Free tool
Video file size calculator. ProRes, RAW and H.264.
Pick the codec, the frame size, the frame rate and how long you roll. See how big the files will be before the card fills up, from Apple’s own ProRes data rates.
318 GB
707 Mb/s, which is 88.4 MB/s.
- A minute5.3 GB
- An hour318 GB
- On a 1 TB drive3.1 h
Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or kept.
When the cut is done, DropYourFiles sends it to your client on one link: they watch it, leave notes on the frame, and download the masters at full size once they approve. Free holds 5 GB. How to send large video files
The short answer.
A video file’s size is its data rate times its length. ProRes 422 HQ at 3840 x 2160 and 24p has a target rate of 707 megabits a second in Apple’s table, which is about 318 GB for an hour of footage. Divide megabits by 8 to get megabytes, multiply by 3,600 for an hour, and multiply again by the number of cameras rolling.
ProRes aims at a set size for every frame, so its rate climbs with the frame rate and the frame size. H.264 and H.265 work the other way: you set the bitrate, and the size follows from that number, whatever the codec is called.
ProRes, in GB an hour.
Apple’s own figures for the two frame sizes most jobs are shot at. The calculator above has every size Apple lists, from 720p to 8K, and the rates in megabits a second.
| ProRes | 1080p 24p | 1080p 30p | 4K UHD 24p | 4K UHD 30p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 422 Proxy | 16 | 20 | 65 | 82 |
| 422 LT | 37 | 46 | 148 | 185 |
| 422 | 53 | 66 | 212 | 265 |
| 422 HQ | 79 | 99 | 318 | 398 |
| 4444 | 119 | 148 | 477 | 597 |
| 4444 XQ | 178 | 223 | 716 | 895 |
Why your files come out a little different.
ProRes is a variable bitrate codec. Apple says the real rate is usually close to the target, that no frame goes more than about 10 percent over it, and that simple frames, like black with a title on it, come in well under. A real hour of ProRes is usually a little smaller than the table.
RAW moves more. Apple says ProRes RAW keeps the quality constant, so detailed or noisy pictures make bigger files, and it gives a range rather than a number. Blackmagic RAW’s 3:1 to 12:1 settings hold a steady size; the calculator works them out from the sensor’s pixels at 12 bits, so treat them as an estimate. Your camera’s manual has the exact figure.
The rates are for picture. Tick the audio box to add uncompressed stereo at 48 kHz and 24 bits, which is 2.3 megabits a second.
Sizing a whole job.
Put in the hours you expect to roll and the number of cameras. If you keep a second copy of every card, double the answer, and leave room on the drive for the proxies and the exports. The same number tells you what the masters will weigh when you send them to your client.
Questions.
How big is an hour of 4K ProRes 422 HQ?
About 318 GB at 3840 x 2160 and 24p, and 398 GB at 30p, from Apple’s table. DCI 4K, 4096 x 2160, is a little bigger: 339 GB an hour at 24p.
How big is a minute of 1080p ProRes?
ProRes 422 at 1920 x 1080 and 24p runs 117 megabits a second, which is about 0.88 GB a minute. ProRes 422 HQ at the same size is about 1.3 GB a minute.
Why does Windows show a smaller number than the calculator?
The calculator counts the way Apple’s table, Finder and drive makers do: a gigabyte is a billion bytes. Windows divides by 1,073,741,824 and still calls it a GB, so 318 GB shows there as about 296 GB. The file is the same size.
How big are ProRes RAW files?
Apple says ProRes RAW generally falls between ProRes 422 and ProRes 422 HQ, and ProRes RAW HQ between 422 HQ and 4444. It keeps the quality constant, so a detailed or noisy picture lands at the top of the range. The calculator shows both ends.
What bitrate should I put in for H.264 or H.265?
The one your camera or your export is set to. For uploads to YouTube, its help page recommends 35 to 45 Mbps for 4K at 24 to 30 fps and 8 Mbps for 1080p (read 28 October 2026). At the same bitrate, H.264 and H.265 take the same room.
Is anything I type here sent anywhere?
No. The math runs in your browser. There is no account and nothing is kept.
Where the numbers come from.
- Apple ProRes White Paper, April 2022, target data rates (pages 19 to 21), read October 28, 2026.
- Apple ProRes RAW White Paper, May 2023, data rate (page 7), read October 28, 2026.
- Blackmagic Design, Blackmagic RAW: constant bitrate ratios and 12-bit encoding, read October 28, 2026.
- YouTube Help, recommended upload encoding settings: video bitrates, read October 28, 2026.
Keep reading.
- Upload time calculator
- How to send large video files
- How to email large video files
- What video costs in each client gallery
More free tools: upload time calculator, timecode calculator, fCPXML to SRT and CSV, client notes to Final Cut markers, or all of them.
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