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Video File Size Calculator – Estimate Storage & Compression

Use this Calculator to estimate your video's storage needs based on resolution, frame rate, and compression settings. Select a common video format below to pre-fill recommended settings or customize everything yourself.

Popular Video Formats:

How Much Storage Does My Video Need

Running Time (Duration) info

Frame Rate (fps) info

Frame Size info

Video Codec (e.g., H.264/MPEG-4 AVC) info

When you pick a codec, you often lock in certain settings—such as chroma subsampling (e.g., 4:2:0 for H.264), bit depth (8-bit vs. 10-bit), supported color channels (RGB vs. YCbCr), and even maximum resolution or frame rate. Each of these choices—along with frame size and running time—ultimately influences the file size and the bit rate (how quickly your hardware must handle data). Adjusting any factor can improve or reduce video quality, but it also affects how much storage and processing power you need.

Codec Compression Comparison

Codec Type

Color Chan­nels
Color Depth
Chro­ma Sub­samp­ling
Theo­ret­i­cal %
Real-World Bit­rate/Ratio %
Codec Com­pres­sion
File Size
RAW Uncompressed RGB AVI
3
10
4:4:4
100
100
1.0×
107.88 GB
total_bits: 926,696,406,699 bits = 107.88 GB
MBpHR=662411 = 5,556,706,213,888 bits = 647 GB @ 1920 by 1080
codecCompressionRatio: 1.000
RAW Uncompressed YUY2 AVI
3
10
4:2:2
67
67
1.0×
71.97 GB
total_bits: 618,260,198,855 bits = 71.97 GB
MBpHR=441938 = 3,707,244,642,304 bits = 432 GB @ 1920 by 1080
codecCompressionRatio: 0.999
ProRes HQ
3
10
4:2:2
67
12
5.6×
12.90 GB
total_bits: 110,798,817,367 bits = 12.90 GB
MBpHR=79200 = 664,377,753,600 bits = 77 GB @ 1920 by 1080
codecCompressionRatio: 5.576
ProRes 422
3
10
4:2:2
67
10
6.7×
10.77 GB
total_bits: 92,542,194,050 bits = 10.77 GB
MBpHR=66150 = 554,906,419,200 bits = 65 GB @ 1920 by 1080
codecCompressionRatio: 6.676
Grass Valley HQX SuperFine
3
10
4:2:2
67
12
5.6×
12.81 GB
total_bits: 110,037,774,985 bits = 12.81 GB
MBpHR=78656 = 659,814,350,848 bits = 77 GB @ 1920 by 1080
codecCompressionRatio: 5.614
Grass Valley HQ Fine
3
8
4:2:2
67
10
5.4×
10.59 GB
total_bits: 90,934,771,814 bits = 10.59 GB
MBpHR=65001 = 545,267,908,608 bits = 63 GB @ 1920 by 1080
codecCompressionRatio: 5.435
ProRes LT
3
8
4:2:2
67
6
9.6×
6.00 GB
total_bits: 51,571,813,174 bits = 6.00 GB
MBpHR=36864 = 309,237,645,312 bits = 36 GB @ 1920 by 1080
codecCompressionRatio: 9.583
H.264 AVC MPEG-425.0 Mbps
3
10
4:2:0
50
2
28.2×
1.92 GB
total_bits: 16,458,940,484 bits = 1.92 GB
MBpHR=11765 = 98,691,973,120 bits = 11 GB @ 1920 by 1080
codecCompressionRatio: 28.152
H.264 AVC MPEG-420.0 Mbps
3
8
4:2:0
50
1
28.0×
1.54 GB
total_bits: 13,216,116,511 bits = 1.54 GB
MBpHR=9447 = 79,247,179,776 bits = 9 GB @ 1920 by 1080
codecCompressionRatio: 28.047
H.265 HEVC MPEG-415.0 Mbps
3
10
4:2:0
50
1
38.9×
1.39 GB
total_bits: 11,919,266,717 bits = 1.39 GB
MBpHR=8520 = 71,470,940,160 bits = 8 GB @ 1920 by 1080
codecCompressionRatio: 38.874
H.265 HEVC MPEG-418.0 Mbps
3
8
4:2:0
50
1
37.2×
1.16 GB
total_bits: 9,974,691,513 bits = 1.16 GB
MBpHR=7130 = 59,810,775,040 bits = 7 GB @ 1920 by 1080
codecCompressionRatio: 37.162
MPEG-2 (DVD) VBR25.0 Mbps
3
8
4:2:0
50
2
24.0×
1.80 GB
total_bits: 15,465,668,257 bits = 1.80 GB
MBpHR=11055 = 92,736,061,440 bits = 11 GB @ 1920 by 1080
codecCompressionRatio: 23.968
Photo-JPEG
3
8
4:2:0
50
2
17.7×
2.44 GB
total_bits: 20,984,624,501 bits = 2.44 GB
MBpHR=15000 = 125,829,120,000 bits = 15 GB @ 1920 by 1080
codecCompressionRatio: 17.664

Custom Settings

Mbps limited 25.0 Mbps
3
8
4:1:1
100
67
23.6×
10.48 GB
total_bits: 90,000,000,000 bits = 10.48 GB
MBpHR=441938 = 3,707,244,642,304 bits = 432 GB @ 1920 by 1080
codecCompressionRatio: 0.600
Based on Compression Ratio171.7 Mbps
3
8
4:1:1
100
67
0.6×
71.97 GB
total_bits: 618,260,198,855 bits = 71.97 GB
MBpHR=441938 = 3,707,244,642,304 bits = 432 GB @ 1920 by 1080
codecCompressionRatio: 0.600
Down here you can change suggested setting to deviate from above presets (provided the codec supports such settings)

Codex Bit Rate “Clamp” info

 Mbps

Color Chan­nels info

Color Depth info

Chro­ma Sub­samp­ling info

Codec Compression info

×

Real-World vs. Simplified In practice, actual file sizes also depend on factors like codec overhead, motion compression, metadata, etc.

Calculating the Size of a Single Video Frame

Step 1: Determine Total Pixels Per Frame info

The resolution of the video determines the number of pixels per frame:

Total pixels per image (width * height)

720 × 480 = 345,600 pixel   (0.3 Megapixels)

Step 2: Add Color Channels (RGB or YUV) info

Each pixel has color information, typically in RGB or YUV format:

  • RGB/YUV typically has 3 channels (Red, Green, Blue; respectfully Y, U, V).
  • Thus, for our selection multiply by 3 to create a data point per color channel

Total Pixel Count × Number of Color Channels = Total Color-Sample Points

345,600 × 3 = 1,036,800

Step 3: Multiply by Bit Depth (Color Depth) info

Each color channel has a bit depth (e.g., 8-bit, 10-bit, or 12-bit ... per channel):

Total Pixel Data × Bit Depth per Channel = Total Bits

  • With a 8-bit color video:

1,036,800 × 8 bits = 8,294,400 bits per frame

  • Convert to bytes to make numbers more manageable
    (8 bits = 1 byte):

8,294,400 ÷ 8 = 1,036,800 bytes per frame ≈ 1,012.50 KB

Step 4: Apply Chroma Subsampling Compression info

Not all color information is stored for every pixel. Chroma subsampling reduces color data storage -- applies only to color video and not to grayscale (black-and-white) video:

Raw Frame Size × (Chroma Factor/12) = Effective Frame Size

Chroma Subsampling Factors:

  • 4:4:4 → Full Color (Factor = 12)
  • 4:2:2 → Medium Compression (Factor = 8)
  • 4:2:0 → High Compression (Factor = 6)
  • 4:1:1 → High Compression (Factor = 6)

For 4:1:1 it is a factor 6/12:

1,012.50 KB × (6/12) ≈ 506.25 KB per frame

Adding Running Time (Frame Count) and a Codec Type

Step 5: Total Frames Count with 29.97 f/s info

Frames per second = 29.97

Running time in seconds = 3600

Total number of frames:

29.97 × 3600 = 107892 (approx.)

Step 6: Uncompressed File Size info

Total number of frames = 107892

Size per frame = 506.25 KB

Multiply frames by MB/frame:

107892 × 506.25 KB ≈ 52.09 GB

Step 7: Compressed File Size (Using Codec) info

Size set through codec compression 1:1  (1×)

52.09 GB ÷ 1 ≈ 52.09 GB

or Step 8: Compressed File Size (Using Mbps) info

Size limited by data rate clamp-down at 25 Mbps =

Running time in seconds = 3600

3.13 Byte × 3600 ≈ 10.48 GB

Provider Stream Video Bitrate (kbps) Disc Bitrate (Mbps)
360p 480p 720p 1080p 4K DVD Blu-ray Ultra HD Blu‐ray (4K)
BBC 800 1500 3200   15–25 Mbps
(H.265/VP9/AV1)
max

9.5 Mbps

3 Mbps

to

9.5 Mbps
max

48 Mbps
(video and audio)

40 Mbps
(video only)
max

128 Mbps
(video and audio)

82–100 Mbps
(video only)
ESPN 1400 2000 2800  
Hulu 700 1000 2500
3200
 
iTunes   1500 4000 5000
Netflix 560 1050
1750
2350
3600
4800
Vimeo 800   2000 4500
YouTube 500 1000 2000 3500
  896 1216
1536
2496
3072
4992
7552

Overview

This calculator helps you estimate how large your video file will be. Several things affect the final size:

  1. Frame Size

    • This refers to the width and height (in pixels) of your video.
    • Example: If your video is 1920 x 1080 (Full HD), you multiply 1920 by 1080 to get 2,073,600 pixels per frame.
  2. Video Codec (e.g., H.264/MPEG-4 AVC)

    • A codec compresses your video to save space.
    • Example: H.264 can reduce file size by around 30% to 67%, depending on the content.
    • The exact savings depend on how the codec compresses each scene.
    • Some codecs only work with specific chroma subsampling (e.g., 4:2:0 for most H.264 implementations).
    • Certain codecs limit bit depth (e.g., many “consumer” codecs are 8-bit only, while professional codecs can handle 10-bit or higher).
    • The color channels (RGB vs. YCbCr) and even the maximum resolution or frame rate may also be determined by the codec’s capabilities.
  3. Codec Compression Factor

    This number indicates how much the chosen codec reduces file size compared to a fully uncompressed version at the same resolution, frame rate, color depth, and chroma subsampling.

    • A 1× factor means “no compression”—the file is the same size as uncompressed.
    • A 5× factor means the codec produces files roughly 1/5 the size of uncompressed.
    • Different codecs achieve different compression factors. For example, an H.265/HEVC codec might achieve a higher factor (much smaller files) than MPEG-2 at the same quality level.
    The larger this factor, the smaller the resulting file—assuming you keep the same resolution, frame rate, and color settings. If you change codecs, you usually change this factor, because every codec has its own efficiency and compression strategy.
  4. User‐Entered Bit Rate (“Clamp”)

    This sets a maximum data rate the encoder can use (e.g., 25 Mbps).

    • Fixed data per second: Regardless of resolution or frame rate, the codec won’t exceed this rate.
    • Quality vs. Bit Rate: Increasing resolution or frame rate at the same bit rate usually lowers quality (because the same bits are spread over more pixels/frames).
    • File Size: The total file size is roughly “bit rate × duration,” so higher bit rates generally mean bigger files—and potentially better quality.
    • Typical broadcast or disc standards also have bit rate limits (e.g., ~40 Mbps for standard Blu‐ray video). If you exceed them, the file may not play on certain devices.
  5. Color Channels

    • Black-and-white (grayscale) has just one channel—it only stores brightness information.
    • RGB (red, green, blue) has three channels, which store different color information for each pixel.
    • YCbCr (commonly used in digital video) also uses three channels but in a different way—one channel for brightness (Y) and two for color differences (Cb and Cr).
    • The more channels there are, the more data each pixel needs, and the larger the file becomes. For example, a black-and-white video (one channel) naturally requires less data than a full-color RGB video (three channels).
  6. Chroma Subsampling (4:4:4, 4:2:2, etc.)

    • This describes how much color information is stored.
    • Example:
      • 4:4:4 = 4 + 4 + 4 = 12 “color values” per pixel (no color compression).
      • 4:2:2 = 4 + 2 + 2 = 8 “color values” per pixel (some color compression).
    • DVDs and Blu-ray discs often use 4:2:0 (even more compressed).
    • Key point: More color data (like 4:4:4) gives higher quality but needs more storage.
  7. Color Depth (8-bit vs. 10-bit)

    • 8-bit color can show 256 shades per color channel and is common in consumer video.
    • 10-bit color can show 1024 shades per channel, which provides more detail (especially during color adjustments), but it increases file size.
  8. Frame Rate (fps)

    • This is how many frames (pictures) per second your video has (e.g., 24, 30, 60 fps).
    • Higher frame rates = more frames per second = larger file size.
  9. Running Time (Duration)

    • The longer your video, the more total data you’ll generate.

Putting It All Together

All these factors—frame size, color channels, chroma subsampling, bit depth, frame rate, codec, and running time—add up to influence the file size. They also affect the bit rate, which is how quickly your computer or storage device must handle data.

By adjusting these elements (for example, choosing a lower resolution or a codec that compresses more), you can reduce the file size—just be aware that this may lower video quality.


This calculator will help you calculate the file size your video project will require. The following items will influence your final file size:

frame size: height times length of display image; which results in the total pixel count; e.i. High Definition 1080p (1,920/1,080) would result into 2,073,600 pixels per image.

chroma subsampling: This sample rate part is a bit confusing to a laymen. Just think of it like this. A 4:4:4 sample rate equals to 4+4+4=12 and 4:2:2 equals to 4+2+2=8 sample rate. So in the first scenario one has 12 values to "store" and in the second 8. Also not that more is not always better; because it requires more data storage. Keep in mind that a DVD and a Blu-ray Disc have a sample rate of 4:2:0, Digital Betacam is 4:2:2. 4:4:4 sample rate is normally complete overkill.

bit rate: the color depth (8-bit or 10-bit). 8-bit holds 256 colors and is amazingly "satisfying" to the human eye for video. 10-bit (1024 colors) is sometimes available on "higher-end" professional gear; which allows to make color adjustments without finding the limitations of that limited 8-bit range.

frames_per_second: the frame reight (frames per second)

video codecs: these video codecs may include a compression envelop and further reduce the file size. It will very much depend what type of compression format the codec uses. H.264/MPEG-4 AVC HP may save from around 30% to nearly 67%, depending on the video sequence. The average bit-rate reduction is about 45%.

running time: duration of saved (or recorded) material

All this will influance the size of data, and the bit rate (data stream handling power of your computer and hard drive.)

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