Streaming content in UHD (4K) would result in even higher data consumption.
The former supports streaming of videos in HD resolution (1080p) while the latter can stream content up to Ultra HD. You can test both (Good and Better) video qualities to check which one tickles your fancy.Īs mentioned earlier, there are two versions of the Fire TV Stick: the Basic Fire TV Stick and the Fire TV Stick 4K.
The streaming video quality you choose boils down to individual preferences. Prime Video consumes 0.38GB per hour while Netflix's low quality consumes 0.3GB per hour. You should, however, note that video quality might be highly compromised - compared to other video qualities mentioned above. The Fire TV Stick will steam videos at lower bit rates and simultaneously reduce caching to the barest minimum. Good Video Quality: Streaming at this quality will save you the most data. Netflix's medium quality consumes 0.7GB data per hour while Prime Video's Better quality chews away 1.4GB per hour. The resulting video quality might, however, not be top-quality but will definitely be good enough to provide great video streaming experience. To do this, your Fire TV Stick will stream content at lower bit rates. As noted earlier, Netflix's Best (Ultra HD) quality guzzles 7GB per hour while Amazon's Prime Video gobbles down 6.48GB per hour.īetter Video Quality: Streaming at this quality will reduce and save internet data. Setting your Fire TV Stick to stream videos at this quality will consume the most internet data. To help you understand the Fire TV Stick video quality options, check out the brief explanations below:īest Video Quality: This is the highest video quality that provides the best streaming experience. Step 5: Now, proceed to choose either of the two lower video qualities: Better or Good. Step 3: Tap Data Monitoring again to reveal the Data Monitoring options. Step 1: Launch the Fire TV Stick menu and select Preferences. To adjust the streaming device's video quality, follow the steps below. Setting your Fire TV Stick to stream the best video quality will drain your limited internet/data plan faster than you can imagine.īy default, the Fire TV Stick is set to stream videos at the best quality - determined after testing your Wi-Fi network's bandwidth capabilities. Streaming content at the best quality will certainly consume more data than streaming at medium or low-quality. This is one of the biggest determinants of how much data your device consumes. Note: The tweaks mentioned in this guide apply to the basic Fire TV Stick and the Fire TV Stick 4K.
Streaming quality aside, other factors like video autoplay and app auto-updates also impact the Fire TV Stick data consumption. Data usage when streaming Ultra HD content on the Fire TV Stick 4K is even way higher - 7GB per hour on Netflix and 6.48GB per hour on Amazon Prime. For example, streaming an hour of HD content on Netflix with Best quality setting consumes 3GB, and Amazon Prime Video consumes up to 1.4GB with Better quality. With a capped internet plan, there's a limit to how much content you can stream, and it's better to control it before you run out of data to use the internet.
In this guide, we’ll show you 4 ways to reduce Fire TV Stick data usage. If you don't have an unlimited internet plan, you should reduce the device's data usage. Amazon's streaming device is quite the data hog if you consume content on Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, and other apps regularly. With the right apps installed, you can enjoy unlimited content on your Fire TV Stick.