5G Home Internet 720p Video Steaming Not Sufficient

[AngelJones]

I have the 5G Home Internet and it is fantastic with 1 major, deal breaking caveat. The maximum resolution for video streaming is limited to 720p which does not work for me, I need at least 1080p. This would be an ideal service for me but for that, as such I am going to have to cancel my service and return the Nokia device which is a real shame.

Why in the world would Rogers limit the bandwidth for video streaming, it's not like 1080p requires that much more bandwidth than 720p?

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[57 · Accepted solution]

@AngelJones : Several comments.

1. 1080P requires more than twice the bandwidth of 720P.

2. Many times the resolution restrictions are not due to bandwidth, but are specified by the broadcast rights holders to avoid true HD copying, etc.  You can see this regardless of service provider if you subscribe to streaming say TSN+, etc, which can even be less than 720P with very low bitrates.

(Granted, some streaming services provide for higher resolutions, however, they, like Netflix, are usually costly.)

Unless you are casting to a large TV or monitor, 720P is usually adequate for a phone or tablet.

[rflats771]

I'm having the same problem on the same device, it seems that, in 2024 no less, you're limited to 720p(in 2024) ABSOLUTE GARBAGE! 

[AngelJones]

Thank you for the reply sir. I got this service because I am in a rural area with a finite number of internet options. I stream all my TV, on a 65" TV, hence my significant disappointment that the 5G rogers internet only supports 720p. That is a deal breaker for me and I shall be cancelling my service. Going to have to order Starlink.

This is a great service at a great price but 720p is going to turn off a lot of potential customers.

[57]

@AngelJones : Have you run a speedtest on the service?

https://www.rogers.com/support/internet/basic-internet-speedtest

You can see in the above link what sort of "resolution" you can expect depending on your bandwidth.  If the bandwidth is above say 20 Mbps, you would be able to stream 1080P.    As I mentioned in my previous post, it may be the broadcaster or rights holder that is restricting the resolution at their end before it gets to the internet.

Have you tried YouTube?  If you right click on a YouTube video you will see the bitrate under "stats for nerds".  For example, on the following link of a 4K video I get over 100 Mbps available, although that's not always required due to buffering...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLuTLF3x9sA

If you switch to Starlink for example, that will not do anything for you if the broadcaster is limiting the streaming as they do for say TSN+, SN, IgniteTV App, etc.

[AngelJones]

Thank you for the reply sir. Yes the speed tests that I've run and the downloading that I've done come in close to 100 mbps, great speed! I use youtube for my testing and anything above 720p I get buffering. Somehow in the description of the 5G service I missed the part about streaming being limited to 720p, I see that now. Too bad as I bet a lot more people would use this service if they could stream at 1080p. I'm not sure why Rogers would throttle streaming given the 500 gig bandwidth limit before being slowed down. Thank you very much again for the reply sir and have a splendid weekend!

[57]

OK, thank you for the clarification. I did not realize that Rogers somehow "knows" you are streaming and limits that to 3 Mbps and 720P.  I see that myself now, using the following link:

https://www.rogers.com/mobility/5g-home-internet  Click on "See Full Details" at the bottom of the page.

Good luck with Starlink and perhaps post back here with an update on your streaming experience when installed.