helps you limit your data usage, even more than the Automatic option does at times. You will watch your content in reduced video quality because it scales down data use to its bare minimum. It only uses a GB in 6 hours.
• Wi-Fi only: This only allows you to stream content when your device connects to a Wi-Fi network. You can also download content and then watch it offline.

Note though that the setting you choose will only work for that specific account, so repeat this if you have several accounts.

Is it a better idea to download content from Netflix rather than streaming it?

There is not much difference between downloading and streaming in terms of data use, according to Netflix. The only aspect you need to monitor is the quality you use while doing so.

Conclusion

100 GB of data can seem endless, but the length of time you use it on Netflix heavily depends on your viewing quality and streaming habits. It is good to know the data required for different viewing settings to help you better manage your bandwidth.

FAQs

1. How can I control the data I use on Netflix movies if I am working with a 100 GB data limit?

Watching or downloading a movie in standard quality will use a maximum of 1 GB per hour while doing so for the same movie but in HD quality will use 3 GB per hour. The quality settings in the app should help manage the bandwidth you use.

1. Can 100 GB last a month when I use it on Netflix?

Yes, it can, as long as you are watching in low or standard quality.