Quick answer: A 1-hour 1080p video is about 3.5 GB from a phone: 8 Mbps × 3,600 s ÷ 8 = 3,600 MB. From a mirrorless camera (50 Mbps) it is about 22 GB. In ProRes 422 HQ it grows to about 97 GB. Uploading the phone file takes about 24 min at 20 Mbps. It is too big for email; send it with a download link (Share Large Video Files takes up to 20 GB, free).
Size of 1 hour of 1080p, by camera and codec
| Recording | Type | Bitrate | Per minute | 1 hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 1080p 30 fps (HEVC) | Phone | 8 Mbps | 60 MB | 3.5 GB |
| YouTube recommended upload, 1080p | Web upload | 8 Mbps | 60 MB | 3.5 GB |
| iPhone 1080p 60 fps (HEVC) | Phone | 12 Mbps | 90 MB | 5.3 GB |
| iPhone 1080p 30 fps (H.264, Most Compatible) | Phone | 17.3 Mbps | 130 MB | 7.6 GB |
| Mirrorless camera, Sony XAVC S HD 60p (50 Mbps setting) | Camera | 50 Mbps | 375 MB | 22 GB |
| Apple ProRes 422 HQ, 1080p 29.97 | Editing | 220 Mbps | 1.6 GB | 97 GB |
Worked out: size = bitrate × length. For the iPhone 1080p 30 fps (HEVC) row: 8 megabits per second × 3,600 seconds = 28,800 megabits. Divide by 8 to get megabytes: 3,600 MB, which is about 3.5 GB (1 GB = 1,024 MB). The same 1 hour in Apple ProRes 422 HQ, 1080p 29.97 is 97 GB: its bitrate is 27.5 times higher, so the file is 27.5 times bigger.
Real files vary by a few percent either way: busy scenes, low light and grain need more data, a static talking head less. Sources: Apple's iPhone camera settings (Settings > Camera > Record Video lists the size of a minute of video); YouTube's recommended upload bitrates (SDR, standard frame rate); Apple's ProRes white paper; Apple's iPhone camera settings (130 MB a minute with Most Compatible); Sony's published XAVC S recording bitrates.
How long 1 hour of 1080p takes to upload
| Upload speed | iPhone 1080p 30 fps (HEVC) (3.5 GB) | Apple ProRes 422 HQ, 1080p 29.97 (97 GB) |
|---|---|---|
| 4G mobile, typical (10 Mbps) | 48 min | 22 h |
| Home broadband (20 Mbps) | 24 min | 11 h |
| Fast broadband (50 Mbps) | 10 min | 4 h 24 min |
| Fibre (100 Mbps) | 5 min | 2 h 12 min |
| Fast fibre (500 Mbps) | 58 s | 26 min |
Time = size in megabits ÷ upload speed, with the full speed available the whole time. Allow 10 to 25% more on Wi-Fi or a busy connection. Try your own numbers in the upload time calculator.
Will it fit? Email and chat apps
| App | Limit | 1 hour at 8 Mbps fits? | Longest clip that fits | Bitrate needed for 1 hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | 25 MB per email | No | 25 s | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| Outlook.com | 20 to 25 MB per email | No | 25 s | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| WhatsApp (document) | 2 GB per file | No | 34 min | 4.6 Mbps or less |
| Telegram | 2 GB per file | No | 34 min | 4.6 Mbps or less |
| Facebook Messenger | 100 MB per file | No | 2 min | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| Discord (free) | 20 MB per file | No | 20 s | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| Slack | 1 GB per file | No | 17 min | 2.3 Mbps or less |
| WeTransfer (free) | 3 GB per transfer | No | 51 min | 6.8 Mbps or less |
| Share Large Video Files | 20 GB per transfer | Send the original with a link, any length that fits the limit | ||
Email limits apply to the encoded message, which is about a third larger than the file, so leave a margin. Limits from our file size limits by app table.
How to make it smaller, or send it as it is
- Export at 720p: 1 hour of 720p at 5.3 Mbps (iPhone 720p 30 fps (HEVC)) is about 2.3 GB instead of 3.5 GB. Fine for phones and most laptops; keep 1080p for big screens and editing.
- Trim first: each minute you cut saves about 60 MB at 8 Mbps.
- Re-encode at a lower bitrate: halving the bitrate halves the file (1.8 GB at 4 Mbps), but it is a lossy step, so detail drops. Do it once, from the original, not from a copy a chat app already compressed.
- Or do not shrink it: at 3.5 GB it is over every chat app's limit, so a download link is the practical way to send the original.
Frequently asked questions
How many GB is a 1-hour 1080p video?
About 3.5 GB from a phone (8 Mbps) and about 22 GB from a mirrorless camera (50 Mbps). In ProRes 422 HQ it is about 97 GB.
How long does a 1-hour 1080p video take to upload?
At 3.5 GB: about 24 min at 20 Mbps upload, 5 min at 100 Mbps and 29 s on 1 Gbps fibre, if the connection holds its full speed.
Can I email a 1-hour 1080p video?
Not as an attachment. At about 3.5 GB it is over the 20 to 36 MB email limits; only about 19 s of 1080p at 8 Mbps fits in a 25 MB email. Send a download link instead: Share Large Video Files takes up to 20 GB, free.
Can I send it on WhatsApp in full quality?
No. About 3.5 GB is over WhatsApp's 2 GB document limit, and videos sent from the gallery are compressed. Send a download link in the chat instead.
Why is my 1080p file a different size?
Size follows the bitrate, not the resolution alone. Frame rate (60 fps needs more data), codec (H.264 files are larger than HEVC) and the scene itself all change it. Check yours with the video bitrate calculator: divide the file size by the length.
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