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Question on various internet speeds
05-29-2014, 05:27 PM
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#1
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gone traveling
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4
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Question on various internet speeds
I am looking to save money on high speed internet service and am not that technically inclined so I have a question.
From Comcast, I can get internet for $30/month at speed of 6 mbps download 1 mbps upload or for $54/month, 25mbps download 5 mbps upload.
I use the internet for browsing various sites and watching movies, do not play games or download photos, etc. Would the 6/1 speed be enough for me or would it be too slow? I would be the only one using it.
Thanks.
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05-29-2014, 05:52 PM
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#2
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,145
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I just did a quick search and found an article describing the various speeds offered and their typical uses:
https://homes.yahoo.com/news/choose-...224440280.html
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
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05-29-2014, 06:05 PM
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#3
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Southern California
Posts: 3,999
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6 MB is plenty for surfing the internet and reading emails. As for movies, if you are streaming them (as opposed to downloading them entirely to your computer before watching them), 6MB is too slow. You will have some hiccups and stuttering while watching the movie. Netflix and Amazon prime are streaming services, so both of those would struggle with 6MB.
Is Comcast the only option for you? Can you get a package deal with your TV services to get a better price?
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05-29-2014, 06:10 PM
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#4
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 5,308
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I think the slow one is too slow for streaming. That said, is there any reason you couldn't try the slower one and then upgrade if it is too slow?
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05-29-2014, 06:12 PM
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#5
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: On a hill in the Pine Barrens
Posts: 9,720
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https://help.netflix.com/en/node/306
6Mbps will get you HD quality, but leaves little bandwidth for other simultaneous use. You need the next higher speed.
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05-29-2014, 06:19 PM
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#6
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,433
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Since there are 8 bits in a byte, 6 megabits = 750 Kilobytes. The file size of a two-hour HD movie is about 4 Gegabytes. To download a 4GB file at 750 KB/s would take 5333 seconds, or about 89 minutes, so 6 mbs should be OK for watching a streamed HD movie, so long as you are not multi-tasking while watching the movie.
I would suggest trying the 6mbs for $30 per month. Comcast will be more than happy to let you upgrade if you find you need a faster speed.
__________________
I'd rather be governed by the first one hundred names in the telephone book than the Harvard faculty - William F. Buckley
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05-29-2014, 06:30 PM
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#7
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SF East Bay
Posts: 4,342
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I just tested my speed. It is 1.31Mbps down and 0.33Mbps up. I watch Netflix movies with no interruption. I'm sure it chooses one of the lower definitions, but it looks good enough to me.
I think 6Mbps download speed would be more than enough for movies and general browsing.
__________________
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05-29-2014, 06:49 PM
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#8
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,145
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Major Tom
I just tested my speed. It is 1.31Mbps down and 0.33Mbps up. I watch Netflix movies with no interruption. I'm sure it chooses one of the lower definitions, but it looks good enough to me.
I tinhk 6Mbps download speed would be more than enough for movies and general browsing.
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I guess another factor in the equation is how many horses does the computer has.
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
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05-29-2014, 07:08 PM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,891
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Major Tom
I just tested my speed. It is 1.31Mbps down and 0.33Mbps up. I watch Netflix movies with no interruption. I'm sure it chooses one of the lower definitions, but it looks good enough to me.
I think 6Mbps download speed would be more than enough for movies and general browsing.
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Right, I have only ~ 2-4 Mbs down, and it is fine for streaming netflix (though I do have the quality limited, I think one notch below HD, but you can sometimes do HD, on a good day).
I don't know why some people are saying an unequivocal ' NO'? What is that based on? Not on experience, and not on mathematics, as far as I can see.
Quote:
Originally Posted by easysurfer
I guess another factor in the equation is how many horses does the computer has.
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Nope, that's a different equation. Your download speed fits in the equation of what you can stream. Your horsepower fits into the equation of what you can process/display.
Both need to be sufficient, but they are two unrelated capabilities.
-ERD50
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05-29-2014, 07:16 PM
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#10
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,891
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Quote:
Originally Posted by easysurfer
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That article is way too general and disjointed with non-apples-apples comparisons to be useful at all.
How about the horse's mouth (I see target2019 posted the link earlier - here's the quote):
https://help.netflix.com/en/node/306
Quote:
0.5 Megabits per second - Required broadband connection speed
1.5 Megabits per second - Recommended broadband connection speed
3.0 Megabits per second - Recommended for SD quality
5.0 Megabits per second - Recommended for HD quality
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Sounds like 6Mbps should be good for a single stream, right up to HD quality. But as target2019 said, not a lot of reserve for anything else (if that's an issue), or if the ISP isn't quite hitting their rated speed. But probably fine for SD quality.
-ERD50
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