Workflow Data Calculator

Calculate media data rate, storage requirements and system throughput for professional workflows.

Capabilities

• Uncompressed video data rates for any resolution, frame rate, bit depth and color format (RGB / YUV 4:4:4, 4:2:2, 4:2:0)
• Compressed codecs: ProRes, DNxHR, H.264, H.265/HEVC and more, with calibrated real-world bitrates
• Camera RAW: ARRI (ARRIRAW, HDE), RED (REDCODE), Sony VENICE (X-OCN), Blackmagic (BRAW) with real hardware limits per sensor mode
• 32-bit float and multichannel professional audio
• Storage estimation (decimal GB / TB, per minute / hour / day) and recommended disk throughput
• Simultaneous streams, storage calculator, and multi-day / multi-camera project simulation with backup copies and overhead
• PDF and CSV report export, shareable permalinks — free, no signup, 7 languages

Methodology / FAQ

How does the Engine-2 calculation model work?

Unlike other calculators that use averages, our engine applies official manufacturer compression ratios (Whitepapers) over the real bit depth (12/16-bit) and sensor type (Bayer CFA).

Why is the Audio calculation different?

We calculate the real metadata impact. We support modern workflows like 32-bit Float audio, which increases the total bitrate by 33% compared to the 24-bit standard.

What does the safety margin in ARRI HDE mean?

The ARRI High Density Encoding (HDE) format is variable. Our calculator applies a 60% safety margin to ensure you never run out of storage on set, even in high-texture scenes.

Are the CinemaDNG data official?

We use the Adobe specification for CinemaDNG Uncompressed and apply lossy ratios based on the standard industry implementation (3:1, 5:1).

Technical Sources & Validation

Calculations are based on official technical specifications and manufacturer documentation, including: ARRI Codec White Papers (ARRIRAW, ProRes, HDE), Blackmagic RAW Technical Specification, Apple ProRes White Paper, Avid DNxHR Codec Documentation, REDCODE RAW White Paper, Adobe CinemaDNG Specification and SMPTE codec and bitrate standards. Results have been cross-checked against real production data and professional workflows.

Calculation Scope

Calculates: video bitrate, throughput required for real-time playback, total storage needed, proxy requirements and audio impact on data flow. Does not calculate: GPU performance, render speed, effects performance or network latency.

Model Precision

Unlike generic calculators, our engine (Engine-2): uses real codec- and manufacturer-specific ratios; distinguishes between compressed RAW, Log, and Intra-frame; calculates sustained throughput; accounts for real bit depth and sensor format; and includes the real impact of audio and proxies.

Recommended Production Use

Designed for on-set storage planning, RAID/NAS sizing, proxy estimation, ingest/backup planning and workflow design. For maximum safety, adding an extra 10–20% margin is recommended depending on the specific workflow.

Unit Conversion (Base 1000 vs 1024)

We use decimal base (1000) because it is the standard used by hard drive, SSD, RAID and camera manufacturers. This ensures estimates match the actual labeled capacity of the hardware.

Known Limitations

Results may vary slightly due to manufacturer-specific codec implementation, image content (noise, detail), file system overhead and editing software behavior.

By Jorge Mochón — certified Adobe & Blackmagic trainer. workflowcalculator.jmochon.training