Entertainment is one thing: it would often be more boring without streaming services. No doubt. However, the provision, transmission and playback of the content is also an energy factor.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re on the sofa or in front of the computer at your desk: streaming consumes a lot of energy. And that doesn’t just mean the devices at home. In order for streaming to work at all, data centers are required to store and make available the audio and video content.
Stop autoplay
If you want to do something good for your electricity bill and the environment, you can start with a simple measure and use the autoplay function. That is the advice of the Energy Advisory Service Consumer Center.
Because it causes the next video to start automatically, which you might not want to watch at all. Netflix, for example, also automatically plays trailers for films and series if you only touch them briefly. With streaming services, on social media platforms and in the browser, both functions can often be switched off – and should be done to save energy.
Also interesting: How to stream films and series in an energy-saving way
Which can also save energy when streaming
The energy advice from the consumer advice center gives a few more tips for saving energy:
- It is best to use a music streaming service for streaming music and not YouTube. Playing music without video uses significantly less energy.
- If possible, use a LAN cable for data transmission, since WiFi or mobile communications consume more energy.
- When streaming, lower the video resolution to save energy. Instead of Full HD, you can also watch in 720p in many cases. The consumer center even suggests 480p as an alternative, but TECHBOOK expressly advises against it due to the loss of quality.
- Use a playback device for as long as possible. Pay attention to the energy efficiency when buying a new one.
With material from dpa