Yes, Viasat is good for streaming, if you are looking at plans with 25 Mbps or higher speed levels.
If streaming video and music is important to you, Viasat (formerly Exede) is the internet service provider for you. Viasat satellite internet plans are designed with streaming in mind, and all plans have video streaming settings appropriate to the speed and data threshold of the plans.
Viasat Video Streaming Quality for Select Viasat Plans
Unlimited Bronze 12: 360p (small screen quality)
Unlimited Silver 25: 480p (DVD quality)
Unlimited Gold 30: 720p (HD quality)
Unlimited Gold 50: 720p (HD quality)
Unlimited Platinum 100: 1080p (Full HD quality)
If Viasat Good for Streaming Video? Comparing Viasat Internet and HughesNet Internet
Viasat internet plans have much higher data caps than HughesNet internet plans, so you will be able to stream lots of video before you use all the priority data in any Viasat plan. The Viasat Video Data Extender comes with every Viasat plan to help you get the most shows, movies, news and sports out of every month’s data allowance.
Viasat offers internet plans with up 100 Mbps download speeds and 150 GB/month thresholds vs. HughesNet internet plans that all have 25 Mbps download speeds and a maximum data threshold of 50 GB/month What is the best satellite internet for streaming?
. Viasat’s Unlimited Platinum 100 Plan was designed with video-streaming cord cutters in mind.
The streaming service and the quality level you use to view video makes a big difference in how much data you use. YouTube videos average 360 MB of data per hour, while an SD quality movie on Netflix or Hulu averages 750 MB per hour. If you stream in HD, that Netflix or Hulu movie can use 3 GB/hour.
Remember, while 3 GB/hour is a lot of data to use in a short period of time, customers who subscribe to Hughesnet will see a much larger chunk of their data allowance disappear in comparison to how much a Viasat customer would see in their data plan. This is because Viasat customers can have data-caps that are three times higher than those offered by Hughesnet.
Customers who love watching movies and television can take advantage of Viasat’s partnership with DirecTV and DishTV. If you subscribe to either of those television services as well as Viasat, you will receive a 10 dollar discount on your monthly internet bill and have the freedom to watch TV without using data.
Another way to watch all the TV and movies that you want without spending too much of your data allowance is to download shows and movies to your devices during Viasat’s Free Zones. Once downloaded, those programs and movies can be watched whenever, wherever without requiring data or internet connection of any kind.
Is Viasat Good for Streaming Music?
Streaming music typically takes much less data than streaming video. At the highest quality setting, eight hours of streaming Spotify or Pandora uses about 1 GB. You can save data by listening to your music at lower quality settings or listen offline, where you will use no data!
This means you would have to listen to music almost all day long for three days before you used as much data as is required to watch a movie in HD. Music listeners should not worry too much about over-streaming music, especially since Viasat offers customers so much data. However, if you are worried about exceeding your data threshold but want to continue listening to music, you can save data by listening to your music at lower quality settings or listen offline, where you will use no data!
Is Viasat Good for Streaming Using Unlimited Data?
When choosing a Viasat internet plan, be honest with yourself about how you will use your internet service. If streaming video or music is important to you, choose the plan with the highest download speed and the highest data cap. When looking at the cost of internet plans, take into account what your internet plan will allow you to stream each month—you may not need a satellite TV subscription anymore. If you want to watch Amazon Prime video, Netflix, Hulu and Sling TV, you can cut the cord with Viasat satellite internet.
Even though Viasat internet plans offer unlimited data, subscribers who have used all their priority data for the month may see their internet slow down during times of network congestion. This will cause increased buffering times during streaming, but you should still be able to enjoy streaming. With any satellite internet plan, including Viasat, it’s important to remember that if you have unlimited data, that does not mean that you have unlimited high-speed internet.
Is Viasat Good for Streaming?
Viasat is excellent for streaming – provided you choose a plan with 25 Mbps or higher speeds.
If streaming video and music is important to you, Viasat is the internet service provider you need. Viasat designed their satellite internet plans with streaming in mind, and each plan has video streaming settings appropriate to its speed and data thresholds.
Viasat video streaming quality for select Viasat plans include:
- Unlimited Bronze 12. This plan streams video at 360p, which works well on small screens like phones, tablets, or computer/laptop monitors.
- Unlimited Silver 25. This plan streams video at 480p, which offers DVD-quality videos on most screens.
- Unlimited Gold 30. This plan streams video at 720p, which offers HD quality videos on large screens.
- Unlimited Platinum 100. This plan streams video at 1080p, which is full HD quality and the best streaming you’ll see on a satellite internet connection.
How Does Viasat Compare to HughesNet?
Viasat’s internet plans have higher data caps than HughesNet’s internet plans, so you can stream more content before exceeding your data. Viasat also offers a ‘Video Data Extender’ – a free setting that allows you to stream more video while using less data by automatically streaming at 480p.
Viasat’s internet has up to 100 Mbps download speeds and 150 GB/month thresholds vs. HughesNet’s 25 Mbps download speeds and 50 GB/month threshold.
Is Viasat Good for Streaming Video?
Viasat’s speeds are more than adequate for anyone, from occasional streamers to frequent streamers to households with numerous streamers. The answer to this question lies in data usage.
The streaming service and video quality are the biggest factors in how much data you use when streaming video. YouTube videos use about 360 MB/hour, while a DVD-quality movie (480p) on Netflix or Hulu averages 750 MB/hour. The 720p HD option increases usage to 1.3 GB/hour, and if you stream in HD (1080p), you’ll use 3 GB/hour.
Luckily, Viasat’s multitude of data plans – including an unlimited option – meaning you can (mostly) stream without worrying too much about your data caps.
If you do worry, Viasat offers “Free Zones.” Free Zones are times when your internet usage doesn’t count against your data cap. Times vary by plan, but you could use your Free Zone to download shows and movies to your devices to watch anytime.
Customers can also take advantage of Viasat’s partnership with DirecTV and DishTV. Subscribing to either service plus Viasat gets you a $10 discount on your monthly internet bill – and gives you the freedom to watch TV without using data.
Is Viasat Good for Streaming Music?
Streaming music requires significantly less data than streaming video. At the highest quality setting, streaming Spotify or Pandora for eight hours uses about 1 GB.
This means you’d have to listen to music almost all day for three days before you used as much data as you’d use watching a movie in HD. Music listeners needn’t worry about over-streaming music, especially since Viasat offers customers so much data.
If you do worry, you could listen to music at lower quality settings or listen offline.
How Do I Choose a Viasat Plan?
Ask yourself, “How will I use my internet service?” If streaming high-quality video or music is important to you, choose the plan with the highest download speed and the highest data cap. That plan could also help you “cut the cord” – if you can stream videos online, you may not need a satellite TV or cable subscription anymore.
Remember, however, that although some Viasat internet plans offer unlimited data, they don’t offer unlimited high-speed internet. If you exceed your data cap, you may see your speeds slow down during peak internet times.