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Satellite capacity, video streaming and other meanderings

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BirdDog
Assistant Professor

Satellite capacity, video streaming and other meanderings

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.

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