Stop Watching Netflix in HD if You Want to Save The Planet, Say Scientists

A new report suggests that when you watch Netflix in high definition (HD), you are generating around eight times as much carbon as you would while watching it in regular quality. Maybe now is a time to consider doing your bit to save the planet by just switching to lower video quality settings while streaming, especially on Netflix. Also Read – Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives Twitter Review: Netflix’s Show Gets Mixed Reactions from Twitterati

According to the report by scientists from the UK’s Royal Society, streaming movies or TV shows in standard definition (SD) could help reduce carbon emissions and prevent climate change. Also Read – Twitter Celebrates Emmy’s Win For Netflix’s Delhi Crime: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Swara Bhaskar And Others Congratulates Team

With energy requirement coming from unlikely sources, the total global carbon emission from digital technology is estimated at 5 per cent.

One Instagram post from footballer Christiano Ronaldo is said to consume as much as 10 whole households in the UK per year.

The total energy required to sustain Bitcoin is equal to the entire energy consumption by Switzerland.

This shows that even small individual actions can have big consequences on the planet.

The scientists suggest that while watching Netflix on low or high quality on a small screen like your phone, you are unlikely to even notice the difference.

The report’s authors also blamed the platforms for default standard definition and limited streaming resolution.

They say that turning off video when streaming music on YouTube can also help. Small actions like these can help save the planet by reducing 5 per cent of the streaming emissions.

Some small moves that would halve emissions from manufacturing is buying second-hand gadgets, keeping phones for a longer time before upgrading to the next.

So, here are the steps to help you control how much of your Netflix uses. This small action can A) save your data, and B) help you do your bit in the global fight against climate change.

1. Go to Account settings in Netflix, on the mobile app or browser
2. Then go to Profile and Parental Controls and select the profile you watch from
3. Go to Playback Settings and select Change
4. Then you will see the option of changing your data usage from the auto mode
5. You can choose Low which has basic video quality and uses up to 0.3GB per hour
6. You can also standard video quality, where your data usage will be up to 0.7GB per hour

Compared to this, the High setting or best video quality uses up to 3GB per hour for HD and 7GB per hour for Ultra HD.