# If a phone data plan is 10gb, about how much streaming time is that?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 29, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815 "2015-04-29T15:21:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/1 "2015-04-29T15:21:06Z")
From say, YouTube or Sling?
Netflix?
iphone 6 plus
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/2 "2015-04-29T15:28:17Z")
If you know the speed, you can use [this calculator.](http://www.numion.com/calculators/time.html)
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### Author:  [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/3 "2015-04-29T15:43:51Z")
> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> If you know the speed, you can use [this calculator.](http://www.numion.com/calculators/time.html)
OP specified PHONE plan. My advice is ask the carrier, although that might mean being on hold for 45 minutes until one could actually talk to a human.
USA? Canada? GSM? CDMA? 3G? 4G? LTE? ATT? Verizon? 1040HD? 720? What device are you streaming to?
Too many uncertainties in your post to give a solid answer.
10 GB/month is pretty generous, at least here in the USA.
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### Author:  [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/4 "2015-04-29T15:53:21Z")
According to Netflix:
Good quality: roughly 41 hours
Better quality: roughly 18 hours
Best quality: roughly 5 hours
Just trying to help here.
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### Author:  [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/5 "2015-04-29T15:57:44Z")
> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> If you know the speed, you can use [this calculator.](http://www.numion.com/calculators/time.html)
I have no idea how to even find out streaming speeds on services on a phone.
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### Author:  [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/6 "2015-04-29T15:59:01Z")
> [@Cabin\_Fever](#):
>
> OP specified PHONE plan. My advice is ask the carrier, although that might mean being on hold for 45 minutes until one could actually talk to a human.
> USA? Canada? GSM? CDMA? 3G? 4G? LTE? ATT? Verizon? 1040HD? 720? What device are you streaming to?
> Too many uncertainties in your post to give a solid answer.
> 10 GB/month is pretty generous, at least here in the USA.
Verizon
Apple iphone 6 plus
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### Author:  [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/7 "2015-04-29T16:05:50Z")
> [@LurkerInNJ](#):
>
> Verizon
>
> Apple iphone 6 plus
Used to work for these folks.
You might get a better idea if you use their tool here:
[https://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/splash/datacalculatorPopup.jsp](https://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/splash/datacalculatorPopup.jsp)
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### Author:  [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/8 "2015-04-29T16:14:38Z")
> [@Cabin\_Fever](#):
>
> Used to work for these folks.
> You might get a better idea if you use their tool here:
> [Page is unavailable](https://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/splash/datacalculatorPopup.jsp)
Thanks, I tried that tool but I wasn’t sure how accurate it was.
I tried testing by checking my data usage, watching an episode of something on Netflix, then rechecking my data usage and it didn’t seem like I was going to get almost 30 hrs of streaming video.
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### Author:  [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/9 "2015-04-29T16:38:53Z")
> [@LurkerInNJ](#):
>
> Thanks, I tried that tool but I wasn’t sure how accurate it was.
>
> I tried testing by checking my data usage, watching an episode of something on Netflix, then rechecking my data usage and it didn’t seem like I was going to get almost 30 hrs of streaming video.
No you will not. A lot depends on the resolution you are streaming, devices connected, your local cell tower and such but Welcome To Verizon! Sarcasm intended.
(Are you using a cellular hot-spot per chance?)
There are other options out there.
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### Author:  [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/10 "2015-04-29T16:55:24Z")
> [@Cabin\_Fever](#):
>
> No you will not. A lot depends on the resolution you are streaming, devices connected, your local cell tower and such but Welcome To Verizon! Sarcasm intended.
> (Are you using a cellular hot-spot per chance?)
> There are other options out there.
I would be streaming directly from the App on my phone, nothing else is connected to my phone. No hot-spot, just hit the App and watch.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/11 "2015-04-29T17:59:37Z")
Bear in mind that your phone is also burning data in the background.
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### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/12 "2015-04-29T18:19:02Z")
> [@LurkerInNJ](#):
>
> … it didn’t seem like I was going to get almost 30 hrs of streaming video.
Just curious is this your goal, 30 minutes of streaming video/month?
There may be ways to preload videos over wifi to watch offline, I’m sure there has to be however I don’t think Netflix does this.
On checking Amazon Prime apparently does but only with their devices.
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### Author:  [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/13 "2015-04-29T19:52:57Z")
> [@kanicbird](#):
>
> Just curious is this your goal, 30 minutes of streaming video/month?
>
> There may be ways to preload videos over wifi to watch offline, I’m sure there has to be however I don’t think Netflix does this.
>
> On checking Amazon Prime apparently does but only with their devices.
I have Amazon Prime and that App on my phone also.
We aren’t going to have cable or internet/wifi for a month in order to be able to get a much better new customer deal. I already went through the retention department. The best deal they offered was about $12 less than we pay now. Our bill is insane. A new customer can get the same thing for $50 less, easy. We have to not have service for 30 days to be a new customer.
We average 1 hr of viewing a day, some days 0, some days 2 hrs (GOT & Mad Men). I signed up for a month of Sling.
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### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/14 "2015-04-29T21:19:14Z")
> [@LurkerInNJ](#):
>
> I have Amazon Prime and that App on my phone also.
>
> We aren’t going to have cable or internet/wifi for a month in order to be able to get a much better new customer deal. I already went through the retention department. The best deal they offered was about $12 less than we pay now. Our bill is insane. A new customer can get the same thing for $50 less, easy. We have to not have service for 30 days to be a new customer.
>
> We average 1 hr of viewing a day, some days 0, some days 2 hrs (GOT & Mad Men). I signed up for a month of Sling.
OK so I take it you are hoping a 10g/b plan will bridge the gap for a month.
Sling does allow offline viewing of recorded shows, perhaps this could be helpful if you can get to a place with free WiFi.
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### Author:  [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2015, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/15 "2015-04-30T00:35:01Z")
> [@kanicbird](#):
>
> OK so I take it you are hoping a 10g/b plan will bridge the gap for a month.
>
> Sling does allow offline viewing of recorded shows, perhaps this could be helpful if you can get to a place with free WiFi.
Yes, exactly.
I just want to be able to crash in front of the tv for a little bit when I get home from the gym or watch GOT. I don’t want to leave the house to watch anything. It’s not worth it to make a trip to Starbucks for the free WiFi.
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### Author:  [@Mithras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithras)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-phone-data-plan-is-10gb-about-how-much-streaming-time-is-that/718815/16 "2015-04-30T16:51:50Z")
You’d be good as long as you do nothing with your phone’s data but watch video and the video you watch is 750 Kb/s or less. While that’s higher than necessary to get a decent image on a phone (to my eyes, at least) I believe that you’ll have a hard time limiting the source bitrate to something that will keep you from hitting your cap. Most services are designed to give you the best quality possible given your connection speed. On a cell network, that’s multiple megabits a second. Even if you were to select the lowest quality setting on your streaming app, it will likely be above your target. I would bet that you will be unable to stream the video at under 1Mb/s. That would put you over by 3 GB.