Quick answer: A 1-hour 720p video is about 2.3 GB from a phone: 5.3 Mbps × 3,600 s ÷ 8 = 2,385 MB. From a phone in H.264 (Most Compatible) (8 Mbps) it is about 3.5 GB. Uploading the phone file takes about 16 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 720p, by camera and codec
| Recording | Type | Bitrate | Per minute | 1 hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube recommended upload, 720p | Web upload | 5 Mbps | 38 MB | 2.2 GB |
| iPhone 720p 30 fps (HEVC) | Phone | 5.3 Mbps | 40 MB | 2.3 GB |
| iPhone 720p 30 fps (H.264, Most Compatible) | Phone | 8 Mbps | 60 MB | 3.5 GB |
Worked out: size = bitrate × length. For the iPhone 720p 30 fps (HEVC) row: 5.3 megabits per second × 3,600 seconds = 19,080 megabits. Divide by 8 to get megabytes: 2,385 MB, which is about 2.3 GB (1 GB = 1,024 MB). The same 1 hour in iPhone 720p 30 fps (H.264, Most Compatible) is 3.5 GB: its bitrate is 1.5 times higher, so the file is 1.5 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 iPhone camera settings (60 MB a minute with Most Compatible).
How long 1 hour of 720p takes to upload
| Upload speed | iPhone 720p 30 fps (HEVC) (2.3 GB) | iPhone 720p 30 fps (H.264, Most Compatible) (3.5 GB) |
|---|---|---|
| 4G mobile, typical (10 Mbps) | 32 min | 48 min |
| Home broadband (20 Mbps) | 16 min | 24 min |
| Fast broadband (50 Mbps) | 6 min | 10 min |
| Fibre (100 Mbps) | 3 min | 5 min |
| Fast fibre (500 Mbps) | 38 s | 58 s |
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 5.3 Mbps fits? | Longest clip that fits | Bitrate needed for 1 hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | 25 MB per email | No | 38 s | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| Outlook.com | 20 to 25 MB per email | No | 38 s | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| WhatsApp (document) | 2 GB per file | No | 52 min | 4.6 Mbps or less |
| Telegram | 2 GB per file | No | 52 min | 4.6 Mbps or less |
| Facebook Messenger | 100 MB per file | No | 3 min | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| Discord (free) | 20 MB per file | No | 30 s | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| Slack | 1 GB per file | No | 26 min | 2.3 Mbps or less |
| WeTransfer (free) | 3 GB per transfer | Yes | 1 h 17 min | Already fits |
| 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
- Trim first: each minute you cut saves about 40 MB at 5.3 Mbps.
- Re-encode at a lower bitrate: halving the bitrate halves the file (1.2 GB at 2.7 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 2.3 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 720p video?
About 2.3 GB from a phone (5.3 Mbps) and about 3.5 GB from a phone in H.264 (Most Compatible) (8 Mbps).
How long does a 1-hour 720p video take to upload?
At 2.3 GB: about 16 min at 20 Mbps upload, 3 min at 100 Mbps and 19 s on 1 Gbps fibre, if the connection holds its full speed.
Can I email a 1-hour 720p video?
Not as an attachment. At about 2.3 GB it is over the 20 to 36 MB email limits; only about 28 s of 720p at 5.3 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 2.3 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 720p 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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