To set your Netflix data usage, log in to your Netflix account, click your account name at the top-right portion of the browser window, and select Your Account.

netflix bandwidth data usage

On the Account page, scroll down until you see Playback Settings listed in the “My Profile” section. Click it to view data usage and episode playback settings.

netflix bandwidth data usage

There are four quality settings that will affect both picture quality and data usage:

Auto: attempts to provide the highest quality for the current connection speed and signal strength

Low: reduced standard definition video quality that will use up to 300MB per hour of streaming

Medium: standard DVD-quality video at up to 700MB per hour

High: HD-quality video (on supported content) that can use up to 3GB (3000MB) per hour. For Netflix’s “Ultra HD” content, expect up to 7GB (7000MB) of usage

For the bandwidth-conscious on very limited data caps, sticking with the “Low” setting will ensure that you can still enjoy Netflix content with minimal impact on data usage. Even moving to the “Medium” setting will provide decent quality without a significant bandwidth hit. Just make sure to monitor your data usage via your ISP or a third party utility and adjust your Netflix settings accordingly.

Any changes you make to your Netflix data usage settings will take immediate effect in your Web browser, but note that you must reload (or sign out and then sign back in again) on any Netflix-enabled devices (Xbox One, PS4, Roku, Apple TV, etc.) for the change to be applied.