Data Cap Calculator
How much streaming can you do with your data allowance? Enter your cap and viewing habits to see how much of it you'll use, what's left, and how many hours of streaming you have.
A data cap calculator shows how far a monthly data allowance will stretch for streaming. It takes your cap, subtracts what you've already used, and compares the rest with how much your viewing will use, so you know before the end of the month whether you'll run out. It shows:
- Your streaming usage per day, per week and for the rest of the billing period.
- The share of your cap that uses, and the data left over, or how far over you'll go.
- Hours of streaming remaining at your chosen quality.
- A safe daily limit, and the day you'd hit the cap at your current viewing.
How to use the data cap calculator
- Enter your data allowance, choosing GB or TB. You'll find it on your bill or in your provider's app.
- If you're part-way through the month, enter the data already used and the days left in the period.
- Choose the quality you usually watch, and the hours per day.
- Set how many screens or people stream at the same time. Each one uses its own data.
The result updates as you type. Green means you'll finish the period with data to spare, amber means you're close to the limit, and red means you'll run out, with the day it's likely to happen.
How many hours of streaming is 100 GB?
Quality makes by far the biggest difference. 100 GB is about 142 hours of SD but only 14 hours of 4K. Stepping down from Full HD to HD doubles your viewing time, and on a phone or small TV the picture difference is hard to spot. If you're on a capped plan, set your IPTV or streaming app to HD by default and save Full HD for the big screen.
What common data allowances cover
| Allowance | SD hours | HD hours | Full HD hours | 4K hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 GB | 42 | 20 | 10 | 4 |
| 50 GB | 71 | 33 | 16 | 7 |
| 100 GB | 142 | 66 | 33 | 14 |
| 250 GB | 357 | 166 | 83 | 35 |
| 500 GB | 714 | 333 | 166 | 71 |
| 1 TB | 1428 | 666 | 333 | 142 |
Who needs to watch their data cap?
Most UK home broadband over fibre, cable or phone line is unlimited, so if that's you, a cap isn't a concern. TheIPTV speed test matters more. Caps come into play on mobile phone plans, 4G and 5G home broadband routers, satellite and rural connections, caravan and holiday-home setups, and some budget plans with fair-use limits. On any of those, a few evenings of Full HD can use a large share of the month's data.
Ways to make your allowance last
- Lower the quality: HD uses half the data of Full HD; SD half again.
- Switch the TV off: a channel playing to an empty room uses as much data as one you're watching.
- Watch on fewer screens at once: two TVs use twice the data.
- Check usage mid-month: enter what you've used so far and the days left for an up-to-date forecast.
Data cap or data usage calculator?
This calculator starts from your allowance and tells you whether your viewing fits. If you don't have a cap and just want to know how much data your viewing uses per hour, day, month or year, use thestreaming data usage calculator. To see what quality your connection can handle, try the resolution calculator.
Limitations
Figures are estimates based on typical streaming bitrates. Real usage varies with the provider, codec and content, and doesn't include other internet use on the same allowance, such as phones, updates and browsing. Leave some margin. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or stored.
Frequently asked questions
How much streaming can I do with 100 GB?
About 142 hours in SD, 66 hours in HD, 33 hours in Full HD or 14 hours in 4K, on one screen. Over a 30-day month that's roughly 2 hours of HD a day. Two screens at once halve those figures.
How much streaming can I do with 50 GB?
About 33 hours of HD, 16 hours of Full HD or 7 hours of 4K on one screen. That's roughly an hour of HD a day for a month. Choosing SD stretches it to about 71 hours.
Is 1 TB enough for streaming?
For most households, yes. 1 TB covers about 666 hours of HD or 333 hours of Full HD a month, which is 11 hours of Full HD a day. Heavy 4K use across several TVs is the main case where 1 TB can run out.
What happens when I reach my data cap?
It depends on the plan. Some providers slow the connection to a very low speed until the next billing period, some charge for extra data, and some mobile plans stop data entirely. Check your provider's terms before you reach it.
Do UK broadband plans have data caps?
Most UK fibre, cable and ADSL home broadband plans are unlimited. Caps are more common on mobile phone plans, 4G and 5G home broadband routers, satellite internet and some older or budget plans, so this calculator is most useful for those.
Does a data cap limit my speed?
Not directly. A cap limits the total amount you can download in the billing period, while speed is how fast it arrives. Some plans slow you down after you pass the cap or a fair-use threshold, which can make IPTV buffer.
How do I reduce streaming data use?
Lower the quality: HD uses half the data of Full HD, and SD half again. Turn the TV off rather than leaving a channel running, limit how many screens stream at once, and download on-demand content over unlimited Wi-Fi where your app allows it.
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