What is Video bandwidth?
Video bandwidth is a streaming term used to measure how much data is being transferred in a given period of time. It is indicative of a server's capacity (the amount of traffic it can handle) and the total data consumed. In short, the more data you consume, the more bandwidth you consume. Having a working knowledge of video bandwidth helps calculate the costs involved in setting up live streaming workflows.
Factors Affecting Video Bandwidth for Streaming
Video bandwidth for streaming depends on factors like how long a user streams, the number of users, the bitrate, etc.
- Bitrate: It indicates the amount of data shared over the web in a given period. It is essentially the speed at which your video files get transferred from the hosting platform to the user.
- Frame Rate: Every video comprises a number of still images or frames. The speed at which each frame is displayed refers to the frame rate. Video frame rates are the metric that provides a smooth, fluid appearance to videos. Frame rate and bandwidth usage are proportional to each other. A higher frame rate is indicative of bandwidth consumption.
- Video Resolution: It refers to a video's height and width, as measured in pixels. For instance, 1080×720p or 2560 × 1440p resolution, dependent on your encoder settings. The higher the resolution, the more bandwidth it will require since the file size will be larger.