broadband usage with ps3

[nanscamp]

Hi
we are on bt broadband with 10gb limit. Today I got an email telling me I have used 8gb of the months allowance already. Last week my son bought a ps3 and has been playing online games and watching telly via bbc iplayer. Which of these has contributed most to the extra usage. I have never exceeded my allowance before.
thanks

[Buenchico]

1 hour of watching iPlayer streams in standard mode uses about 0.3Gb. Watching in HD mode will use about 0.6Gb. Source:
http://top10.com/broa...oadband_usage_limits/

Online gaming only uses about 0.015Gb per hour.
Source:
http://www.zen.co.uk/...load-usage-guide.aspx

Chris

[AlBags]

Downloading movies and porn sounds more like it.
Online games? Nope.
iplayer? 8Gb ...? Wouldn't have thought it could be that much.

[nanscamp]

Albags, Im not sure if I like the sound of your answer!! Hes a very young 14 (not impossible though, I dont suppose). He only has access to the ps3. Does that download movies and porn. I dont think he knows how to download stuff. He had to ask me how to plug it in. I thought he was getting it to play games on

[AlBags]

With respect .. You did not say how old he was.
Besides .. teenagers know all there is to know about downloading anything by that age.
I download approaching 40GB month sometimes, so usage is familiar to me.
I am saying that is most likely NOT mainly Gaming and iPlayer.
He/She would have to be watching programmes all night to hit 8Gb in 2 weeks.
PS3 can do just about anything .. and act as a Media Server.

[AlBags]

Don't get too alarmed about it. Just try to check it's use .. or ask him straight.
Even mention it is not for downloading anything.

[meglet]

My other half managed to use 30Gb one month just playing online on the Wii. This is an extra £1 per Gb as I was on a 10Gb plan so cost an extra £20. I found I was regularly paying a top up every month so last week I phoned them to upgrade to unlimited and now it's actually costing me less each month! Ring BT, you can always get a deal these days.

[Buenchico]

This link, from the BBC's own website, equates 1Gb to 225 minutes iPlayer usage. Based upon that, 30 hours viewing will use 8Gb. If your son has been watching for 2 hours per day for around a fortnight, that would seem to explain the high usage:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7684322.stm

Chris

[AlBags]

OK .. .I concede that.
Seems a lot of bandwidth to me tho. Sorry to alarm you Nanscamp.
Just ask him tho : )

[nanscamp]

thank you for your answers. Albags I didnt mean to sound abrupt, I had just never thought of the reason you gave. Knowing my son he has probably had the iplayer on constantly once he found it - he will watch paint dry. Hopefully that will explain the usage. If not, then it looks like I may 'need a chat' with him. At least I got a warning email before I went over limit. Thanks again

[AlBags]

GL with it! No probs.

[ABerrant]

Also bear in mind that online connection may result in system and game updates being downloaded, e.g 100s MB each and perhaps even game demos which can mount up to GBs of data.