Internet service providers are coming up with data caps and this raises issues for those who prefer internet streaming over cable TV for viewing television.  Many people have been cutting the cable in favor of the Android TV box and other streaming devices that utilize an internet connection.  The new data caps place a limit on the number of hours you may spend streaming content using your monthly allocated data package.  What do you need to know about data caps to stream content without going over?

 

 

Most providers are placing their monthly data cap at 1TB.  For the average household, this data package should be more than enough.  One possibility is to calculate how many hours of television you can stream depending on video quality.  The highest video quality consumes a little over 2 GB of data an hour while a low-quality video stream uses between 350 MB and 400 MB of data.

 

Households with additional people and devices are more likely to be affected by the data cap.  If you have family members that frequently use multiple streaming devices, then you should be concerned about data caps.  All viewers need to take into consideration their tendency to stream content when choosing an internet package from a provider. How will you deal with a data cap?

 

 

In order to avoid being affected, necessary steps must be taken to control your usage or budget for supplemental data. Through the Android TV box, the amount of data used can be reduced by choosing medium to low quality options.  A significant amount can be saved if you sacrifice on the quality of video.

If compromising on video quality is not an option for you, then additional data may need to be added once the cap is reached or subscribe to a data package with a higher cap.  With internet streaming, always research which plan offers the best value for your money so you stay under the data cap.