As the number of people who are disconnecting from cable and satellite TV services is growing, people’s interest in internet television streaming has risen. For rural customers, who do have not many choices when it comes to an internet connection, the satellite internet service offered by Hughesnet can appear to be quite convincing in terms of actually delivering a fast enough connection for watching TV online. However, is Hughesnet suitable for viewing television programs and films online? The following are some factors to consider when deciding to go with Hughesnet and whether or not the internet speed and data are good enough for streaming TV.
Internet Speeds
Broadly speaking, internet speeds are of paramount significance considering that satellite internet is being contemplated for use in TV streaming. Watching HD-quality streams in their normal flow can only be done over a minimum internet connection of 3-4 Mbps for one stream alone. Hughesnet base plans promote download speeds of 25 Mbps suitable for streaming multiple HD video streams. But again, this is achievable up to 25 Mbps.
The problem here is that the speed of the internet via satellite is not constant and depends on the amount of connections in the network. Based on the currently available information, it was revealed that Hughesnet speeds can be extremely slow in the evening, specifically during the peak hours when most people are at home streaming videos. It may still take quite a lot of time to stream, even at 10 Mbps when it is the peak time for streaming. But even with this, Hughesnet’s data limits are not very large, and streaming using low-quality or low-definition videos will quickly exhaust your monthly allocation.
Data Caps
Hughesnet’s internet plans are quite limiting since they are bundled with strict data thresholds. The starting point of 10 GB would permit streaming of only 1-2 hours of video every month at the base subscription price. But even such a plan as 50 GB would allow only 10-20 hours of streaming before you are charged extra, very dearly. Hughesnet provides ‘bonus data’ during its low traffic time which is between the wee hours of the night from 2 am to 8 am. However, when it comes to practical usage, these data limits make Hughesnet’s service costly for daily television watching.
Streaming Services Supported
As for the favorable reception of popular streaming TV services, Hughesnet fares a bit better but receives rather average feedback. Most streaming applications such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, YouTube, and others that are in frequent use are compatible with satellite internet. However, the users have complained of signaling issues that lead to constant buffering and changes in video quality. Some of the streaming devices include certain brands of Chromecast which require a steady internet connection and will not be efficient. It is also said that application streaming support available in HughesNet is still irregular as well.
This means that, while almost all streaming services will work over Hughesnet in terms of pure functionality and compatibility, the practical experience is likely to be worse. Satellite internet is typically not fast or stable enough for real-time live streaming of television on the web from services such as YouTube TV, Hulu Live, Sling TV, and many more. The issues of lag and buffering render these services completely and utterly unusable for Hughesnet customers.
Streaming Quality
The speed variability and data constraints with Hughesnet mean that most will have to reduce the streaming video quality down to 480p or 720p due to constant buffering. potential customers expecting to watch their favorite movies in 1080p or 4K definition, Hughesnet does not deliver sufficient average throughput.
However, this is still far from adequate even when it comes to lower streaming quality at Hughesnet. Not to mention that it is common to experience pixelation and artifacts or even a temporary loss of connection, and not on par with cable or fiber-optic streaming. But for some cord-cutters with less demanding video quality requirements, Hughesnet might be just satisfactory. However, for the more discerning audience, the number of occasions that the quality of the show takes a dip will be quite irritating.
Reliability
Another drawback of Hughesnet and its services is that the company is criticized for unstable connections and frequent interruptions which make the video stream unrealistic. Weather disturbances are inevitable and would mean that there would be outages on the satellite internet. The rain and snow pose a major problem since they can block the downstream satellite signal denying streaming TV during storms. Even storms of a lower magnitude such as heavy winds also reduced the device’s performance.
Even on the days when the weather appears good, Hughesnet's reliability is questionable based on what the users post. What is not uncommon is the phenomenon of mysterious micro-outages, which for a short period, completely cut off the possibility of connectivity. Moreover, when the Hughesnet signal is poor, the streaming apps will stop and have a hard time coming back online. However, if one wants to establish consistent TV watching, Hughesnet satellite can indeed be a letdown once in a while.
Alternative Devices
As mentioned above, some users avoid streaming performance directly from a TV or stick such as Roku since it is slightly unstable over Hughesnet and instead, connect other streaming devices. Gettable platforms such as the Amazon Fire tablet, an iPad, or a laptop enable downloading of shows to eliminate the chances of buffering. Other known benefits of portable devices are if weather hampers home service it can be taken along.
Nevertheless, streaming through mobile downloads will be relevant to consuming Hughesnet data, which is scarce. However, not all streaming platforms allow downloading content whether for later viewing or personal use. However, streaming alternatives allow for overcoming some of the Hughesnet TV drawbacks, such as limited channel options and high prices, but do not provide the data caps and reliability problem.
Is Hughesnet Worth It for TV?
For people living in rural areas and not having access to cable broadband services, Hughesnet satellite might be the only provider. However, with certain preparation and disciplined use of the connection, it is possible to watch some television over Hughesnet satellite within the confines of the data allowances and fluctuating speed. Just don’t consider it very efficient for streaming purposes, whereby the overall streaming quality is not as seamless and consistent as it would be with wired internet.
In real life, consumers can find that Hughesnet is best suited for basic, low-definition streaming to avoid using up much data and experiencing buffering issues. Also, prepare for this by cognizing that you will have to pay more for overage charges as well. As for the performance of streaming TV over Hughesnet, although it can be considered as “possible” since there are no other options available to the buyers, the overall experience should be expected to be much lower. For Hughesnet to provide you with a good streaming TV experience, several hard technical realities need to be dealt with.
