Video Recording Time Calculator

Estimate recording duration from available storage, combined video and audio bitrates, and a reserved-storage percentage.

Storage capacityNumber from 0.000001 to 1000000 GB.Video bitrateNumber from 0 to 1000000 Mbit/s.Audio bitrateNumber from 0 to 1000000 kbit/s.Storage reservedNumber from 0 to 99.999 %.

Use consistent units exactly as labeled. Decimal and scientific notation are accepted for non-integer fields; blanks, commas, fractions and non-finite entries are rejected.

Calculate

Usable storage115.2 GB

Combined bitrate50.32 Mbit/s

Recording time5 h 5 min 14.78537361 sec

Recording time5.087440382 hours

The displayed results apply to the default example. Enable JavaScript to calculate other inputs.

How to use this calculator

1. Replace the example values with your own measurements, schedule, prices, or media settings.
2. Keep each value in the unit printed beside its field.
3. Select Calculate and review every result together with the assumptions below.

Formula and method

Usable bytes = storage GB × (1 − reserve rate) × 10⁹. Recording seconds = usable bytes × 8 ÷ combined bits per second.

Calculations run in your browser. Results are hidden whenever an input changes or validation fails, preventing an old answer from being mistaken for the current calculation.

Worked example

Storage capacity = 128 GB; Video bitrate = 50 Mbit/s; Audio bitrate = 320 kbit/s; Storage reserved = 10 %. The calculator returns Usable storage = 115.2 GB; Combined bitrate = 50.32 Mbit/s; Recording time = 5 h 5 min 14.78537361 sec; Recording time = 5.087440382 hours.

The worked example uses the same default values shown in the interface, so the displayed result and explanation can be checked directly.

Limitations

Formatted capacity, filesystem overhead, variable bitrate, file splitting, camera limits, battery life and thermal limits can shorten real recording time.

Use the result as a planning estimate. Confirm prices, policies, equipment ratings, units and professional requirements that apply to your situation.

Frequently asked questions

Why reserve storage?

A reserve avoids planning to fill the device completely and can allow for filesystem, metadata and operational headroom.

Why does the calculator reject my entry?

Each field shows its supported range. Whole-number fields reject decimals, and all fields reject blanks, words, comma-formatted numbers, fractions and non-finite values.

How should I round the result?

Keep extra digits while planning, then round to the precision supported by your inputs, package sizes, billing rules or equipment settings.

Review notes and reference

Reviewed October 4, 2026. The formula was checked against the displayed worked example. The script was tested for defaults, field boundaries, invalid formats, condition-specific errors and recovery after an error. Reference: NIST guidance on bits, bytes, and binary prefixes. Explanations and examples are original.

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