Quick answer: A 1-hour 4K video is about 10 GB from a phone: 22.7 Mbps × 3,600 s ÷ 8 = 10,215 MB. From a mirrorless camera (100 Mbps) it is about 44 GB. In ProRes 422 HQ it grows to about 311 GB. Uploading the phone file takes about 1 h 8 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 4K, by camera and codec
| Recording | Type | Bitrate | Per minute | 1 hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 4K 30 fps (HEVC) | Phone | 22.7 Mbps | 170 MB | 10 GB |
| YouTube recommended upload, 4K 30 fps | Web upload | 40 Mbps | 300 MB | 18 GB |
| iPhone 4K 30 fps (H.264, Most Compatible) | Phone | 46.7 Mbps | 350 MB | 21 GB |
| iPhone 4K 60 fps (HEVC) | Phone | 53.3 Mbps | 400 MB | 23 GB |
| Mirrorless camera, Sony XAVC S 4K 30p (100 Mbps setting) | Camera | 100 Mbps | 750 MB | 44 GB |
| Apple ProRes 422 HQ, 4K UHD 29.97 | Editing | 707 Mbps | 5.2 GB | 311 GB |
Worked out: size = bitrate × length. For the iPhone 4K 30 fps (HEVC) row: 22.7 megabits per second × 3,600 seconds = 81,720 megabits. Divide by 8 to get megabytes: 10,215 MB, which is about 10 GB (1 GB = 1,024 MB). The same 1 hour in Apple ProRes 422 HQ, 4K UHD 29.97 is 311 GB: its bitrate is 31.1 times higher, so the file is 31.1 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) (35 to 45 Mbps, middle value); Apple's ProRes white paper; Apple's iPhone camera settings (350 MB a minute with Most Compatible); Sony's published XAVC S 4K recording bitrates.
How long 1 hour of 4K takes to upload
| Upload speed | iPhone 4K 30 fps (HEVC) (10 GB) | Apple ProRes 422 HQ, 4K UHD 29.97 (311 GB) |
|---|---|---|
| 4G mobile, typical (10 Mbps) | 2 h 16 min | 70 h 42 min |
| Home broadband (20 Mbps) | 1 h 8 min | 35 h 21 min |
| Fast broadband (50 Mbps) | 27 min | 14 h 8 min |
| Fibre (100 Mbps) | 14 min | 7 h 4 min |
| Fast fibre (500 Mbps) | 3 min | 1 h 25 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 22.7 Mbps fits? | Longest clip that fits | Bitrate needed for 1 hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | 25 MB per email | No | 9 s | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| Outlook.com | 20 to 25 MB per email | No | 9 s | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| WhatsApp (document) | 2 GB per file | No | 12 min | 4.6 Mbps or less |
| Telegram | 2 GB per file | No | 12 min | 4.6 Mbps or less |
| Facebook Messenger | 100 MB per file | No | 35 s | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| Discord (free) | 20 MB per file | No | 7 s | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| Slack | 1 GB per file | No | 6 min | 2.3 Mbps or less |
| WeTransfer (free) | 3 GB per transfer | No | 18 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 1080p: 1 hour of 1080p at 8 Mbps (iPhone 1080p 30 fps (HEVC)) is about 3.5 GB instead of 10 GB. Fine for phones and most laptops; keep 4K for big screens and editing.
- Trim first: each minute you cut saves about 170 MB at 22.7 Mbps.
- Re-encode at a lower bitrate: halving the bitrate halves the file (5 GB at 11.4 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 10 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 4K video?
About 10 GB from a phone (22.7 Mbps) and about 44 GB from a mirrorless camera (100 Mbps). In ProRes 422 HQ it is about 311 GB.
How long does a 1-hour 4K video take to upload?
At 10 GB: about 1 h 8 min at 20 Mbps upload, 14 min at 100 Mbps and 1 min on 1 Gbps fibre, if the connection holds its full speed.
Can I email a 1-hour 4K video?
Not as an attachment. At about 10 GB it is over the 20 to 36 MB email limits; only about 7 s of 4K at 22.7 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 10 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 4K 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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