Video & Storage
Video Storage Calculator
Pick a resolution and duration (or a storage size) and see the other side of the equation.
Free to useNo sign-up requiredNo watermarkRuns in your browser
Last reviewed: 5 October 2026 by Vishal Senthilkumar
Two questions keep coming up when planning a shoot or a multi-camera recording setup: how much storage will this need, and how long will the storage I already have actually last? Both are the same bitrate-duration-storage relationship, just read in opposite directions.
Pick a resolution and frame rate (or type in your own bitrate), then switch between planning a recording by its length or by the storage you already have - including quick picks for common SD card and drive sizes - and add a camera count for multi-camera shoots.
How this tool works
Choose a mode
"How much storage do I need?" or "How long will my storage last?".
Pick a resolution/fps preset
Or switch to a custom bitrate if you know your camera’s exact figure.
Enter duration or capacity
Hours and minutes for a planned recording, or a storage size in GB - tap a common SD card or drive size as a shortcut.
Set the number of cameras
More cameras need proportionally more storage, or drain a shared storage pool proportionally faster.
Read the result
Storage needed in GB/TB, or recording time in hours, minutes or days.
How it works
Storage needed is the bitrate multiplied by the duration, divided by 8 to turn bits into bytes, divided by 1,000 to turn megabytes into gigabytes: GB = bitrate (Mbps) × duration (seconds) ÷ 8 ÷ 1,000. At 50 Mbps for one hour (3,600 seconds), that is 50 × 3,600 ÷ 8 ÷ 1,000 = 22.5 GB.
Recording time is the same relationship solved for time instead of storage: seconds = capacity (GB) × 1,000 × 8 ÷ bitrate (Mbps). A 128 GB card at 50 Mbps records for 128 × 1,000 × 8 ÷ 50 = 20,480 seconds, about 5 hours 41 minutes.
Multiple cameras scale both directions: total storage needed is the per-camera figure multiplied by the number of cameras, and a fixed amount of storage shared between several cameras lasts proportionally less time - the per-camera time divided by the camera count.
The resolution/fps presets are typical, rounded bitrates for a first estimate - real cameras vary a lot by codec and compression setting, so switch to the custom bitrate option and type in the figure from your own camera’s manual whenever you know it.
Common use cases
- Sizing storage for a multi-camera shoot before buying cards or drives.
- Working out how long a security or dashcam setup will record before it loops or runs out of space.
- Comparing how much longer a card lasts at 1080p versus 4K, or at 30 fps versus 60 fps.
- Checking whether a shared NAS volume will cover a day’s footage from several cameras at once.
Mbps vs MB/s, and GB vs GiB
Video bitrates are quoted in megabits per second (Mbps, lower-case b). Storage is sold in megabytes and gigabytes (MB, GB, capital B). A byte is 8 bits, so 100 Mbps is 12.5 MB/s, and an hour at 100 Mbps is 45 GB. Mixing the two up gives an answer eight times too big or too small.
Cards and drives are labelled in decimal units: 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Windows and some other systems count in binary units (1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes) but still label them “GB”, so a 128 GB card shows as about 119 GB. Nothing is missing - it is the same space counted differently. This calculator uses decimal units throughout.
Formula
Storage needed
bitrate (Mbps) × duration (s) ÷ 8 ÷ 1,000
Per camera; multiply by the camera count for the total.
Recording time
capacity (GB) × 1,000 × 8 ÷ bitrate (Mbps)
Per camera; divide by the camera count when several share one pool of storage.
Worked examples
Planning a 2-hour, 3-camera 4K shoot at 100 Mbps
One camera for 2 hours needs 100 × 7,200 ÷ 8 ÷ 1,000 = 90 GB. Three cameras recording the same length need 270 GB in total.
How long a 256 GB card lasts in 1080p60
At a typical 30 Mbps, 256 × 1,000 × 8 ÷ 30 = 68,267 seconds - about 18 hours 58 minutes.
Four security cameras sharing one 1 TB drive at 8 Mbps each
One camera alone would run for 1,000 × 1,000 × 8 ÷ 8 = 1,000,000 seconds (about 11.6 days). Shared between four cameras, the drive fills four times faster: about 2.9 days.
Frequently asked questions
How much storage do I need for 1 hour of 4K video?
It depends on the bitrate: a typical 100 Mbps H.264 4K mode needs about 45 GB per hour, while a more efficient 50 Mbps H.265 mode needs about 22.5 GB. Switch to the custom bitrate option and enter your camera’s own figure for an exact answer.
How is recording time with multiple cameras worked out?
If several cameras share one pool of storage, that storage fills proportionally faster - the single-camera recording time divided by the number of cameras. If each camera has its own separate storage, use the single-camera figure for each one instead.
Why are the resolution presets not exact?
Bitrate depends on the codec and compression setting as well as the resolution and frame rate, and these vary between manufacturers and models. The presets are rounded, typical figures for a first estimate - your camera’s manual or recording-mode menu will have the exact number.
What is the difference between this and the SD card or 4K/8K calculators?
This calculator covers the general case - any resolution preset or custom bitrate, in either direction, with a camera-count multiplier. The SD card, 4K, 8K and recording-time calculators on this site go deeper into each of those specific situations, including codec-level detail like ProRes.
Does this account for audio?
No - it uses the video bitrate only. Compressed audio typically adds a few hundred kilobits per second, small next to most video bitrates; add it to the bitrate yourself using the custom bitrate option if you want to include it.
Is anything uploaded?
No. Every figure you enter is calculated in your browser, and nothing is sent anywhere.