How Much Data Does Hulu Use – Consumption, and Ideal Data Speed

If you are a big movie buff and would like to keep yourself updated with everything new on the block, Hulu is a must! One of the most popular apps, Hulu offers streaming services that keep you hooked on its jaw-dropping content. It offers hours of TV content as per your choice, however, if you are concerned about your bandwidth caps or limited mobile data plan, you must know how much data does Hulu use?

Although there are no official figures from Hulu, you can get a general idea depending on your internet usage. While streaming Hulu’s on-demand library of TV shows and movies, the minimal amount of data required is 1.5Mbps. The recommended download speed in SD or HD quality is approximately 3Mbps and if you are streaming 4K content, a higher bandwidth of 16 Mbps is required.

Before getting into details, it must be understood that other factors like multiple device usage on your Wi-Fi using Hulu or other activities like video conferencing or online gaming may affect your data usage.

How Much Data Does Hulu Use?

As the platform offers you various options to explore, you should get a clear idea about the data usage to maximize the value of your plan and enjoy the Hulu app.

• For the library and HD content: It is recommended that the internet should have a minimum speed of 3 megabits per second. This is equivalent to 1.35 gigabytes per hour.
• For Live Streams: If you are wondering how much data does Hulu Live uses. We have an answer! An internet speed of at least 8 Mbps is required for uninterrupted live streaming. This way, the download speed will be approximately 3.6 GB per hour.
• For 4K content: For smooth functioning, a connection of at least 16 Mbps is required. The download speed will be 7.2 GB per hour.
• For Normal Quality Content: For low-quality content option, you need to have the lower-quality option that only needs 1.5 Mbps, which is equivalent to 0.675 GB per hour.

Let’s get into the details to understand the usage requirements so that you can understand what activity consumes the highest data.

Recommended Read: Understanding How Much Data Does Streaming Music Use?

How Much Data Does Hulu Live TV Use?

Hulu Live TV gives you access to 90+ live TV channels where you can enjoy sports, music, shows, and more. If you want to use the live TV section of Hulu, the minimum requirement is 8Mbps for streaming content whether it is a Wi-Fi network or a cellular network.

How Much Data Does Hulu Use Per Hour?

If you are an average user, you’ll be using approximately 0.65GB of data per hour. However, if you use it on the recommended settings to make the most of the app and your mobile data plan, get ready to consume 1.3GB. If you want to use Hulu at 4K content, the data consumption is expected to be around 7GB. Also, while streaming Hulu Plus live content the data usage may go up to 3.5G.

Does Hulu Use More Data Than Netflix?

Netflix is one of the most popular streaming apps that offers you a wide array of content, which is informative and entertaining. If you want to know how much data does Netflix use, we have the answer! If you are streaming SD videos on Netflix, get ready to spend 1GB of data per hour. In the case of HD video, the data consumption will be approximately 3GB.

This data reflects that Hulu does not use more data than Netflix. So, if you are a movie buff but you have a limited mobile data plan, you can explore the Hulu app and watch different types of content to entertain yourself.

How to Control How Much Data Hulu Uses?

If you download data from Hulu to watch later, you can surely control your data usage by changing the settings of the app and the quality of the files you download on your device. Follow these steps to change the data settings-

Change Settings on Your PC

• While streaming Hulu on your PC, click on the ‘Settings’ and the menu will pop up.
• Tap on ‘Quality’ and select the ‘Best Available’ or ‘Data Saver’. If you choose Data Saver, the image quality will suffer but the data consumed will be less.
• You need to repeat this action for every profile on your Hulu account.

Change Settings on Mobile While on a Cellular Network

• Go to your Hulu app and tap on the ‘Account’ icon.
• Tap on the ‘Settings’ option.
• Go to ‘Cellular Data Option’.
• Choose from the two options – ‘Best Available’ or ‘Data Saver’.
• If you want to save your data, you can choose the ‘Data Saver’ option.

Download Hulu Movies & TV Shows on Wi-Fi

If you have a superfast 5G monthly mobile plan with unlimited data and want to enjoy the latest movies and television shows and are planning to download the Hulu app, follow the steps mentioned below. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind before downloading.

Things to Remember

• Not every content on the Hulu app is available for download in your location. For this, check the circular icon with a downward arrow.
• Once you download the content, you have 30 days to view the content and two days after you start watching it. After that, it will expire. However, if you already have a Hulu subscription, you can download it again for the next 30 days.
• Through a Hulu account, you can download up to 25 downloads on five different devices at the same time. In case you exceed this limit, you’ll get a pop-up notification.
• The downloads are available only for the subscribers of Hulu (No Ads) and Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV.

Steps to Download Hulu Movies and TV Shows

Before downloading, you need to change some settings in the app.

Tap on ‘Downloads’ and choose the ‘Settings’ icon. Here, you’ll see various options including ‘Video Quality’. You can choose the quality as ‘Standard’ or ‘High’. You must know that if you switch to high quality, the movie/TV will take longer to download and take up a lot of storage space on your device.

Go to ‘Cellular Downloading’ and switch it ‘on’ in case you have an unlimited data plan. However, if you have a limited mobile plan, avoid using this option and keep it off. You can check the storage space in the storage indicator in the ‘Settings’ section.

To download movies and TV shows-

• Go to the Hulu app and choose ‘Download supported’ movies or TV shows.
• Go to the episode that you want to download. Here you’ll see a circular downward arrow. Tap on it and start downloading.
• When the download is complete go to the Hulu ‘Home’ page and tap on the ‘Download’ section.
• You can see your downloaded episodes in the ‘Library’. If you want to play the episode, tap on it.
• Once you’ve watched the episode, you can also delete it by tapping on the ‘Download Delete’ option.

Conclusion

Hulu is a great app to keep yourself entertained and watch the latest TV shows and movies on your PC or mobile phone. If you have an unlimited data plan, it is great but if not, you should know how much data does Hulu use! Although the data consumption depends on the activities and the time spent on the app.

In general, the minimum data requirement on the app is 1.5Mbps. However, if you use SD or HD quality, the data usage is 3Mbps and if you stream 4K content, the required data is 16Mbps. If you are using Hulu’s library and HD content, the minimum speed of 3 megabits per second is a must. For live stream, the download speed is 3.6 GB per hour. For 4K content streaming, a connection of at least 16 Mbps is required. In the case of normal-quality content, 0.675 GB per hour is required.

It is easy to download TV shows and Movies on the app. You can go to the app and select movies and shows that are download-supported. Go to the show an episode you want to download and select the download arrow icon on the right. When the download is complete you can go to the ‘Home Page’ and find this episode in the ‘Library icon. However, before doing the same remember that all content on Hulu is not downloadable. Also, once you download the content, you have 30 days to watch the content and 2 days to finish it once you start watching it. In the Hulu app, up to 25 downloads on five different devices are allowed.