For those who simply want to watch a live streaming video, their Internet download speed must be faster than the bit rate of their chosen stream. Usually, stream selection will automatically default to the best quality that your Internet can comfortably handle.
The amount of bandwidth required will depend on the quality of the stream. For a ballpark estimate of the speed required for streaming live video, here are the estimates that Netflix provides to its users (which are roughly transferable to live streaming):
- 500 Kbps – lowest required speed for streaming
- 1.5 Mbps – recommended speed for quality viewing
- 3 Mbps – Standard Definition video
- 5-8 Mbps – 720p and 1080p High Definition
- 25 Mbps – 4K Ultra High Definition
