A 32 Mbps connection should be sufficient for 4K streaming on one device. In fact, if you consistently get speeds of at least 25 Mbps you should have no trouble streaming in 4K provided you’re not using other devices online at the same time. The ability to stream 4K at this rate of transmission is largely due to the joint efforts of the Video Coding Experts Group and the Moving Picture Experts Group. These two groups have collaborated on standards for 4K streaming that include use of the H. 264 codec, also known as MPEG-4 Park 10 or Advanced Video Coding. This code protocol converts video content into a more compact format that makes it easier to stream. Bit rates are minimized and the structure of the data becomes more flexible without reducing video quality.

Some experts recommend a minimum bandwidth of 32 Mbps for 4K streaming if you’re also going to have other devices online at the same time. Streaming in 4K uses a lot of data; up to 7.7 gigs per hour. If you need to support more than one device online while you are streaming in 4K you may want to have a capacity of 50 Mbps or more. This will help reduce interruptions in your viewing experience. While you can get by on 25 Mbps if you don’t have any other devices online at the same time it’s a good bet that the more bandwidth you have the more you will use in the long run. Hulu actually suggests that you need just 16 Mbps for streaming in 4K but other factors like your network connection can influence the quality of your experience. You can always perform a test to see how streaming in 4k goes with your current connection and equipment.