How Much Data does YouTube ( or your favourite internet streaming passtime ) Consume

With the advent of better internet access in developing markets, more and more people are turning to internet streaming as a source of their entertainment. There is a plethora of free and paid-for streaming services available (YouTube, Netflix, Roku etc) which offer a reasonable alternative to traditional subscription video services ( Digital Satellite TV / Cable TV  etc ). The two challenges faced by the wanna-be streaming user are: internet speeds, and data caps. This article will assume that you are on a service which has a stable internet speed (512kbps and above), and will focus on answering the question : "how much data does my streaming consume?" 

I have scoured a few blogs and the FAQ's of YouTube, Netflix and Roku to attempt to answer your burning question. Armed with this information, you will be better able to evaluate your internet connection and compare it with your traditional video subscription. Without further ado, here goes!

Below are the Internet download speed recommendations per stream for playing TV shows and movies through Netflix.

• 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
• 25 Megabits per second - Recommended for Ultra HD quality

Watching TV shows or movies on Netflix uses about 1 GB of data per hour for each stream of standard definition (SD) video, and up to 3 GB per hour for each stream of high definition HD video. Downloading and streaming consume a similar amount of data.

Source :https://help.netflix.com/en/node/87

How much data do you need to watch YouTube?

• A low quality video uses about 1,5MB per minute.
• A Full HD (1080p) YouTube video uses about 12MB per minute.
• YouTube data usage varies greatly depending on the quality of the stream.

YouTube Usage	240p	360p	480p	720p	1080p
Per min.	1.6MB	2.66MB	4MB	7.4MB	12.4MB
Per hour	100MB	160MB	240MB	450MB	750MB

Source : https://www.whistleout.com.au/Broadband/Guides/Broadband-Usage-Guide

So, with all this information at your fingertips, you can now do the math and see if your regular TV subscription is better off being replaced by a good internet connection with a decent data cap coupled with a subscription to Netflix or any of the other free video streaming sites. Happy watching!

Extras:

If you are concerned with data caps or bandwidth limits, you can adjust your data usage settings by following the steps below:

Adjust your data usage settings on Netflix

1. Access the Your Account page from a web browser and select Playback Settings.
2. Select your desired data usage setting (please note that each estimate below is per stream, and that restricting data usage may affect video quality):
• Low (0.3 GB per hour)
• Medium (SD: 0.7 GB per hour)
• High (Best video quality, up to 3 GB per hour for HD and 7 GB per hour for Ultra HD)
• Auto (Adjusts automatically to deliver the highest possible quality, based on your current Internet connection speed)

Source : https://help.netflix.com/en/node/306

Changing Video Quality on YouTube?

Change the video quality by going to Settings in the corner of the video player, and selecting your preferred quality.

On mobile devices, adjust quality settings by tapping Menu , then Settings . This option isn’t available on all devices (e.g. some TV/game consoles), or connections (e.g. iOS on a cellular network).

Note that choosing lower video quality (such as 240p and 360p) will make videos start more quickly. The video player will remember this for future playbacks. 

Source : https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/91449?hl=en

Lifting Up a Fallen Hero

Image from Freepik (http://www.freepik.com/free-icon/man-helping-other-to-stand-up-from-the-floor_704623.htm)

In life, we often come across people whom we admire and even idolise. They may be a teacher who made a great impression on us , they may be a mentor who got us to where we are today, they could just be someone whose life we admire. These are the people who are the subject of our "Hero Worship".

One of the most agonising pains to experience, is that felt when ones hero seemingly falls from grace. When the person goes against the very values that they espoused, we can often experience a very physical pain which can lead us to feel disgusted, loathing ourselves for ever having put our faith into a human being.

However, we need to realise two things : the first is that our hero is also on a journey through life, much as ourselves. They will have ups and downs, and we need to make allowance for their misteps along the way. Secondly, we need to realise that they too, are human. They are bound by human nature to err. Our job, when our hero falls ( for whatever reason ), is to be there to lift them up, to shine the light on the right path and help them get back on their feet. In short, we need to become the saviour ( hero ) of our idol.

When we accept the frailty of the human psyche, only then can we help each other grow to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. So don't give up on your idol, but take heart and give them your hand , not your revulsion. Don't be discouraged in yourself, disappointed that you dared to put your faith in another. Always be ready to lend a helping hand to anyone who stumbles.

Zero : The Fashion Journal: DRESSING APPROPRIATELY

Zero : The Fashion Journal: DRESSING APPROPRIATELY: The greatest sermon one can ever preach is by how he or she dresses Have you ever walked into a place or a shindig and just felt not we...

Why you shouldnt purchase more electrical power units/credits than you need on a monthly basis

So, here I was , being a real stingy guy when it comes to buying prepaid electrical units for my flat. I was misering my money this month ( June ) in the hope of making my power last longer ...... Fat chance ! Its June, one of the coldest months of the year ! Of course your units are going to run out, you baldy bandit !!!

The good thing is that I kept a tab of the units I purchased ( via my StanChart mobile banking app ) and I decided to tabulate it and cross reference this with the published tariffs from Zesco website. When the analysis was finished, I came to some conclusions :

1. Stanchart is not robbing me , I receive the correct number of units for the amount of money transacted :-)

2. I didn't realise what impact Zesco tarriffs that come in "tiers" ( or bands ) has on my monthly spend : for starters, the bands are K0.15 for the first 100kWh , K0.31 for the next 200kWh ( more than double the first tier ), and K0.51 for every unit over 300kWh per month. So each time you purchase incremental amounts of prepaid units, the number of units received will be dependant on where your usage on the scale is. Given that, it is advisable to keep your usage ( if possible ) in the lower region ( below 300kWh ) if at all possible. Explore energy saving measures such as turning off lights which are unused, turning off the cooker before the food is finished cooking so that the residual heat can finish off the cooking, turn off the hot water geyser for a suitable period of time, use alternative sources of power such as solar or gas.

3. The most important realisation hit me when I thought of the conscientious people who ensure they have enough units to go into the next month comfortably ( and even into the month after that !! ). These poor folks are not receiving the benefit of paying for  the lower cost units ( K0.15 and K0.31 ) because the excess units they purchase in month 1 are at a premium of K0.51 !!!! Long story short, if you are in habit of overpurchasing units, please keep that to a minimum, otherwise you are losing out on an average of K0.25 per unit ( average price of the lower units is K0.26, and the units over 300kWh are K0.56 thus the "overspend" per unit is K0.25 ! ). This may not seem like much, but if you use an average of say 500kWh per month ( average for a small household ), and you purchase those units in excess in month 1 at the higher per unit cost, your spend will be  K255 instead of K128.33 ( an overspend of K126.67 in that month ! )

I have included above just a sample working of the difference when buying units at the lower cost versus buying units at the higher ( above 300kWh consumption ) cost.

So in conclusion, be a spendthrift when it comes to buying prepaid units, lest you end up using more expensive power in your home !!!

N.B This above analysis can be adapted to any country where the power is prepaid and sold in upwardly escalating"tiers" , and indeed, for any consumption-based service that is prepaid ( e.g prepaid water )

Update : New Tariff Structure in 2017 !!

So Zesco upped the lower cost units limit from 100kWh to 200kWh, and scrapped the middle tier  leaving us with only units costing K0.15 ( below 200 units ) and K0.89 ( above 200 units ).

So if your monthly consumption of units is say 568.2 units, and you decide to buy 2 months worth of units ( 1,136.4 ) at one go ..... Then the first 200 units will be at K0.15 per unit, and the next 936.4 will be at the way higher price of K0.89 per unit !!!! Overspend will be K179 !!!

Bottom line : Its better to buy just the right amount of units from month to month rather than being a hero and buying 2 months worth at a go.

Learning to be a Blogger / Diary of a wannabe blogger

So the other day, as i was musing ( in my bathtub, Luther Vandross crooning in my ear and a glass of Jameson whisky in my hand ) , I had an epiphany : why not start a blog, to help me take baby steps towards my life long goal of becoming an author !

Little did i know that the process of putting 1,000 words on to paper ! And moreover, its harder to find words that are not lazy ( i.e i have a limited vocabulary ) !!!


Anyhoo, in these few words, you have the beginnings of the Bald Bandits Blog ! Stay tuned, there will be more ( or not ! hahaha )