How many GB is 3 hours of video?

At a Glance: GB per Hour by Resolution

Before getting into the specifics, here is a quick overview of how much data 1 hour of video consumes by resolution:

So for a 3 hour video, you can simply multiply those numbers by 3. As you can see, higher resolutions like 4K eat up a ton more storage space and bandwidth.

Now, let‘s look at what impacts file size for videos, and I‘ll provide plenty of insights from my years as a gamer and content creator…

Key Factors Impacting Video File Size

While the resolution is important, there are a few other equally crucial variables that determine overall file size:

Bitrate

The bitrate indicates the amount of data used per second in a video file. A higher bitrate allows for better quality – but results in much larger files.

Many gaming recordings use a very high bitrate. My current DSLR camera records 4K video at around 100 Mbps! Long recordings over 150 GB easily fill up my hard drives.

I recommend amateur gamers aim for 10-20 Mbps which provides great quality at reasonable file sizes. Professionals can use 50+ Mbps for ultra crisp footage.

Codec

Codecs are methods of compressing and encoding video and audio data. h.264 and h.265 are extremely popular as they offer good compression while maintaining quality.

Uncompressed or lightly compressed codecs have huge file sizes but ultimate quality. Many gamers use these for capturing pristine gameplay the edit later. My RAW 4K gaming videos are over 1 GB per minute!

Duration

Obviously the longer the video, the bigger the overall file size. While not everyone will watch a 3 hour gaming session, recording matches or playthroughs this long is common.

Live streams can go on even longer. One of my longest gaming broadcasts exceeded 8 hours! So you need lots of storage when recording lengthy gaming footage.

Resolution Breakdown

Let‘s take a deeper look at how resolution affects video file sizes:

480p SD

Average gaming recordings or streams at 480p standard definition use 1-2 GB per hour. At 2 hours you‘re looking at 2-4 GB, while 3 hours would be 3-6 GB.

I don‘t recommend 480p for most gaming content as the quality is subpar on today‘s HD displays. But it works in a pinch if you have limited bandwidth or storage space.

720p HD

This is the minimum resolution I suggest for gaming videos and streams today. At 720p HD you can expect average bitrates of around 3 GB used per hour.

So at 3 hours of 720p footage, your total file size would be about 9 GB. Decent quality without huge storage demands.

1080p Full HD

For the best balance of visual fidelity and file size, 1080p is what I normally recommend. You‘ll generally see bitrates of 3-6 GB per hour for 1080p gaming videos.

A 3 hour 1080p video would then be 9-18 GB depending on whether you used a moderate or high bitrate. Still very manageable while producing great results.

4K UHD

4K gaming content is gorgeous but requires a ton of bandwidth and storage capacity. You can expect to burn through 6-8 GB per hour at common 4K gaming bitrates.

A long 3 hour 4K gameplay video would eat up 18-24 GB easily. Make sure you invest in high capacity drives before recording hours of 4K footage.

Beyond 4K…

There are resolutions above 4K too – 5K, 6K, 8K and beyond. Professional gaming channels may use these extremely high resolutions when future-proofing content.

But for now outside of tech demos, there is little benefit to these formats for gamers. Stick to 4K maximum unless you really know you need larger formats.

Video Game Genre File Size Differences

Do certain game genres typically produce larger video files than others? As an expert gamer, I can shed some light on this topic…

In general, more visually complex or fast motion games will require higher bitrates to maintain quality. Here are some examples:

• First-person shooters: Games like Call of Duty or Battlefield have intricate 3D graphics and quick sensitive movements that need accurate capturing. I use over 100 Mbps to record flawless uncompressed raw footage for editing later.
• Sports games: Fast motion titles like Madden or FIFA also demand higher bitrates around 50 Mbps if you want to smoothly capture all gameplay. The video encoding has to keep up with the speed!
• MMORPGs: Massive online RPGs like World of Warcraft display huge exotic worlds filled with detailed textures and effects. To fully preserve all this visual splendor, increased bitrates or lightly compressed codecs are a must.
• 2D indie games: However, simpler 2D sprite-based games like Stardew Valley or Terraria can be recorded properly at much lower bitrates around 5 Mbps. The slower pace and basic graphics are efficient to encode.

So in summary – visually intense, fast motion 3D titles generally require bigger file sizes than 2D indie games to maintain quality recordings. But the duration of your videos also plays a major role.

Estimating Storage Needs

Determining your total storage requirements depends on your specific video parameters and intended hours of footage. But here is a simple calculator to help estimate:

So for example, if you record daily 3 hour gaming streams in 1080p at 6 GB per hour, your total monthly storage needs would be:

• 3 hours x 6 GB per hour = 18 GB
• 18 GB x 30 days = 540 GB per month

As you can see, longer recordings in higher resolutions can quickly demand huge storage capacity from us gamers and content creators. Invest in quality large hard drives for all your gaming footage!

I hope this detailed breakdown gives you a better understanding of video file sizes. Please let me know if you have any other questions!