Video File Transfer Time by Format and Resolution

Video File Transfer Times

Video files are among the largest files routinely transferred over networks. Understanding typical sizes by format helps plan transfer workflows.

File Sizes by Format (Per Minute)

Format	Resolution	Bitrate	Size/Min
ProRes 422	1080p	147 Mbps	1.1 GB
ProRes 422	4K	589 Mbps	4.4 GB
ProRes 4444	4K	796 Mbps	6.0 GB
H.264 High	1080p	20 Mbps	150 MB
H.264 High	4K	60 Mbps	450 MB
H.265 (HEVC)	4K	30 Mbps	225 MB
RAW (RED)	4K	300 Mbps	2.25 GB
RAW (BRAW)	6K	580 Mbps	4.35 GB

Example: 30-Minute 4K ProRes 422 Project

File size: 30 min * 4.4 GB/min = 132 GB

Transfer times:
  100 Mbps:  132 * 1024 * 8 / 100 = 10,813 sec = 3h 0m
  1 Gbps:    132 * 1024 * 8 / 1000 = 1,081 sec = 18m 1s
  10 Gbps:   132 * 1024 * 8 / 10000 = 108 sec = 1m 48s

Post-Production Workflow Considerations

In a multi-person editing pipeline, files move between:

1. Camera to edit storage: Usually via USB 3.0/Thunderbolt (5-40 Gbps)
2. Edit storage to color/VFX: Over shared storage (NAS) at 1-10 Gbps
3. Final render to delivery: Over internet to client or platform

The bottleneck is almost always the internet upload step. A 10 Gbps internal network can transfer 132 GB in under 2 minutes, but uploading over a 10 Mbps residential connection takes over 30 hours.

Proxy Workflow

Using proxy files (low-res copies) for editing reduces transfer requirements:

Original 4K ProRes: 4.4 GB/min
1080p H.264 proxy: 150 MB/min
Ratio: ~29:1 smaller

Only the proxy files and an EDL/XML need to be transferred between remote editors.