Video File Size Calculator — Estimate Storage for Any Codec & ResolutionVideoFile Size Calculator

Multiply the bitrate (in Megabits per second) by the duration (in seconds), then divide by 8 to convert bits to bytes. For example, a 100 Mbps stream for 60 seconds: 100 × 60 ÷ 8 = 750 MB. This gives you a very accurate estimate for constant-bitrate codecs like ProRes and DNxHR. For variable-bitrate codecs (H.264, H.265), the actual size may be slightly smaller depending on content complexity.

At the standard 4K UHD bitrate of approximately 880 Mbps (220 Mbps base × 4× for 4K), one hour of ProRes 422 HQ footage is roughly 396 GB. This is why professional productions use high-capacity RAID arrays or SAN storage. For a full shooting day (8-12 hours), you could easily need 3-5 TB.

ProRes 422 HQ uses approximately 50% higher data rate than ProRes 422 (220 Mbps vs 147 Mbps at 1080p). HQ preserves more detail in high-contrast edges and gradients, making it preferred for VFX and color grading workflows where maximum quality is needed. For most editing and delivery workflows, standard ProRes 422 offers an excellent balance of quality and file size.

H.265 (HEVC) uses more advanced compression algorithms including larger coding tree units (up to 64×64 pixels vs 16×16 in H.264), improved motion prediction, and better intra-prediction modes. This achieves roughly 50% better compression than H.264 at the same visual quality, resulting in significantly smaller files — which is why it has become the preferred delivery codec for 4K streaming.

It depends on your codec, resolution, and shooting ratio. A typical narrative shoot has a 10:1 ratio (10 hours shot for every 1 hour of final film). In ProRes 422 HQ at 4K, that generates about 3.96 TB per finished hour. Documentaries often have 30:1 or higher ratios. Always plan for 20-30% extra headroom for safety, backups, and render files.

Roughly yes for intra-frame codecs like ProRes and DNxHR: 4K UHD has 4× the pixels of 1080p, so file sizes are approximately 4× larger. For inter-frame codecs like H.264 and H.265, the relationship is less linear because compression efficiency improves with more spatial data, but 4K files are still typically 3-4× larger than 1080p equivalents.

At a high-quality bitrate of 50 Mbps, 1 hour of 1080p H.264 footage is approximately 22.5 GB. At a medium bitrate of 25 Mbps (common for YouTube uploads), it is about 11.25 GB. Streaming services like Netflix typically use 5-8 Mbps for 1080p, resulting in roughly 2.25-3.6 GB per hour.

It varies dramatically by codec. 10 minutes of 4K in ProRes 422 HQ (~880 Mbps) takes about 66 GB. In H.264 at 100 Mbps it takes about 7.5 GB. In H.265 at 60 Mbps it takes about 4.5 GB. The codec choice has far more impact on file size than resolution alone.

YouTube recommends 35-45 Mbps for 4K SDR uploads and 8-12 Mbps for 1080p SDR. For HDR content, double those values. YouTube will re-encode your upload regardless, so higher bitrate uploads preserve more quality through their transcoding pipeline. Using H.264 or H.265 as your upload codec is recommended.

Divide the file size (in megabits) by your upload speed (in Mbps). For example, a 10 GB file = 80,000 megabits. With a 20 Mbps upload speed: 80,000 ÷ 20 = 4,000 seconds ≈ 67 minutes. Real-world upload times are typically 10-20% longer due to network overhead and throttling.