Ookla’s Speedtest app for iOS adds video streaming test

The Speedtest app for iOS has added a new data point that you can complain to your ISP.

Ookla, who does Speedtest, ad Monday that it added a video streaming test, which tells you the best resolution to stream video content to all of your devices without annoying buffers or hiccups.

The video test is totally different from the standard speed test, which tells you how fast your connection is. Instead, as Ookla explains, the video test “plays real video to specifically measure the performance of video streaming on your network at all times,” which is necessary “because video traffic cannot be simulated over a network ”. The video goes through a variety of resolutions, up to 4K, to judge the best resolution given the capabilities of your wifi.

Of course, good video streaming is a must these days. The covid-19 pandemic has forced workers and students into an endless series of video calls, while the entertainment world has focused on streaming services, which have become extremely abundant. As many of us have been stranded at home over the past year, our streaming consumption has exploded, according to Nielsen’s results.

“In the second quarter of 2020, Americans watched over $ 142 billion minutes of streaming video, ”Nielsen wrote in an August 2020 report. He also found that “streaming consumption on all video options is up 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 Speedtest’s new streaming analysis feature at the bottom of the screen in the app. Just click on “Video” and hit the giant yellow play button in the middle. A video of what appears to be fiber optic cables will calm you down throughout the test, which you must leave running for it to complete. (Don’t check a text in the middle, or you’ll have to start over.) at the end it will give you an assessment of the streaming situation of your network. For example, it recommended streaming only at a maximum resolution of 1440p, which is magnificent news since I just blew a few hundred bucks on a 4K TV and ditched cable for YouTube TV. Never mind!

The video streaming test is only available on Speedtest for iOS at this time, but Ookla says it plans to roll out to other platforms in the future. If you already have Speedtest, just update the app and you will see the new functionality. Otherwise, download the app, it’s free! And a great tool to have the next time you need to negotiate your internet bill for a few dollars.