For some of us, showing off a Speedtest provides bragging rights among friends. For others, it’s a functional need to figure out why YouTube is buffering, or Netflix won’t connect. Speedtest has taken this concept — previously available on iOS — and brought it to Android with their new Video test feature.
Instead of running a Speedtest and seeing nothing but theoretical numbers, there is now a video test option. What this does is run a series of test videos:
- Starting with variable bitrate
- Moving progressively up in resolution until: The test times out or reaches 4K resolution
Once this completes, you’ll be presented with a screen showing you clearly what your connection can do. There are no numbers to interpret, it’s simple language to understand with visual aids. What you get is a representation of the devices that you can utilise and the resolution you can stream at.
It’s a welcome step for many users who may not have the knowledge to interpret the data provided by a standard test and a visually appealing way to test your connection.
Phil, is it possible to preset the maximum video resolution in the test, to one which matches your device’s screen, rather than having to wait for the test to error out or lock up your device by trying to make it display a resolution it is incapable of ?
No, it’s an automated process intended to check your connection.
In theory — nice theory I know — it should stop if your device isn’t capable of that resolution.
Thanks Phil.
I hope they add a max resolution capability to the test.