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Summary: This GoPro video size calculator guide informs how you can calculate a GoPro video file size and the factors that matter most for GoPro video size. If the GoPro video is too big, you can use a powerful video converter – VideoProc Converter AI to fast reduce the GoPro video size.
The GoPro video size has everything to do with the choice of what capacity of microSD card you need to buy. It determines how many hours your HERO11/10/9 can record in different settings. On the other hand, it matters whether you need to lower the video recording settings to meet a tradeoff between quality and file size. Thus, before recording, you definitely need to compute the GoPro video size based on your favorite video recording preferences. The GoPro video size calculator certainly comes as the best tool. You will know how to figure out the GoPro HERO11/10/9 recording time per GB in different settings later in the text. But after all, you may need a video tool to balance the GoPro file size and output quality, as below.
Part 1: Calculate Your GoPro Video Size
Calculating GoPro file size is not something at a calculus level when you go to make good use of this video size calculator. All the mechanisms behind are simple base calculations. Once you know the video length and bit rate, you're able to figure out the final size of your GoPro video based on your recording time. The formula comes as follows:
Video Size = Length (s) × bitrate (kbps)/8
For example, I set my GoPro HERO 8 Black video recording mode at 4K resolution, 60FPS frame rate, 66Mbps per second (8.25MB/s). If I record a minute of 4K video at such settings, I will get 60s × 66000 kbps/8=495000KB, namely 495MB, or 0.495GB. That is to say, according to the 4K video size calculator, 1GB of space allows you to record 2 minutes and 1 second of video in 4K 60FPS on GoPro HERO6 Black.
Part 2: GoPro Video Too Large? Shrink the File Size
What if you'd like to record a 4K 60FPS video of 10 minutes or an hour? Your video will be extremely huge. Yet that's not the point. You don't have to lower the GoPro recording settings to make a compromise of video quality owing to the size limit. Just shoot 4K, 2.7K, 1080p/720p videos at the best setting for GoPro. If the final video is oversized, you can compress the GoPro video with VideoProc Converter AI without quality loss.
VideoProc is an excellent video compressor, allowing you to resize GoPro 4K/HD videos in various ways without sacrificing output quality. You're able to re-encode video to a codec or format with higher compression algorithm, adjust parameters like resolution, bitrate, frame rate etc., trim the video length or crop the frame size of the video. With all these ways applied, you video can be reduced at 90% without visually quality loss.
How to Reduce GoPro Video File Size with VideoProc Converter AI
Free download the Windows version or Mac version of VideoProc Converter AI of your choice, depending on your platform. It's available on Windows 11/10/8/7 and Mac OS X 10.6 or above. Then install and launch it on your computer.
Note: The Windows version now supports AI-powered Super Resolution, Frame Interpolation, and Stabilization to enhance video and image quality. These AI features are not yet available in the Mac version but will be coming soon.
Step 1: Click "Video" to enter the video processing interface. Then tap "Add Video" button to import your oversized GoPro video.
Step 2. You're able to adopt a single or any combination of below ways to resize video:
Option 1: Convert H.264 MP4 to HEVC.Select HEVC MP4, or other smaller sized format from formats menu at the bottom of the interface
Double-click your selected format or click gear-shaped "Codec OPT" button to access to an interface, where you can lower GoPro video resolution from 4K/2.7K to 1080p or 720p HD, change 240/120/60 fps frame rate to lower 30/24fps, drop the bitrate, turn aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9, or adjust audio etc.
Tap "Cut" icon under the video info, drop the green knob to locate the start and end time of your clip, and then click the orange "Cut" icon to trim the length of video. You can repeat this operation to pick out other clips in this video. Click "Done" button after you've done.
Click "Crop" icon under the video info, and tick the box of "Enable Crop". Then you can crop the video frame size or customize aspect ratio by dragging and zooming in/out the dashed rectangle on the image. Afterwards, click "Done" button.
At the bottom panel, tap "Toolbox", select "Split" and double-click it to determine how many segments you'd like to split your GoPro video to, or how many seconds to split for every segment.
Hit "RUN" button to start reduce video file size right now. The built-in Auto Copy feature and Hardware acceleration tech ensure a blazing fast speed for the video compression, up to 5 times faster than any others.
Part 3: What Factors Matter for GoPro Video Size?
According to the GoPro video size calculating above, you can find that bitrate and video length matter most for the file size, actually the bitrate is closely related to the resolution and frame rate. The higher resolutions and frame rates give you big larger videos, and take more space on your memory cards. Besides, the codec, FOV and Protune settings also make a difference of the file size. Here is how such factors determine GoPro video size.
- Codec: H.265 vs AVC, H.265 naturally has a higher compression algorithm, which promises a 50% storage reduction by encoding video at the lowest possible bit rate while maintaining a high image quality level.
- Resolution: GoPro enables you to record at 4K, 2.7K, 1080p, 720p and some other resolutions. The higher the resolution is, the larger video size will be.
- FOV: FOV is short for Field of View. There are three options of FOV for GoPro HERO 5/6/7/8/9/10: Linear(90-degree), Wide(120-degree) and SuperView(170-degree). SuperView will shoot more contents, leading to a larger size comparing to Linear and Wide.
- Frame Rate: A frame rate in video is the number of separate frames that are introduced to the viewer per second. It's close related to video resolution.
- Protune: Protune is a set of features that enhance your GoPro video quality through capturing more data. Footage shot in Protune will generate larger files than what is shot in the default GoPro settings, due to turning up the bit-rate.
Part 4: Best GoPro Video Settings & Recording Time in Each Video Setting
You see, the GoPro video file size would vary according to GoPro video setting used, naturally leading to differences of recording time on a SD card of certain capacity. To have an overview comparison of GoPro recording time, we list the recommended GoPro HERO11/10/9 settings for your activities with recording time in each setting.
Recording Time of the Recommended HERO Black Settings for Your Activities
* FOV = Field of View setting; POV = Point of View shot
* Here are the average recording storage times for HERO cameras with a 64GB SD card. If you're using a 32 GB SD card, these average record times would be half as large, while twice as large for a 128 GB SD card.
| Activity | Video Setting | Recording Time (Normal) | Recording Time (with Protune) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automobile |
1080p60, SuperView FOV, AVC 1440p60, Wide FOV, AVC 2.7K60 4:3, Wide FOV, AVC |
4h 8min, 33 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps |
2h 54min, 47 Mbps 1h 42min, 80 Mbps 1h 42min, 80 Mbps |
| Cycling, Mountain Biking |
1080p60, Wide FOV, AVC 2.7K120, Wide FOV, H.265 4K60, Wide FOV, H.265 |
4h 8min, 33 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps |
2h 54min, 47 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps 1h 42min, 80 Mbps |
| Family/Travel |
1080p60, Wide or Linear FOV, AVC 4K60, Wide FOV, H.265 |
4h 8min, 33 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps |
2h 54min, 47 Mbps 1h 42min, 80 Mbps |
| Flying the Karma Drone |
1080p60, Linear FOV, AVC 4K60, Wide FOV, H.265 |
4h 8min, 33 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps |
2h 54min, 47 Mbps 1h 42min, 80 Mbps |
| Hiking |
1440p30, Wide FOV, AVC 4K30 4:3, Wide FOV, AVC |
4h 8min, 33 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps |
2h 54min, 47 Mbps 1h 42min, 80 Mbps |
| Motorcycle, Motocross |
1080p60, SuperView FOV, AVC 2.7K60 4:3, Wide FOV, AVC |
4h 8min, 33 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps |
2h 54min, 47 Mbps 1h 42min, 80 Mbps |
| Skiing, Snowboarding (non-POV) |
1080p120, Wide FOV, AVC 1080p240, Wide FOV, H.265 2.7K120, Wide FOV, H.265 4K60, Wide FOV, H.265 |
2h 4min, 66 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps |
2h 4min, 66 Mbps 1h 42min, 80 Mbps 1h 42min, 80 Mbps 1h 42min, 80 Mbps |
| Skiing, Snowboarding (POV) |
1440p60, Wide FOV, AVC 2.7K60 4:3, Wide FOV, H.265 |
2h 4min, 66 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps |
2h 4min, 66 Mbps 1h 42min, 80 Mbps |
| Surfing |
1080p240, Wide FOV, H.265 |
2h 4min, 66 Mbps |
1h 42min, 80 Mbps |
| Underwater Activities |
1080p60, Wide FOV, AVC 4K60, Wide FOV, H.265 |
4h 8min, 33 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps |
2h 54min, 47 Mbps 1h 42min, 80 Mbps |
| Water Activities |
1080p120, Wide FOV, AVC 1080p240, Wide FOV, H.265 2.7K120, Wide FOV, H.265 |
2h 4min, 66 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps 2h 4min, 66 Mbps |
2h 4min, 66 Mbps 1h 42min, 80 Mbps 1h 42min, 80 Mbps |
What if you're using other modules of GoPro cameras? Actually, the video file size calculator goes the same for calculating GoPro HERO7/HERO5 Black recording times as long as you know the bit rate of each video setting. For example, as the GoPro official site said, the max bitrate of HERO7 Black is 78Mbps/s on 4K with protune is on, while HERO5 Black can record up to 60Mbps per second. Thus, if you set your GoPro camera to record videos at the maximum bitrate on a 64GB SD card, the GoPro recording time maximumly goes to:
GoPro HERO5 Black: 60s × 60000 kbps/8=450000KB, namely 450MB, about 2 hours 21 minutes and 52 seconds maximumly on a 64GB SD card.
GoPro HERO7 Black: 60s × 78000 kbps/8=585000KB, namely 585MB, about 1 hour 48 minutes and 48 seconds maximumly on a 64GB SD card.
