The quantity {of electrical} energy required to stream content material by way of Netflix for a single hour constitutes its vitality demand inside that timeframe. This consumption is usually measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) and varies primarily based on a number of components, together with video decision, machine sort, and community effectivity. For instance, streaming in Extremely HD (4K) calls for considerably extra energy than Customary Definition (SD) viewing on the identical machine.
Understanding electrical energy use throughout streaming is essential for a number of causes. For particular person customers, it contributes to family vitality payments and carbon footprint. On a broader scale, the aggregated demand from thousands and thousands of customers globally has implications for energy grid stability and total vitality useful resource administration. Traditionally, media consumption relied on bodily media, which had its personal vitality footprint; the shift to streaming represents a major change in how leisure impacts vitality techniques.