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Short answer: usually the phone is the greenest, then tablet/iPad, and TV is often highest — but the biggest factor is resolution and streaming time, not just screen type.
📊 Approximate carbon footprint for 1 hour of Netflix
| Device | Typical power use | Estimated CO₂e/hour* | Usually greener? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📱 Smartphone | ~2–6 W | 5–20 g | ✅ Lowest |
| 📱 Tablet / iPad | ~5–15 W | 8–30 g | ✅ Low |
| 📺 LED TV (32–55") | ~40–120 W | 30–150 g | Higher |
| 📺 Large 4K TV (55–75") | ~80–250 W | 60–300 g | Highest |
*Includes rough device electricity; network/data-center emissions can add more.
What matters most
1) Resolution
A 4K stream can use many times more data than SD/HD.
Phone at 480p/720p often beats everything.
TV at 4K is usually the heaviest.
2) Network type
Wi-Fi/fibre is usually more efficient than mobile data (4G/5G) for heavy streaming.
3) Screen brightness
Higher brightness = more energy.
4) Autoplay / bingeing
More hours = more impact.
Practical ranking (most common case)
If you watch the same content length:
Phone (HD) < iPad (HD) < TV (HD) < Large TV (4K)
Greenest way to watch Netflix
Use phone or tablet
Lower quality to SD/HD
Use Wi-Fi instead of mobile data when possible
Download once and watch offline if rewatching
Turn off autoplay
So if your goal is lowest footprint: Phone + Wi-Fi + lower resolution is usually the best option.
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