The Speedtest app for iOS added a new data point for you to complain to your internet provider.
Ookla, who does the Speedtest, announced on Monday, it added a streaming video test, which reports the best resolution for streaming video content across all of its devices without buffers or annoying hiccups.
The video test is totally different from the standard speed test, which tells you how fast your connection is. Instead, as Ookla explains, the video test “plays a real video to specifically measure the performance of streaming video on your network at any time,” which is necessary “because video traffic cannot be simulated on a network”. The video goes through a variety of resolutions, up to 4K, to judge which resolution is best for your wi-fi capabilities.
Obviously, good streaming video is mandatory today. The covid-19 pandemic has forced workers and students into an endless series of video calls, while the entertainment world has shifted its focus to streaming services, which have become overwhelmingly abundant. As many of us were stranded at home last year, our streaming consumption has exploded, according to Nielsen’s findings.
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“During the second quarter of 2020, Americans saw more than 142 billion minutes of streaming video, ”wrote Nielsen in August 2020 report. He also found that “consumption of streaming in all video options is more than 74% compared to last year—Accelerated by COVID-19 – signaling that streaming is now the present and the future of content creation. “
You can find Speedtest’s new streaming analysis feature at the bottom of the application screen. Just click on “Video” and click on the giant yellow play button in the middle. A video of what appears to be fiber optic cables will calm you down during the test, which you must leave up and running to complete. (Do not mark a text in the middle, or you will have to start over.) in the end, it will give an assessment of the streaming situation of your network. For example, it is recommended that I only transmit at a maximum resolution of 1440p, which is Wonderful news since I just spent a few hundred dollars on a 4K TV and abandoned cable for YouTube TV Ah well!
The streaming video test is only available on Speedtest for iOS at the moment, but Ookla says that he plans to implement it on other platforms in the future. If you already have Speedtest, just update the application and you will see the new feature. Otherwise, download the app – it’s free! It is a good tool to have the next time you need to trade your internet account for a few dollars.