The Speedtest app for iOS has added a new data point so you can complain to your ISP.
Ookla, who does Speedtest, has announced On Monday, it added a video streaming test, which tells you the best resolution to stream video content to all devices without annoying buffers or hiccups.
The video test is completely 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 the video stream on your network in any time ”, which is necessary“ because video traffic cannot be simulated in a network ”. The video runs at a variety of resolutions, up to 4K, to evaluate which resolution is best, given the capabilities of your wifi.
Of course, good video streaming is a must these days. The covid-19 pandemic forced workers and students alike into an endless series of video calls, while the entertainment world shifted its focus to streaming services, which have become overwhelmingly plentiful. Because many of us have stayed home for the past year, our streaming consumption has exploded, according to Nielsen’s findings.
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“In the second quarter of 2020, Americans pursued more than 142 billion minutes of video streaming, ”Nielsen wrote in August 2020 report. He also found that “streaming consumption in all video options is increasing by over 74% compared to last year— Accelerated by COVID-19 – signaling that streaming is now the present and future of content creation. ”
You can find the new Speedtest flow analysis feature at the bottom of the screen within the app. Just click “Video” and press the giant yellow play button in the middle. A video with what appear to be fiber optic cables will calm you down with the test, which you need to let run for it to complete. (Do not check a text in the middle, otherwise you will have to start over.) In at the end, it will give you an assessment of the streaming situation of your network. For example, it recommended me to transmit only at a maximum resolution of 1440p, ie wonderful news since I just threw a few hundred dollars on a 4K TV and dropped the cable for YouTube TV. Good!
The video streaming test is only available on Speedtest for iOS at the moment, but Ookla says it plans to launch it on other platforms in the future. If you already have Speedtest, simply update the app and you will see the new feature. Otherwise, download the app – it’s free! And a good tool to have the next time you have to negotiate the bill on the internet for a few dollars.