with a 50-watt one in a coal-powered region makes obvious sense. If the existing device is already reasonably efficient, and even more so if the user’ s grid is primarily renewablepowered, the carbon cost of manufacturing a new device will probably outweigh the efficiency gains.
Just listen
Use audio-only when video isn’ t needed. Many streaming moments don’ t require visuals, think music, podcasts, ambient sounds, or familiar content. In these cases, turning off the screen can yield significant energy savings, since the display is typically the most powerhungry part of the setup. Unfortunately, many platforms don’ t support audio-only playback unless it’ s behind a paywall. By enabling and promoting audio-only playback, especially for content types that don’ t rely on visuals, platforms could drive significant cumulative energy savings. At a minimum, guiding users toward existing audio-first options and providing simple brightness controls for passive listening can make a meaningful difference.
Peaky burners
Away from the device, the GoS suggests subscribers and providers can help with a key problem; the network infrastructure is always powered for peak performance even when it isn’ t needed. Encouraging streaming in a different time window, or, even better, incentivising downloads, could mean a lighter peak load and, therefore, a reduction in the over-all power up configuration. If enough users shift some of their flexible viewing to off-peak times, it could help reduce the need for overprovisioned, energy-intensive infrastructure.
The GoS says none of these actions requires significant sacrifices. They are about enabling better defaults, informed choices, and subtle shifts in usage patterns. These are actions that operators, platform designers, and network engineers can support through design, policy, and education.
Codec culprits
While the end device is the big burner, that doesn’ t mean there aren’ t efficiencies to be gained elsewhere – and, of course, the streamers are all in favour if it cuts their bills. Remember how some streamers generously cut their bitrates in lockdown to provide more room for all our socially distanced Zooming? Anyone remember them restoring the bitrate? No? But also, to the point, anyone really notice?
GoS has run a study recently comparing VP9, Google’ s royalty free codec with the‘ standard’ HEVC. So, no royalty fees – but, does it consume more power? It depends, is the correct answer, that you probably guessed. To the consumer, no, if their device can decode. But then this is also true of HEVC. It also found VP9 was slightly cheaper when decoded in the cloud, and as encoding only happens once but decoding millions of times, this is what counts?
But, by far, the most influence on‘ burn’ was the kind of content: A fastmoving cartoon used twice the power of a quiet drama scene, regardless of format. And that’ s about the number of bits required for the same picture quality – work to index that with power consumption per format is still to come.
AI always the answer
Surely, along with world peace and harmony, AI will solve any difficulties? Well, like all the AI stuff, the answer is, is the game worth the candle( a very old illumination technology)? And can we find out without AI? The Language Lab, another of the GoS research units, confronts the conundrum:“ the efficiency paradox: AI can simultaneously enable energy savings through smarter resource use and increase consumption through computational overhead and rebound effects.”
It has released“ Artificial Intelligence
in Streaming Media Sustainability: Distinguishing Impact from Innovation”— a position paper addressing the question Greening of Streaming members increasingly face from stakeholders:“ What about AI?”
And having assessed the available evidence its conclusion is; maybe, but proceed with caution. Our position is straightforward says GoS:“ AI in streaming workflows is neither inherently a sustainability solution nor an inherent threat. Its net impact depends on where it appears in the workflow, what type of AI is deployed, and how much energy it adds versus avoids. GoS’ s role is to focus on what we can measure and influence— AI embedded within end-to-end streaming workflows— while maintaining an informed perspective on the broader AI energy landscape that affects our industry.
[ Our paper ] does not attempt comprehensive quantification of AI’ s energy footprint. Rather, it establishes GoS’ s scope of concern, identifies key questions that require industry attention, and provides members with a framework for discussing AI and streaming sustainability with stakeholders. The paper is honest about current measurement limitations while focusing on what we can measure and influence within streaming workflows.” Streaming is not a coalfired power station, or a forest fire. It is a relatively light treader, but it has big feet and they are getting bigger. So, it is important to keep up a philosophy that a thousand tiny cuts add up to decent chunk. It is also important to concentrate on the not-so tiny cuts; device improvement, tackling the rights and business rules hinderances to encouraging efficient content downloading and, alongside that, aim to reduce the always on max status of network infrastructure.
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