The picture is only as good as the connection.

What each service publishes

Screens at published minimums; each activity at its publisher’s figure, basis named. Each row below is one figure from the service’s own help page, and the read column is the month we read it. The basis is the page’s own word: a minimum where it says minimum, at least or required; a recommendation where it only recommends. Figures seen only in search snippets are never added.

Not verified means we have not verified a published figure on the service’s own US page, so this page quotes none for it.

The plans, without the brochure

Spectrum sells Internet by download speed. Speeds are “up to” and vary; prices are for one year, and the with-TV price is the one Spectrum publishes for two years with a Spectrum TV plan. The screen counts use the planner’s arithmetic, and the row your household lands on is marked.

INTERNET OFFER: Limited-time offer; subject to change; new residential customers only (no Spectrum service in past 30 days). Standard rates apply after promo period or service change. Actual speeds (including wireless) vary and are not guaranteed. Activation fee additional; taxes may apply. Gig speeds require a compatible modem; see Spectrum.net/modem for list. Terms and conditions apply, subject to change. Not available in all areas. Restrictions apply. Spectrum Internet® is powered by fiber and connected to the premises by coaxial lines.

When the stream stutters anyway

A plan that clears the sum can still buffer in one room: the number is for the connection, and WiFi, the device and the service each sit between it and the screen. The speed test measures what reaches the device you run it on, and four questions separate the plan from the WiFi path, the device and the service.