4K Production Calculator

Professional 4K video production calculations. Master Ultra HD storage planning, bitrate optimization, and workflow requirements for 4K content creation.

4K Production Standards

4K Resolutions

UHD 4K

3840×2160

Consumer 4K standard (16:9)

DCI 4K

4096×2160

Cinema 4K standard (17:9)

Full Aperture 4K

4096×3112

Full sensor 4K capture

4K Anamorphic

4096×1716

Anamorphic 4K (2.39:1)

4K Bitrates

Streaming 4K

15-25 Mbps

Netflix/YouTube 4K delivery

Broadcast 4K

50-100 Mbps

Professional broadcast quality

Production 4K

200-400 Mbps

ProRes/DNxHR editing codecs

Raw 4K

1000+ Mbps

Uncompressed raw capture

4K Storage

H.264 4K

~7GB/hour

Compressed 4K at 15 Mbps

H.265 4K

~4GB/hour

HEVC compressed 4K

ProRes 422 4K

~100GB/hour

Professional editing codec

Raw 4K

~450GB/hour

Uncompressed 4K capture

4K Production Calculations

4K Storage Calculator

Calculate storage requirements for 4K video production based on codec and duration.

Formula:

Storage (GB) = (Bitrate × Duration × 60) ÷ 8000

Examples:

2 hours ProRes 422 4K (220 Mbps)

Calculation: (220 × 120 × 60) ÷ 8000 = 198GB

Result: 198GB storage needed

1 hour H.265 4K (15 Mbps)

Calculation: (15 × 60 × 60) ÷ 8000 = 6.75GB

Result: 6.75GB storage needed

Pro Tips:

  • Plan for 3-5x more storage than HD projects
  • Use proxy workflows for efficient editing
  • Consider SSD storage for 4K editing performance

4K Bitrate Optimizer

Calculate optimal bitrates for different 4K delivery platforms and quality levels.

Formula:

Optimal Bitrate = Base Rate × Resolution Factor × Quality Factor

Examples:

YouTube 4K high quality

Calculation: 8 × 4 × 1.5 = 48 Mbps

Result: 48 Mbps recommended

Streaming 4K standard quality

Calculation: 6 × 4 × 1.0 = 24 Mbps

Result: 24 Mbps recommended

Pro Tips:

  • Higher bitrates improve quality but increase file size
  • Use variable bitrate for better efficiency
  • Test different bitrates for optimal balance

4K Render Time Calculator

Estimate render times for 4K video based on complexity and hardware.

Formula:

Render Time = (Duration × Complexity Factor) ÷ Hardware Performance

Examples:

10 min 4K, medium complexity, fast CPU

Calculation: (10 × 2.5) ÷ 1.5 = 16.7 minutes

Result: 17 minutes render time

5 min 4K, high complexity, slow CPU

Calculation: (5 × 4.0) ÷ 0.8 = 25 minutes

Result: 25 minutes render time

Pro Tips:

  • 4K renders take 4-8x longer than HD
  • Use GPU acceleration when available
  • Render overnight for long projects

4K Bandwidth Calculator

Calculate network bandwidth requirements for 4K streaming and transfer.

Formula:

Required Bandwidth = Bitrate × Safety Factor (typically 1.2-1.5)

Examples:

25 Mbps 4K stream with 20% buffer

Calculation: 25 × 1.2 = 30 Mbps

Result: 30 Mbps bandwidth needed

50 Mbps 4K broadcast with 50% buffer

Calculation: 50 × 1.5 = 75 Mbps

Result: 75 Mbps bandwidth needed

Pro Tips:

  • Always add buffer for network fluctuations
  • Use dedicated connections for critical streams
  • Monitor bandwidth usage during live events

Master 4K Production Workflows

Get instant 4K calculations with CineMath. Optimize your Ultra HD production pipeline for professional results.

Download CineMath