How big are digital signage video files? Bitrate, file size and storage per minute
Quick answer: DigitalSignage.com sizes signage video with one formula: megabytes = bitrate in Mbps x seconds / 8. A typical 1080p H.264 signage video at 8 Mbps is 60 MB per minute, so the free plan's 1 GB holds about 16.7 minutes; the same video in H.265 at 5 Mbps is 37.5 MB per minute, about 26.7 minutes per GB. 4K H.265 at 20 Mbps is 150 MB per minute, under 7 minutes per GB. The bitrate you choose, not the resolution label, sets the file size.
Key facts
- File size in megabytes equals the bitrate in megabits per second times the duration in seconds, divided by 8, because a byte is 8 bits.
- A 30-second 1080p H.264 clip at 8 Mbps is 30 MB, a 1-minute clip is 60 MB, and an hour of it is 3,600 MB.
- At 8 Mbps, 1 GB holds 16.7 minutes of 1080p video and the 3 GB that mediaCLOUD Plus+ adds holds 50 minutes.
- H.265 typically needs about 30 to 40 percent less bitrate than H.264 for the same quality, per our video encoding guide.
- Downloading a 60 MB clip takes about 48 seconds at 10 Mbps, 19 seconds at 25 Mbps and 5 seconds at 100 Mbps under ideal conditions.
- Stereo AAC audio at 128 kbps adds about 0.96 MB per minute, so a silent signage video saves little space by dropping audio.
Last updated October 25, 2026.
How do you calculate video file size?
Multiply the bitrate in megabits per second by the duration in seconds and divide by 8. The division converts megabits to megabytes. Resolution, frame rate and codec affect file size only through the bitrate they need, so once you know the bitrate you know the size.
File size (MB) = bitrate (Mbps) x duration (s) / 8
Duration that fits (min) = storage (MB) x 8 / bitrate (Mbps) / 60
Download time (s) = file size (MB) x 8 / link speed (Mbps)
This page uses decimal units: 1 GB = 1,000 MB and 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes, which is how storage plans and network speeds are normally quoted. Some operating systems report sizes in binary units (1 GiB = 1,024 MiB), which makes the same file look about 7 percent smaller. Neither is wrong; just compare like with like.
Bitrate is the amount of data per second of video. Encoders can hold it constant (CBR) or let it vary with the complexity of each scene (VBR). With VBR, the file size follows the average bitrate, not the cap, so a VBR file with a 12 Mbps cap and an 8 Mbps target lands close to 60 MB per minute. Our video encoding guide recommends VBR with a cap for signage.
How big is a 1080p or 4K signage video per minute?
A 1080p H.264 signage video at a typical 8 Mbps is 60 MB per minute, and a 4K H.265 video at 20 Mbps is 150 MB per minute. The table uses representative bitrates from the middle of the ranges in our encoding guide; your encoder settings move every number in proportion.
| Video | Codec | Bitrate | Per 30 s | Per minute | Per hour | Minutes in 1 GB | Minutes in 3 GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 720p, 30 fps | H.264 | 5 Mbps | 18.75 MB | 37.5 MB | 2,250 MB | 26.7 | 80.0 |
| 720p, 30 fps | H.265 | 3 Mbps | 11.25 MB | 22.5 MB | 1,350 MB | 44.4 | 133.3 |
| 1080p, 30 fps, low motion | H.264 | 5 Mbps | 18.75 MB | 37.5 MB | 2,250 MB | 26.7 | 80.0 |
| 1080p, 30 fps, typical | H.264 | 8 Mbps | 30 MB | 60 MB | 3,600 MB | 16.7 | 50.0 |
| 1080p, 30 fps, typical | H.265 | 5 Mbps | 18.75 MB | 37.5 MB | 2,250 MB | 26.7 | 80.0 |
| 1080p, 60 fps | H.264 | 12 Mbps | 45 MB | 90 MB | 5,400 MB | 11.1 | 33.3 |
| 4K, 30 fps | H.264 | 30 Mbps | 112.5 MB | 225 MB | 13,500 MB | 4.4 | 13.3 |
| 4K, 30 fps | H.265 | 20 Mbps | 75 MB | 150 MB | 9,000 MB | 6.7 | 20.0 |
Bottom line: at typical signage bitrates a minute of video is 37.5 to 60 MB at 1080p and 150 to 225 MB at 4K, so 1 GB holds about 17 to 27 minutes of 1080p but under 7 minutes of 4K.
The jump from 1080p to 4K is not a fixed multiple. 4K has 4 times the pixels, but a modern encoder needs well under 4 times the bitrate, and H.265 narrows the gap further. In the table, 4K H.265 at 20 Mbps is 2.5 times the size of 1080p H.264 at 8 Mbps, not 4 times.
Frame rate matters less than people expect. Moving from 30 to 60 frames per second adds about half again to the bitrate for the same quality, not double, because consecutive frames are more alike. Most signage content looks right at 30 fps; reserve 60 fps for sports and fast motion.
What bitrate should digital signage video use?
For 1080p H.264, use 4 to 6 Mbps for low-motion text and graphics, 6 to 10 Mbps for typical promotional video and 10 to 15 Mbps for sports or fast action. These are the ranges in our encoding guide. Anything higher costs storage and download time with no visible gain from across a room.
| Resolution and frame rate | H.264 low motion | H.264 typical | H.264 high motion | H.265 typical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 720p, 30 fps | 2 to 4 Mbps | 4 to 6 Mbps | 6 to 8 Mbps | Not listed |
| 1080p, 30 fps | 4 to 6 Mbps | 6 to 10 Mbps | 10 to 15 Mbps | 4 to 7 Mbps |
| 1080p, 60 fps | 6 to 10 Mbps | 10 to 15 Mbps | 15 to 20 Mbps | Not listed |
| 4K, 30 fps | 15 to 20 Mbps | 20 to 35 Mbps | 35 to 50 Mbps | 15 to 25 Mbps |
| 4K, 60 fps | 25 to 35 Mbps | 35 to 50 Mbps | 50 to 80 Mbps | 25 to 35 Mbps |
Bottom line: 6 to 10 Mbps H.264 covers almost all 1080p signage, and 15 to 25 Mbps H.265 covers 4K on players that decode HEVC in hardware.
Codec choice depends on the players, not just on file size. H.264 in an MP4 container plays on every mainstream signage player. H.265 halves the size at the same quality but is not universal; the Raspberry Pi 5, for example, decodes H.265 in hardware and has no H.264 hardware decoder. Check your fleet in the video codec support matrix before switching.
A higher bitrate than the player can handle causes stutter rather than better pictures. If a clip drops frames on one device and plays smoothly on another, lower the bitrate or change the codec first. The symptom guide is fix slow or laggy playback on signage players.
How long does a video take to download to a signage player?
Download time in seconds is the file size in MB times 8, divided by the link speed in Mbps. A 60 MB clip, one minute of 1080p at 8 Mbps, takes 48 seconds on a 10 Mbps link, 19.2 seconds on 25 Mbps and 4.8 seconds on 100 Mbps. Those are ideal figures; a common planning figure is to allow 20 to 30 percent longer for protocol overhead and other traffic.
| Content | Size | 10 Mbps | 25 Mbps | 100 Mbps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One 1080p image at 500 KB | 0.5 MB | 0.4 s | 0.16 s | 0.04 s |
| 30 s of 1080p H.264 at 8 Mbps | 30 MB | 24 s | 9.6 s | 2.4 s |
| 1 min of 1080p H.264 at 8 Mbps | 60 MB | 48 s | 19.2 s | 4.8 s |
| 1 min of 4K H.265 at 20 Mbps | 150 MB | 120 s | 48 s | 12 s |
| A full 1 GB of media | 1,000 MB | 800 s (13.3 min) | 320 s (5.3 min) | 80 s (1.3 min) |
| A full 3 GB of media | 3,000 MB | 2,400 s (40 min) | 960 s (16 min) | 240 s (4 min) |
Bottom line: even a full 1 GB library reaches a player in under 15 minutes on a 10 Mbps link, so schedule big updates outside opening hours and the network is never the bottleneck.
Download time matters once, not every loop. A DigitalSignage.com SignPlayer caches scheduled content on the device and plays it from local storage, so the network is used to fetch new or changed files, not to stream every play. Our network bandwidth requirements page puts the average at 0.5 to 2 Mbps per screen, and what happens when the internet goes down explains cached playback.
Shared links are the real constraint. Five screens at one site updating the same 480 MB playlist at the same moment move 2,400 MB through the site's connection. On a 25 Mbps line that is 768 seconds, about 13 minutes, of a saturated link; staggering updates or pushing overnight avoids slowing the shop's card terminals.
Why is my signage video file so big?
Most oversized signage files come straight from a phone, a camera or an editor's "high quality" preset. A common planning figure is that phones record 1080p at roughly 15 to 20 Mbps and 4K at 40 to 60 Mbps, often with a variable frame rate; check the file's properties, because the exact figure varies by model and setting. That is two to six times the bitrate a wall screen needs. Re-exporting at 6 to 10 Mbps usually cuts the file by half or more with no visible change.
The second cause is resolution beyond the screen. A 4K export sent to a 1080p screen carries about four times the pixels the panel can show, and the player has to download and scale all of them. Export at the screen's native resolution; our screen resolution standards list the native sizes.
Audio is rarely the problem. Stereo AAC at 128 kbps is about 0.96 MB per minute and at 192 kbps about 1.44 MB per minute, a small fraction of a 60 MB video minute. Most signage plays silent, so removing the track is tidy but saves only 1.6 to 2.4 percent at those bitrates.
Length is the last lever. Viewers passing a screen watch a few seconds, so a 15-second cut of a 60-second advert often works better and is a quarter of the size. The content best practices page covers timing.
Worked example: storage and download time for a 20-video playlist
A retail chain plans a playlist of 20 promotional clips for its 1080p screens: 12 clips of 15 seconds, 6 of 30 seconds and 2 of 60 seconds, all silent. The question is whether it fits the free plan's 1 GB and how long each player takes to download it.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Total duration | 12 x 15 + 6 x 30 + 2 x 60 = 180 + 180 + 120 | 480 s, 8 minutes |
| 2. Size at 1080p H.264, 8 Mbps | 8 x 480 / 8 | 480 MB |
| 3. Space left in 1 GB | 1,000 - 480 | 520 MB for images and other media |
| 4. Size at 1080p H.265, 5 Mbps | 5 x 480 / 8 | 300 MB, 37.5 percent smaller |
| 5. Size at 4K H.265, 20 Mbps | 20 x 480 / 8 | 1,200 MB, too big for 1 GB, fits in 3 GB |
| 6. Download, H.264 version, 10 Mbps | 480 x 8 / 10 | 384 s, 6.4 minutes |
| 7. Download, H.264 version, 25 Mbps | 480 x 8 / 25 | 153.6 s, about 2.6 minutes |
| 8. Download, H.264 version, 100 Mbps | 480 x 8 / 100 | 38.4 s |
| 9. Download, 4K H.265 version, 25 Mbps | 1,200 x 8 / 25 | 384 s, 6.4 minutes |
Bottom line: the 1080p H.264 playlist uses 480 MB, fits the free plan's 1 GB with room to spare and reaches a player in 6.4 minutes on a slow 10 Mbps link.
The 4K version is the one that changes the plan. At 1,200 MB it exceeds the free plan's 1 GB on its own, so it needs mediaCLOUD Plus+ with its 3 GB, or a shorter playlist. Before paying for storage, ask whether the screens are actually 4K and whether viewers stand close enough to see the difference; our screen resolution standards give the viewing distances.
The cheapest saving is usually the encoder setting. The same 8 minutes at 5 Mbps H.265 is 300 MB, and at 6 Mbps H.264 it is 360 MB; both look the same as 8 Mbps on a wall screen for most promotional footage. Trimming the two 60-second clips to 30 seconds saves another 60 MB at 8 Mbps.
How to do this in DigitalSignage.com
Encode before you upload, then upload in SignStudio's Resources section. The Video component accepts MP4, WebM and MOV, and H.264 in an MP4 container is the safe choice for every SignPlayer platform. Storage is 1 GB on the free plan, 3 GB on mediaCLOUD Plus+ and 25 GB on Enterprise.
- Export from your editor as H.264 MP4, constant frame rate, fast start enabled, at 6 to 10 Mbps for 1080p.
- Use H.265 for 4K only on players that decode it in hardware; check the codec support matrix.
- Add the sizes up with the formula before uploading, so the library stays inside your plan's storage.
- Upload in SignStudio under Resources and place the clips in a playlist or a video zone.
- Assign the playlist to screens outside opening hours when the update is large, so players download it overnight.
At 25 GB, Enterprise holds about 417 minutes of 1080p H.264 at 8 Mbps or about 167 minutes of 4K H.265 at 20 Mbps. Our documentation does not publish a maximum size for a single uploaded video, and it does not state whether SignStudio transcodes uploads, so encode to the settings above yourself; for a definite answer ask support (support@digitalsignage.com, live chat at https://chat.digitalsignage.com/). Upload steps are in upload, organize and replace media in SignStudio.
Frequently asked questions
How big are digital signage video files? Bitrate, file size and storage per minute
File size in MB is the bitrate in Mbps times the seconds divided by 8. A typical 1080p H.264 signage video at 8 Mbps is 60 MB per minute and 3,600 MB per hour; in H.265 at 5 Mbps it is 37.5 MB per minute. 4K H.265 at 20 Mbps is 150 MB per minute. At 8 Mbps, 1 GB holds about 16.7 minutes of 1080p video.
How many MB is a 1 minute 1080p video?
About 60 MB at 8 Mbps, a typical H.264 signage bitrate, using MB = Mbps x seconds / 8 = 8 x 60 / 8. At 5 Mbps, for low-motion content or H.265, it is 37.5 MB, and at 12 Mbps for 60 fps it is 90 MB.
How many minutes of video fit in 1 GB?
About 16.7 minutes of 1080p H.264 at 8 Mbps, 26.7 minutes at 5 Mbps (H.265 or low-motion H.264), and about 6.7 minutes of 4K H.265 at 20 Mbps. The formula is minutes = 1,000 MB x 8 / bitrate in Mbps / 60.
What bitrate should I use for digital signage video?
For 1080p H.264, 4 to 6 Mbps for low-motion text and graphics, 6 to 10 Mbps for typical promotional video and 10 to 15 Mbps for sports or fast action. For 4K, 15 to 25 Mbps in H.265 on players that decode HEVC in hardware. Use variable bitrate with a cap.
Is H.265 better than H.264 for digital signage?
H.265 needs about 30 to 40 percent less bitrate for the same quality, so files are smaller, but not every player decodes it in hardware. H.264 in MP4 plays everywhere. Use H.265 for 4K and for fleets you know support it, such as the Raspberry Pi 5, which decodes H.265 in hardware but has no H.264 hardware decoder.
How long does it take a signage player to download a video?
Seconds = MB x 8 / link speed in Mbps. A 60 MB clip takes about 48 seconds at 10 Mbps, 19 seconds at 25 Mbps and 5 seconds at 100 Mbps, plus some overhead. Players cache content and play it locally, so each file is downloaded once, not on every play.
How much storage do I get for videos on the free plan?
DigitalSignage.com's free plan for up to 3 screens includes 1 GB of cloud storage, about 16.7 minutes of 1080p H.264 at 8 Mbps. mediaCLOUD Plus+ adds 3 GB, about 50 minutes at the same bitrate, and Enterprise lists 25 GB.
Will 4K video play on the player I have?
Only if the player decodes 4K in hardware at your codec and outputs HDMI 2.0 to a 4K panel. Many sticks and older boxes are 1080p devices, and a 4K file on them stutters or is scaled down after a much larger download. Check the codec support matrix and use 1080p unless viewers stand close.
Related guides
- Video encoding guide: codecs, bitrates and export settings
- Video codec and file format support by signage player
- Network bandwidth requirements for digital signage
- Fix slow, stuttering or laggy playback
- Upload, organize and replace media in SignStudio
- What happens when the internet goes down
- Digital signage file formats guide
- What size should images be for digital signage?
- Video or still images on digital signage
Try it on your own screens, free
DigitalSignage.com, which publishes this guide, runs a permanent free plan: the first 3 screens are free forever (no credit card, no ads, no watermark, no time limit), then from $3 per screen per month on Plus+. Once an account has 4 or more screens, every screen is billed, so 10 screens cost $360 a year; Enterprise is priced per screen in the public price calculator. The free DigitalSignage.com SignPlayer runs on Windows, Mac, Android and Android TV, Chrome OS, Raspberry Pi, iPad or any modern web browser, so the hardware you already own usually works. Start free · 2026 pricing · How 11 vendors compare on price
Maintained by MediaSignage Inc., operator of DigitalSignage.com since 2006. Product behavior on this page comes from our own SignStudio and SignPlayer documentation; where we do not document a step, this page says so instead of guessing. Last reviewed October 25, 2026.