Streaming
Data Usage Calculator
Work out how much data a stream uses per hour, day and month, and whether it fits your data cap.
Data used by a stream or recording
Leave empty if your plan is unlimited.
Data per month
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- Per hour
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- Per day
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- Per week
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- Per minute
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Recording to a drive instead? The recording storage calculator shows hours per card or drive.
Data used at common bitrates
Decimal gigabytes. A month here is 30 days of 2 hours.
| Bitrate | Per hour | Per day (2 h) | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 kbps | 0.225 GB | 0.45 GB | 13.5 GB |
| 1,000 kbps | 0.45 GB | 0.9 GB | 27 GB |
| 2,500 kbps | 1.13 GB | 2.25 GB | 67.5 GB |
| 4,500 kbps | 2.03 GB | 4.05 GB | 121.5 GB |
| 6,000 kbps | 2.7 GB | 5.4 GB | 162 GB |
| 8,000 kbps | 3.6 GB | 7.2 GB | 216 GB |
| 12 Mbps | 5.4 GB | 10.8 GB | 324 GB |
| 20 Mbps | 9 GB | 18 GB | 540 GB |
| 50 Mbps | 22.5 GB | 45 GB | 1,350 GB |
| 100 Mbps | 45 GB | 90 GB | 2,700 GB |
Frequently asked questions
How much data does streaming use per hour?
Multiply the bitrate by 3,600 seconds and divide by 8. A 6,000 kbps stream uses 2.7 GB per hour; a 3,000 kbps stream uses 1.35 GB. Add audio if it isn’t already included in the bitrate.
Does streaming use my data cap when I upload?
Most providers that meter data count both upload and download. Streaming for several hours a day at a high bitrate can use hundreds of gigabytes per month, so check whether your plan counts upload.
How many hours of recording fit on my drive?
Divide the free space by the data used per hour. At 50 Mbps (typical of high-quality camera recording) one hour uses 22.5 GB, so a 256 GB card holds about 11 hours.
Why does my new drive show less space than advertised?
Drives are sold in decimal gigabytes, while Windows reports binary gibibytes (labelled "GB"). A 1 TB drive holds 1,000,000,000,000 bytes, which Windows shows as about 931 "GB". Formatting also reserves a little space.