Can you really see the difference between 4K and full HD when watching content on a TV and are sitting several metres away?<\/p>\n
I would argue yes, but I own a 4K TV and don’t want to think I have wasted my money.<\/p>\n
Those with a full HD display might argue no, and that any resolution higher on a TV is a waste.<\/p>\n
What can’t be disputed, however, is the amount of data media streaming uses at either resolution.<\/p>\n
To see what effect this has on Netflix viewing, we put the resolutions to the test.<\/p>\n
It would be a safe (and accurate) guess to say that streaming 4K content on Netflix uses more data that full HD content.<\/p>\n
4K – also known as UHD – displays content at a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160.<\/p>\n
Full HD – also called 1080p – displays content at 1,920 x 1,080.<\/p>\n
The additional pixels in a 4K display need to be filled, and the data required to fill them is the reason the content uses more bandwidth.<\/p>\n
Many of Netflix’s new shows are available in 4K, and those with a 4K display can watch them at the top setting. Users with a full HD TV cannot.<\/p>\n
Users also have the option to set the maximum streaming quality in their Netflix account, preventing content from playing in 4K if they choose.<\/p>\n
For the Netflix test, we used a\u00a0Samsung 55-inch UHD TV (UA55JS7200).<\/p>\n
The TV was connected via Wi-Fi to a\u00a0100Mbps Openserve fibre line, running a capped ISP account.<\/p>\n
The pre-installed Netflix app on the Samsung TV was used, several shows were watched, and their bandwidth usage –\u00a0as detailed by accessing the \u201cInfo\u201d overlay while streaming – was noted.<\/p>\n
The 4K content used:<\/p>\n
The full HD content used:<\/p>\n
The shows were all allowed to play for several minutes, and the bandwidth rate quickly settled and remained at the figures noted above.<\/p>\n
Using the figures above, the test shows that Netflix uses the following amount of data when playing content.<\/p>\n