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Storage planning tool

Video File Size Calculator: Estimate Storage for Any Codec & ResolutionFile Size

Estimate how much storage a shoot really needs. Pick a codec, a resolution and a duration.

40+ codecs720p to 8KDrive capacity check

Result

ProRes 422 HQ · 4K UHD

10m · 880 Mbps

Estimated file size

Fits · 1 TB

66.00GB

Per second
110.0 MB
Per minute
6.60 GB
Per hour
396.00 GB
Effective bitrate
880 Mbps

Fits on a drive?

7% of 1 TB · 934.00 GB left

ProRes variants

at 4K UHD

01Duration

10m

02Resolution

3840 × 2160

03Codec family

880 Mbps

Pick a variant in the ProRes list on the left.

Common Codec Bitrates

Approximate bitrates for popular codecs. ProRes/DNxHR values based on Apple/Avid specs at ~30fps. Actual rates vary by frame rate, content complexity, and encoder settings.

Bitrate & File Size per Minute

CodecQualityBitrate (Mbps)1 min @ 1080p1 min @ 4K
ProRes 4444Mastering3302.48 GB9.90 GB
ProRes 422 HQHigh Quality2201.65 GB6.60 GB
ProRes 422Standard1471.10 GB4.41 GB
ProRes ProxyOffline / Proxy450.34 GB1.35 GB
DNxHR HQHigh Quality1801.35 GB5.40 GB
DNxHR SQStandard900.68 GB2.70 GB
H.264High500.38 GB1.50 GB
H.264Medium250.19 GB0.75 GB
H.265 (HEVC)High300.23 GB0.90 GB
H.265 (HEVC)Medium150.11 GB0.45 GB

Sony X-OCN Bitrates (16-bit RAW)

Sony's published data rates at 4096 × 2160 / 24p. X-OCN C1 and C2 are the new Compact modes introduced with the FX5. C1 is about 25% smaller than LT, C2 another 20% smaller than C1, both still true 16-bit scene-linear.
ModeProfileCamerasBitrate (Mbps)1 min @ 4K
X-OCN XTExtreme, VFX and giant screenVENICE 29707.28 GB
X-OCN STStandard, feature filmVENICE 26614.96 GB
X-OCN LTLight, the classic small RAWVENICE 2, BURANO, FX53892.92 GB
X-OCN C1Compact, 25% smaller than LTFX52892.17 GB
X-OCN C2Compact, high frame rateFX52321.74 GB

How Video File Size Works

Video file size is determined by the bitrate (data per second) multiplied by the duration. Understanding the formula helps you plan storage, choose the right codec, and balance quality against file size.

The Formula

The fundamental relationship between bitrate, duration, and file size:

File Size (MB) = Bitrate (Mbps) × Duration (s) ÷ 8

220 Mbps × 60 s ÷ 8 = 1,650 MB (1.65 GB)

Unit Conversion

Bitrate is measured in bits per second, but file sizes use bytes. Since 1 byte = 8 bits:

1 Megabit (Mb) = 1,000,000 bits

1 Megabyte (MB) = 8 Megabits

100 Mbps ÷ 8 = 12.5 MB/s

Resolution & Bitrate

Higher resolutions require proportionally higher bitrates for the same quality. 4K UHD has 4× the pixels of 1080p:

1080p: 1920 × 1080 = 2,073,600 px

4K UHD: 3840 × 2160 = 8,294,400 px

4K bitrate ≈ 1080p bitrate × 4×

Intra-frame vs Inter-frame

Codecs compress video differently, which affects both file size and editing performance:

Intra-frame (ProRes, DNxHR): each frame compressed independently. Larger files, faster editing.

Inter-frame (H.264, H.265): frames reference each other. Smaller files, more CPU to decode.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about video file sizes, codecs, and storage planning

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.
Both are Sony's new Compact modes for 16-bit X-OCN, introduced with the FX5, and they sit below the existing XT, ST and LT tiers. At 4096 × 2160 / 24p, X-OCN LT runs at about 389 Mbps, C1 at about 289 Mbps and C2 at about 232 Mbps. C1 is roughly 25% smaller than LT and lands at a similar bitrate to XAVC-I while keeping full X-OCN grading latitude. C2 is another ~20% smaller than C1 and is built for high frame rate work, up to 4K/240p. Neither trades away bit depth; both stay true 16-bit scene-linear.
At 4K 24p, X-OCN LT (389 Mbps) works out to roughly 175 GB per hour, X-OCN C1 (289 Mbps) to about 130 GB per hour, and X-OCN C2 (232 Mbps) to about 104 GB per hour. That means the smallest 16-bit RAW mode is actually slightly lighter than the 10-bit XAVC S-I All-Intra codec at 240 Mbps. Rates scale up with resolution and frame rate, so 5K Open Gate figures are considerably higher: X-OCN LT reaches roughly 712 Mbps at 5K24 Open Gate.
X-OCN XT and ST are exclusive to the VENICE 2. X-OCN LT is available on the VENICE 2, BURANO and the FX5. The new Compact modes, X-OCN C1 and C2, are FX5-only. The FX5 is the first compact Cinema Line body to write 16-bit X-OCN internally, without an external recorder. Note that at launch the C1 and C2 modes need Sony's RAW Viewer or Catalyst Prepare 3.0; broader NLE support follows later, so LT remains the safer choice for immediate Resolve or Premiere workflows.
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.
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