This article will talk about some of the max video resolutions, audio sample rates, and audio bit rates for some popular video on-demand streaming platforms. We will also walk through what these numbers mean.
| Platform | Max Video Resolution | Max Audio Sample Rate | Audio Bitrate | |
| Zoom | 1920p x 1080p @ 30fps | 48kHz | 192kbps | |
| Teams | 1920p x 1080p @ 30fps | 32kHz | 128kbps | |
| Google Meet | 1920p x 1080p @ 30fps | 48kHz | <not listed> | |
| Facebook Live | 1920p x 1080p @ 60fps | 48kHz | 256 kbps | |
| Youtube Live | 3840p x 2160p @ 60fps | 48kHz | 384 kbps |
*Note: Some platforms only offer max video and audio resolutions in certain scenarios. Please refer to their official documentation for more accurate values.
Technical Background Knowledge
Video Resolution
Video resolution refers to the number of pixels contained in each frame of a video. It directly impacts the amount of detail, clarity, and realism in the video. Higher resolution means more pixels, resulting in sharper images. Lower resolution leads to a less detailed video. However, higher resolution video also requires bandwidth. It requires a higher upload speed for the person recording and uploading the video and a higher download speed for people watching the video.
Common Resolutions
| Width (pixels) | Height (pixels) | Aspect Ratio | Standard |
| 1920 | 1080 | 16:9 | FHD |
| 2560 | 1440 | 16:9 | QHD |
| 3840 | 2160 | 16:9 | 4K UHD |
| 1179 | 2556 | 19.5:9 | iPhone 15 |
| 1080 | 2340 | 19.5:9 | Galaxy s23 |
Audio Quality
Audio quality is mentioned in terms of sampling rate and bit depth than standard CD-quality audio. High-resolution audio captures more detail and nuance, resulting in a more accurate and lifelike representation of the original performance.
Sampling Rate refers to how many times a sound wave is measured and recorded digitally per second.
- CD-quality audio has a sample rate of 44.1kHz, meaning the sound wave is estimated and recorded 44,100 times per second.
- High-resolution audio can have sample rates of up to 384kHz or more, capturing sound waves at a much higher frequency.
Bit Depth refers to the number of bits used to represent each sample of the sound wave.
- CD-quality audio has a bit depth of 16 bits, allowing for 65,536 levels of amplitude.
- High-resolution audio can have bit depths of up to 32 bits, allowing for over 4 billion amplitude levels.
Bit Rate is the measure of bits (audio data) processed over a given period of time and is calculated with the following formula: Bit Rate = Bit Depth × Sample Rate.
Example Calculation: Let’s say you have an audio file with a bit depth of 16 bits and a sample rate of 44.1kHz (CD quality). The bit rate can be calculated by doing the following: Bit Rate = 16 bits × 44,100 samples per second = 705,600 bits per second (bps).
Upload and Download Bandwidth
Download Speed Example: To watch a YouTube video, you simply need to have a download speed that is fast enough to download the video without you having to wait. When you have to wait for more of the video to download before you can watch, it’s called buffering. If the video you are trying to watch is in 4k 60fps, you technically need at least 3MB/s to be able to watch the video without buffering. However, if you plan on doing anything else on your internet while you are watching that video, like browsing the internet, you will need a higher download speed to be able support doing multiple activities simultaneously.
Bandwidth is the maximum rate of data transfer across a given path. It represents the capacity of a network or communication channel to transmit data. Whereas download speed refers to how quickly data can be transferred from the internet to your computer or device, upload speed pertains to how fast data can be transferred from your computer to the internet. Internet bandwidth is commonly measured in Mb/s (megabits per second) and MB/s (megabytes per second). Notice that the capitalization of the “b” determines which unit to use. A byte is equal to 8 bits, so therefore 8Mb/s is equivalent to 1MB/s.
Upload Speed Example: If you want to be able to stream at 1980p x 1080p at 60fps, in a real world scenario your bandwidth usage won’t be entirely constant and the bandwidth your internet service provider gives you will fluctuate. Therefore, you should have at least a 50% higher upload speed than the theoretical required bandwidth so that people watching your stream don’t experience issues with your stream stuttering which comes out to an upload speed of 1.2MB/s. Note that even if you have sufficient bandwidth to stream your video, if they don’t have a sufficient download speed to watch your video, they may still experience stuttering. In that case, though, it’s a problem on their end and it will only be experienced by them instead of everyone watching the stream experiencing the same stuttering.
Calculate what download/ upload speed you need for streaming: https://www.omnicalculator.com/other/streaming-bitrate
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