Skip to main content

Video Size Calculator

Estimates video file size as bitrate times duration divided by 8 across 180+ codecs from ProRes and ARRIRAW to H.265, AV1, and FFV1. Bit depth and chroma subsampling are locked when intrinsic to the codec and configurable in uncompressed mode (bits per pixel equals bit depth times chroma factor). Image sequences use packed-pixel math; DPX 10-bit log packs 30 bits into a 32-bit word, so 4 bytes per pixel.

Runs entirely in your browser

This tool sends nothing over the network. Everything you enter is processed on your device and never reaches our servers.

Filmmaking
Storage
Post-Production
Loading the tool
Reference

Documentation

A video size calculator estimates on-disk video file size for any combination of codec, resolution, frame rate, bit depth, chroma subsampling, and audio configuration. The codec library spans Apple ProRes and ProRes RAW, Avid DNxHR, DNxHD and DNxUncompressed, GoPro CineForm, Cinema RAW (REDCODE, ARRIRAW, Blackmagic RAW, Sony X-OCN, CinemaDNG, Canon Cinema RAW Light, Nikon N-RAW, DJI D-RAW), H.264, H.265, H.266 VVC, AV1, VP9, Sony XAVC, Panasonic AVC-Intra and AVC-Ultra, MPEG-2, DV and DVCPRO, broadcast tape formats, MJPEG, lossless archival codecs (FFV1, HuffYUV, Ut Video, Lagarith, MagicYUV), legacy formats, plus uncompressed and image-sequence formats (DPX, Cineon, OpenEXR variants, TIFF, PNG, JPEG, JPEG 2000, JPEG XS, WebP, AVIF, HEIC).

Codec, grouped by family so RAW, mezzanine, and long-GOP codecs sit together, sets the baseline compression behavior. Resolution runs from SD to 16K, with vertical, square, anamorphic, and DCI variants alongside custom width and height in pixels, and frame rate spans 23.976 through 1000 fps or any custom value. Bit depth (8 through 16) and chroma subsampling (4:2:0, 4:2:2, 4:4:4, 4:4:4:4) are adjustable only where the codec allows it; a codec with an intrinsic bit depth or chroma scheme displays that fixed value instead. Duration is entered as hours, minutes, seconds, and additional frames. An optional audio track adds its own codec (PCM, AAC, MP3, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD MA, FLAC, Opus, Vorbis), channel layout up to 16 channels, sample rate up to 192 kHz, and bit depth to the total.

Bitrate in bits per second equals bits per pixel multiplied by width, height, and frame rate. File size in bytes equals bitrate multiplied by duration in seconds, divided by 8. For uncompressed video, bits per pixel equals bit depth multiplied by a chroma factor: 3 for 4:4:4, 2 for 4:2:2, and 1.5 for 4:2:0. Image sequences compute bytes per frame from their packed pixel layout instead; DPX 10-bit log packs 30 bits into a 32-bit word, which works out to 4 bytes per pixel. Numeric inputs accept decimals such as 29.97, fractions such as 1/2, mixed numbers such as 5 1/4 or 1-3/8, and scientific notation. Advanced Settings holds a step-by-step formula derivation, a choice between decimal MB and binary MiB units, variable-bitrate adjustment, a custom bitrate override, and container overhead, alongside the resulting file size, bitrate, frame count, per-card recording time, and network transfer estimate.

Uncompressed 8-bit 4:2:0 video has 12 bits per pixel (8 x 1.5). At 1920x1080 and 24 fps, bitrate is 597,196,800 bits per second (12 x 1920 x 1080 x 24). Ten seconds of that video is 746,496,000 bytes (597,196,800 x 10 / 8), about 746.5 MB.

Production, post, archive, and delivery workflows share the same need: forecast how much storage a clip or sequence will consume before shooting, ingesting, transcoding, or uploading. Sizing media correctly up front avoids stalled shoots, dropped frames, and overage charges at the back end.

  • Cinematography: REDCODE RAW 8:1 storage for a 90-minute feature shot at 6K 23.976 sets the CFast and RED MINI-MAG card count needed for the shoot.
  • Documentary and broadcast: A 10-hour interview at 1080p 25 fps in XAVC Class 300 or DNxHD 145 sizes the SxS and CFast media budget for the shoot.
  • Streaming delivery: H.265 Main 10 HDR master sizes at 25, 35, and 50 Mbps compare directly when planning a delivery ladder for major streaming platforms.
  • Editorial and proxies: ProRes 422 Proxy weighed against DNxHR LB at 1080p 23.976 forecasts SAN usage for remote editorial workflows.
  • VFX and CG pipelines: OpenEXR 16-bit half-float renders at 4K DCI for a 600-frame sequence, compared against PIZ wavelet compression, size render farm output storage.
  • Archive and preservation: DPX 10-bit log scan storage for a feature-length restoration at 4K 23.976 sizes the LTO-9 cartridge count needed for the archive.
  • Live event: XAVC S-I or ProRes 422 storage for a 4-hour multi-cam concert at 1080p 59.94 sets the media budget for the shoot.
  • YouTube and creators: H.264 streaming HD compared against AV1 Main 10 for a 30-minute 4K 60 fps upload forecasts upload time over a 50 Mbps line.
  • Mobile and vertical video: H.265 4K 30 fps capture for vertical 1080x1920 reels sizes the device flash storage a shoot will consume.
  • Drone and aerial: Blackmagic RAW Q5 or H.265 capture for a 25-minute flight at 5.4K 30 fps specs the onboard SSD media needed.
Inputs, outputs, and what the Video Size Calculator computes

What the Video Size Calculator asks for and what it returns, as a plain list. Defaults, units, and ranges are the ones the form loads with.

Inputs

  • Codec / format
  • Resolution
  • W (numeric input) · default: 1920 · range: 16 to 32768
  • H (numeric input) · default: 1080 · range: 16 to 32768
  • Frame rate
  • Custom (fps) (numeric input) · default: 29.97 · range: 0.001 to 10000
  • Bit depth · default: 10-bit
  • Chroma · default: 4:2:2
  • Hours (numeric input) · default: 0 · range: 0 to 9999
  • Minutes (numeric input) · default: 1 · range: 0 to 59
  • Seconds (numeric input) · default: 0 · range: 0 to 59.999
  • Frames (numeric input) · default: 0 · minimum: 0
  • Include audio in the file size and bitrate totals · default: off
  • Codec
  • Channels · default: 2 (stereo)
  • Sample rate (kHz) · default: 48 (broadcast / film)
  • Bit depth · default: 24-bit
  • Custom audio bitrate (kbps, blank = codec default) (numeric input) · range: 0 to 50000
  • Preferred display unit · default: Auto (best fit)
  • VBR adjustment factor (%): variable-bitrate codecs render this much smaller than the peak rate. 0 = use peak rate. (numeric input) · default: 0 · range: 0 to 80
  • Custom video bitrate override (Mbps, blank = use codec) (numeric input) · minimum: 0
  • Container overhead (%): MP4, MOV, MXF wrappers add a small amount of metadata. (numeric input) · default: 0.5 · range: 0 to 20
  • Show formula step-by-step · default: off

Controls

Calculate · Reset

Example

Uncompressed 8-bit 4:2:0 video has 12 bits per pixel (8 x 1.5).