How Much Data Does Hulu Use?

By: Stephen Kota

From old seasons of Seinfeld to the latest episodes of the Bachelor, there are hundreds of interesting shows to explore on Hulu and Hulu Live TV. If you’re streaming video on a limited mobile broadband connection, however, your monthly data cap might not be up for the task.

Let’s take a closer look at how much mobile data you use streaming video content on Hulu. When you know how much data the you use watching video content, you can make an informed decision about when and how you watch online video.

Video Quality and Format Options on Hulu

The amount of data you use streaming content depends on the video quality of that content. A sharper, richer audio-visual experience uses more data than a more standard audio-visual experience. There are several video quality and format options (some more standard and others more immersive) available on Hulu:

– Standard Definition (SD) video has the same 480p display resolution as a DVD.

– High Definition (HD) video has a display resolution of 720p or 1080p, which are like Blu-ray picture quality.

– High (HD) video has a display resolution of 720p or 1080p, which is like Blu-ray quality. It uses 5.1 multi-channel audio for an enhanced sound experience.

Hulu also has two audio quality options:

– Most Hulu content streams audio in 2.0 stereo audio, which is CD quality.

– Some Hulu content, including all Hulu Originals, stream audio in 5.1 surround sound.

Learn more about video quality and audio quality on Hulu.

Hulu Data Use Per Hour

It’s easy to binge watch an entire season of a show you just discovered on Hulu, but binge-watching video content can drain your monthly data limit quickly. Here’s how much data you use streaming video on Hulu, based on the playback quality of the video:

Data use on Hulu per hour

To Reduce Data Use, Change Your Playback Settings

If you’re short on data, Hulu lets you toggle your default video quality between “Auto,” “Low,” “Medium,” and “High.” Select lower playback quality to use less data:

– To change the default playback quality on the Hulu app, start streaming a video > click the gear icon (“Settings”) > choose a playback quality.

4G LTE Plans for Hulu

With an installed mobile broadband connection, your household can watch Hulu on multiple screens, including phones, tablets, laptops, and televisions, all on the same connection. Any device within range of your wireless router can connect to your installed mobile broadband network using Wi-Fi, even those devices that can’t connect directly to 4G LTE.

To decide which data plan is right for you, estimate the time your household spends watching Hulu on all your screens during an average month. Then, choose the installed mobile broadband plan that supports that amount of streaming. Here’s how much Hulu you can get out of each of our 4G LTE data plans:

Maximum time on Hulu per month per data plan

For more information about our data plans, check out our website or give us a call at 866-439-6630