Satellite capacity, video streaming and other meanderings

[BirdDog]

OK, did some simple math here, please correct me if I made any errors.

1. Echostar 19 has been advertised as having "up to" 220 Gbps throughput: http://spacenews.com/atlas-5-launches-echostar-19/

2. Netflix says 5 Mbps is needed for HD streaming: https://help.netflix.com/en/node/306

3. So, divide 220 Gbps by 5 Mbps and you get the max user capacity at that speed which equals 44,000 customers. 

4. In my feeble mind that says if 44,000 customers are trying to stream video at HD, at the same time of night, the satellite throughput is already maxed out.

I realise there is compression and other things being used but still, 44,000 or even 50,000 doesn't seem like that many users to send things over the edge when talking a half million users at least on each of  the Echostar 17 & 19 satellites.

Please tell me if my math or logic is off. Point I'm trying to make is people who think they are an island streaming at the higher definitions are affecting the entire ocean.

[MarkJFine]

Thing is, things like web browsing, email, etc. are bursty in nature. Bursts you can at least handle from more sources because they can be interspersed over time.

In contrast, streaming with any kind of high resolution is a fairly constant demand of resources over the course of the program, making it have more of an impact. Lower resolutions you at least have a chance to handle bursts that can be buffered to last for a period of time.

[BirdDog]

I just don't understand streaming HD on capped data. Especially the low satellite data caps. Have been accused of being too logical by the other half.

Honestly fine with lower definition. Maybe my TV interpolates better than others but it looks fine at lower def without HD. I'm talking a 55" TV. Then again it seems us older folks have lower standards when it comes to video quality.

Things change but satellite is still not at total cord cutter level.

[MarkJFine]

I'm a little more pragmatic than that. If a video eats half a GB to watch, I see that as being better used for something more tangible and reusable, like software downloads/updates.

Occasionally (once, maybe twice a week as you say - more like once a month in my case if that) that's fine, but as a regular daily habit for hours per day... that's an instant budget buster in my mind, even in 320p.

What does my head in is people thinking that just because I run out of 'high speed data', I can continue that kind behavior as if nothing's changed and complain when it doesn't work. But, they do kind of market it in such a way to imply that's possible.

[maratsade]

"I just don't understand streaming HD on capped data."

Ditto. Makes no sense(well, to me).  And SD works perfectly fine, esp with Netflix  (not so much with others).

[maratsade]

Ditto.  🙂

Perhaps there should be rotas. 😉

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@GabeU wrote:

And this is what those 44,000 are doing to me.  😞  

Granted, I'm still able to browse and Facebook without issue.  

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