As video services become a core internet application, the importance of server bandwidth to system performance and user experience is self-evident. Whether it's video on demand or live streaming, bandwidth quality and stability directly determine smooth video, manageable latency, and sufficient concurrency. When renting servers in locations like Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan, users often encounter two bandwidth options: shared bandwidth and dedicated bandwidth. So, how much impact do these differences have on video servers?
Ⅰ. Basic Concepts of Shared and Dedicated Bandwidth
Shared bandwidth refers to bandwidth resources shared by multiple users or servers. The data center or operator sets a total bandwidth quota and allocates it proportionally to different users. When one user consumes more bandwidth, the available bandwidth for other users decreases. Shared bandwidth is generally cheaper, but it suffers from poor stability and is easily affected by other users.
Dedicated bandwidth refers to bandwidth resources allocated by the operator to a specific server or user. This link is not shared with others, and the user has exclusive access to the entire bandwidth at any time. Dedicated bandwidth is more expensive, but it guarantees performance and stability.
On the surface, this is simply a difference in resource allocation methods. However, in video server applications, this difference can determine whether the service can operate smoothly.
II. Video Server Bandwidth Requirements
Video services exhibit several typical bandwidth requirements: First, bandwidth consumption is high. For example, HD video bitrates typically range from 3–8 Mbps, while 4K video can reach 15–30 Mbps. This demand increases linearly with the number of concurrent users. Second, video transmission requires extremely high bandwidth continuity. Data flow must be stable and uninterrupted; otherwise, problems such as lag, frame drops, and interruptions are likely to occur. Furthermore, video services, especially live streaming and video conferencing scenarios, are extremely sensitive to latency. Bandwidth fluctuations can significantly increase transmission latency, directly impacting users' real-time interactive experience. Finally, video access often exhibits a high degree of concurrency within a short period of time. The simultaneous influx of a large number of users poses a significant challenge to bandwidth stability. Therefore, video servers require not only sufficient bandwidth resources but also highly stable and exclusive bandwidth.
III. The Impact of Bandwidth on Video Servers
The core issue with shared bandwidth is uncontrollability and uncertainty. During peak hours, if other users consume a large amount of bandwidth, the available bandwidth for the video server will decrease, leading to lag on the viewer side. For example, during prime time in the evening, when the number of live broadcast viewers increases significantly, insufficient bandwidth can directly cause video delays. In a shared environment, network congestion is more frequent. Increased packet loss requires video stream retransmissions, increasing latency. For live broadcasts, even an additional 0.5 seconds of latency can significantly degrade the viewer experience. Shared bandwidth is suitable for personal sites, small video websites, or low-concurrency applications, but maintaining a stable experience becomes difficult with high concurrency.
The advantage of dedicated bandwidth lies in predictability and stability. Dedicated bandwidth means that the server has full access to the bandwidth at all times. This allows for precise planning of concurrency capacity, unaffected by external factors. Dedicated bandwidth is typically allocated exclusively by the carrier, eliminating resource contention. Latency is consistently low, and packet loss is more manageable, which is particularly critical for live broadcasts and interactive video. A dedicated 100Mbps bandwidth server can simultaneously and stably support approximately 16–18 channels of 1080p video, or 30–40 channels of 720p video. Expanding to 1GB bandwidth can support hundreds or even thousands of concurrent users. For enterprise-level applications such as large-scale video platforms, cross-border live streaming, and video conferencing systems, dedicated bandwidth ensures SLA compliance and avoids financial losses caused by business interruptions.
Ⅳ. The Cost Difference Between Shared and Dedicated Bandwidth
Price is the most important factor many people consider when choosing bandwidth. Generally speaking, shared bandwidth is 50%–70% cheaper than dedicated bandwidth, and some are even as little as one-third the price. Dedicated bandwidth is more expensive, especially in regions with limited international bandwidth, such as Hong Kong and Japan. The monthly rental for 100Mbps dedicated bandwidth can often exceed several thousand RMB.
This is also the main reason some small and medium-sized enterprises choose shared bandwidth. However, if video services require a high user experience, relying solely on shared bandwidth may not be worth the cost.
V. Selection Recommendations
Small-Scale/Low-Concurrency Applications: For personal websites, small-scale on-demand streaming, or internal corporate training videos with a small user base and low bandwidth requirements, shared bandwidth can be chosen to save costs.
Medium-Scale Businesses: For businesses that provide external services and have dozens to hundreds of concurrent users, dedicated bandwidth is recommended, ensuring at least 50–100Mbps of stable transmission capacity.
Large-Scale Platforms/Live Streaming Services: For large-scale on-demand platforms, live streaming platforms, e-commerce live streaming, cross-border interactive video conferencing, etc., dedicated bandwidth is essential, and even combined with CDN distribution, BGP line optimization, and high-security services to ensure stability.
Shared and dedicated bandwidth have significant differences in their impact on video servers. Shared bandwidth is low-cost, but lacks stability and is prone to lag during peak hours. It is suitable for low-concurrency, small-scale applications. Dedicated bandwidth, while more expensive, ensures stable performance, low latency, and high concurrency, making it the ideal choice for medium- to large-scale video services. For enterprises, they should reasonably choose the bandwidth type based on business scale, budget and user experience requirements, and never sacrifice service quality for cost savings.
