# Video File Size Calculator

Estimate video file size based on resolution, frame rate, codec, and duration. Plan storage and upload times for 480p through 8K video.

## What this calculates

Planning a shoot or estimating upload times? Enter your video resolution, frame rate, codec, and duration to get a file size estimate. Works for everything from 480p web clips to 8K cinema footage.

## Inputs

- **Resolution** — options: 480p (SD), 720p (HD), 1080p (Full HD), 1440p (2K), 2160p (4K UHD), 4320p (8K)
- **Frame Rate** — options: 24 fps (cinema), 25 fps (PAL), 30 fps (standard), 48 fps, 60 fps (smooth), 120 fps (slow-mo)
- **Codec** — options: H.264 (AVC), H.265 (HEVC), VP9, AV1, ProRes 422 — H.265 and AV1 produce smaller files at similar quality to H.264
- **Hours** — min 0, max 99
- **Minutes** — min 0, max 59
- **Seconds** — min 0, max 59
- **Custom Bitrate (optional)** (Mbps) — min 0 — Override the auto-estimated bitrate with your own value in Mbps

## Outputs

- **Estimated Bitrate**
- **File Size**
- **File Size**
- **Total Duration**
- **Per Minute**

## Details

Video file size depends on four main factors:

  - Resolution -- more pixels means more data per frame

  - Frame rate -- 60fps produces roughly twice the data of 30fps

  - Codec -- modern codecs like H.265 and AV1 compress 40-50% better than H.264

  - Duration -- file size scales linearly with time

The basic formula: File size (MB) = Bitrate (Mbps) x Duration (seconds) / 8

Typical bitrates for H.264 at 30fps:

  - 480p: 2.5 Mbps (about 19 MB/min)

  - 720p: 5 Mbps (about 38 MB/min)

  - 1080p: 8 Mbps (about 60 MB/min)

  - 4K: 35 Mbps (about 263 MB/min)

  - 8K: 80 Mbps (about 600 MB/min)

Codec comparison at similar quality:

  - H.264: baseline (most compatible)

  - H.265/HEVC: ~40% smaller files

  - VP9: ~35% smaller files

  - AV1: ~50% smaller files (slowest to encode)

  - ProRes 422: ~4x larger (editing codec, not for delivery)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Why is the actual file size different from the estimate?**

A: This calculator uses average bitrate estimates, but real video uses variable bitrate (VBR) encoding. Action scenes with lots of motion compress to larger files than static talking-head videos. The estimate is a good ballpark for planning storage and bandwidth.

**Q: Which codec should I use?**

A: For maximum compatibility, use H.264. For smaller files with modern devices, H.265 is widely supported. AV1 produces the smallest files but is slow to encode and not yet universally supported. For professional editing, ProRes or DNxHR are better choices.

**Q: How much storage do I need for a full day of filming?**

A: At 1080p/30fps with H.264, one hour of video is roughly 3.6 GB. A full 8-hour day would need about 29 GB. At 4K/30fps, that jumps to about 16 GB per hour or 126 GB for 8 hours. Always bring more storage than you think you need.

**Q: Does frame rate affect file size?**

A: Yes. Doubling the frame rate roughly doubles the data before compression. In practice, the increase is somewhat less because modern codecs are efficient at compressing similar consecutive frames, but 60fps will still be significantly larger than 30fps.

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Source: https://vastcalc.com/calculators/everyday/video-file-size
Category: Everyday Life
Last updated: 2026-04-08