Using Google Meet to host a video meeting can consume a significant amount of data. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce your data usage while still providing an optimal video experience. You may be considering limiting video bandwidth as an administrator in a school or nonprofit organization. Here are some ideas for saving money while still providing an excellent experience.
In Google Meet, the default high-quality video quality setting is 720p. This has a good resolution, but it consumes a lot of data. If your bandwidth is limited, 360p is a better option. It consumes half the bandwidth required for high-quality video while providing a higher-quality image.
Google Meet will use between 2.4 and 2.6 megabytes for inbound signals and 3.2 megabytes for outbound signals, depending on your network connection. It will consume 1.4 gigabytes of data per hour for HD video calls. It will use 0.9 gigabytes per hour for standard definition video. This means that a significant portion of your internet data quota will be squandered.
You can set a data usage limit to limit the amount of data you use for your video meeting. The limit can be set in the Google Meet app, the Google Apps for Work dashboard, or your browser. The limit is disabled by default, but you can enable it if you’re outside and your battery is low. You can also use it when you’re in a Wi-Fi hotspot and aren’t getting a strong signal.
The limit is intended to keep your uplink data usage to one Mbps, but it may not be enough to meet your video conferencing requirements. It is possible that you will need to test your connection or even upgrade to a higher-speed internet plan. A faster connection will help you avoid the lag and buffering that low-quality video can cause.
You can also reduce the resolution of the video you’re sending to reduce the amount of bandwidth you use. Lower-quality video uses less data, but it may not be as sharp as higher-quality video. If you’re going to a sporting event, for example, you may want to use a lower bitrate. To avoid data-buffering, use a lower bitrate when talking to someone at your desk. If you’re streaming a concert, you should use a higher bitrate.
Google Meet has a mobile app in addition to the data-limitation feature. If you don’t have a strong Wi-Fi signal, the app will automatically switch to a cellular data connection. You can still see all of the other activities in the app while your device is in this mode, but the video quality will be lower.
As you can see, Google Meet is a popular video conferencing app, but if you’re looking to save money, you might want to consider limiting your video bandwidth. You can reduce the amount of data used for your meeting by changing the size of your meeting window and selecting the best video quality settings.