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:
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.
Real-World vs. Simplified In practice, actual file sizes also depend on factors like codec overhead, motion compression, metadata, etc.
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)
Each pixel has color information, typically in RGB or YUV format:
Total Pixel Count × Number of Color Channels = Total Color-Sample Points
345,600 × 3 = 1,036,800
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
1,036,800 × 8 bits = 8,294,400 bits per frame
8,294,400 ÷ 8 = 1,036,800 bytes per frame ≈ 1,012.50 KB
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:
For 4:1:1 it is a factor 6/12:
1,012.50 KB × (6/12) ≈ 506.25 KB per frame
Frames per second = 29.97
Running time in seconds = 3600
Total number of frames:
29.97 × 3600 = 107892 (approx.)
Total number of frames = 107892
Size per frame = 506.25 KB
Multiply frames by MB/frame:
107892 × 506.25 KB ≈ 52.09 GB
Size set through codec compression 1:1 (1×)
52.09 GB ÷ 1 ≈ 52.09 GB
Size limited by data rate clamp-down at 25 Mbps =
3.13 Byte × 3600 ≈ 10.48 GB
This calculator helps you estimate how large your video file will be. Several things affect the final size:
Frame Size
Video Codec (e.g., H.264/MPEG-4 AVC)
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.
User‐Entered Bit Rate (“Clamp”)
This sets a maximum data rate the encoder can use (e.g., 25 Mbps).
Color Channels
Chroma Subsampling (4:4:4, 4:2:2, etc.)
Color Depth (8-bit vs. 10-bit)
Frame Rate (fps)
Running Time (Duration)
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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