IPTV guide

What internet speed do you need for IPTV in HD and 4K?

With IPTV, picture quality depends directly on your internet connection. If your speed is too tight, the picture freezes or the quality drops in the middle of the evening. The good news: the requirements are modest, and most fixed connections in France are more than enough. Here are the speeds to aim for, the right way to measure yours and the settings that make a difference.

Recommended speed for SD, HD and 4K

The speed you need depends on picture quality. The values below are guidelines for one screen, with a safety margin:

SD (standard definition): about 3 to 5 Mbps.
HD (720p and 1080p): about 8 to 10 Mbps.
4K (Ultra HD): about 25 Mbps.

What matters is not the maximum speed advertised by your provider, but the stable speed that actually reaches your device when you are watching. A 50 Mbps connection that drops to 6 Mbps in your living room in the evening will not be enough for 4K.

And depending on your type of connection?

Fibre: more than enough, including for several screens in 4K.
VDSL2: usually enough for HD, sometimes for 4K if you are close to the exchange.
ADSL: often just enough for HD, rarely enough for 4K. Test before choosing a quality.
4G or 5G box: possible, but speed varies with the time of day and coverage. Check that no data cap applies: one hour in HD uses several gigabytes.

How to test your connection

For a reliable result, measure the speed on the device you will watch on, not on your computer next to the router.

Install or open a speed-test tool: nPerf, Speedtest or Fast.com are available on most smartphones, computers and Android TV boxes.
Pause other heavy uses (downloads, updates, other videos) during the test.
Run the test at the time you usually watch TV, often in the evening, when the network is busiest.
Note the download speed and, if the tool shows it, the stability or jitter. A stable connection matters as much as a fast one.
Repeat the test two or three times and keep the lowest value.

If the result is below the guidelines above, start by improving the link between your router and the device before considering changing your internet plan.

Wi-Fi or Ethernet?

This is often where it all comes down to. Your connection can be excellent at the router and mediocre at the other end of the flat.

An Ethernet cable, the most reliable solution

A network cable between your router and your TV or box eliminates almost all losses and interference. If your device has an Ethernet port and the distance allows it, it is the best choice for watching in 4K.

Well-configured Wi-Fi

Preferably connect to your router’s 5 GHz network: it is faster than 2.4 GHz, but has a shorter range.
Move the router closer to the screen, or avoid keeping it shut inside a cabinet.
If the router is far away, a recent Wi-Fi extender or a mesh system clearly improves coverage.
Powerline adapters, which carry the network through your electrical sockets, are an alternative when a cable cannot be run, with results that vary depending on your wiring.

On a Fire TV Stick, which has no network port, a compatible Ethernet adapter can solve Wi-Fi-related interruptions.

Several screens: what speed do you need?

Requirements add up. If two people watch at the same time, one in HD and the other in 4K, allow about 10 + 25 = 35 Mbps of stable speed, not counting the household’s other uses (video calls, online gaming, downloads).

With our 12-month 2-screen subscription, check that your connection can handle two simultaneous streams at the quality you choose. If it cannot, set one of the two screens to HD rather than 4K.

What if your speed is too low?

Switch to HD or SD quality in your app’s settings: the picture stays sharp on most screens and playback becomes smooth.
Restart your router, especially if it has not been turned off for a long time.
Check that no other device is saturating the connection while you watch.
Contact your internet provider if the measured speed is much lower than in your contract.
Find out whether fibre is available where you live: it is the long-term solution for 4K.

If the picture cuts out despite a sufficient speed, the cause lies elsewhere: app, device or settings. Our guide IPTV buffering or freezing: the fixes goes through every lead.

In short

To watch IPTV comfortably, aim for about 10 Mbps of stable speed per screen in HD and 25 Mbps in 4K. Measure the speed on the device you watch on, at peak times, and prefer an Ethernet cable or 5 GHz Wi-Fi close to the router.

Is your connection ready? Choose your IPTV subscription plan and follow our setup guides to configure your device.

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