How to calculate recording Bitrate from file size?

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Dash Cam
2024 Minimum Requirements: STARVIS 2 & HDR
I just spent 15 minutes searching; “video bitrate calculator” on google, and I still can’t figure this out.
Is there a simple way to calculate recording bitrate of a dash cam with only the file size from a 1 minute video clip?
Kind of how you calculate Watts from Volt & Amps? (12.6 Volts x 250mA = 3.15 Watts)

For example;
437MB (1 Min Video) = ??Mbps
217MB (1 Min Video) = ??Mbps
192MB (1 Min Video) = ??Mbps
48MB (1 Min Video) = ??Mbps
-Chuck
Bitrates .png
 
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I'm not exactly sure what it is you want to figure you here using a calculation like this but if it is just the bit-rate of any given video file you want know, you can easily just use most any media viewer to see that information as this data is embedded in every file. Maybe I'm missing something about why you want to be able to use this method to know the bit rate?

Anyway, here are a couple of examples from QuickTime Player using the menu item "Movie Inspector" - In the VLC screen shot below, all the file statics and codec details are available under "Media Information".

Mobius telephoto and A119 V3
mobius_bitrate.jpg

V3_bitrate.jpg

Mobius side cam
VLC_bitrate.jpg
 
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Can also simply right click on the file and view the details, which will provide the bitrate. This is for a PC (Windows).
 
Yo @Dashmellow and @CaptureYourAction
Thank you for they reply.
I guess I should have started with I don’t have a Windows PC, or Mac computer.
This means I do not have access to any kind of video / media viewer.
All I have is a $100 Chromebook.

The reason I want to calculate the recording bitrate from the file size is because I’m testing a new dash cam, and haven’t been given any specifications by the manufacturer yet.

Also sometimes the file size for a 1 minute video varies wildly from 40MB to 217MB depending on lighting conditions, and motion in the scene. I’ve seen this before on other dash cams I’ve tested, and it was explained to me it’s called “variable bitrate” instead of fixed bitrate. Anyways this new dash cam is very aggressive at reducing file size in certain lighting, and motion conditions.

Also I thought calculating the bitrate from the file size, and video duration would be a good way to confirm & verify the manufacturer’s claimed bitrates.
-Chuck

Oh yeah, this is what it looks like when I right click on a video file.
1 .png
2 .png
 
You can also open any video in VLC, play it and then select Tools, Media Information, then Statistics for bitrate.
 
Yeah that is just the very basis info that Chromebook list, i suppose there are no way to get to see "advanced" file properties.

I have at times calculated the write speed of video files to get the megabytes / second, but thats something else than the megabits / second bitrate of a file.
Doing those calculations, well as i record in 3 minute segments, then first i divide the XXX MB of the file size with 3 to get MB in one minute, and then divide with 60 to get the MB/ second, and that is often very low even compared to slow memory cards.

In my own simple mind i often look at video file bitrate as a sort of image quality multiplier, so the higher bitrate the higher image quality, and so also the bigger files size.
Back in the day testing the Joovuu camera i ran modified firmwares with higher bitrates, so in factory mode the camera would record 18 mbit and generate 300 MB large 3 minute files, doing the same but recording with 28 mbit, the 3 minute files would be upwards of 1000 MB in size, or maybe that was the 36 Mbit firmware, anyway a lot larger file size.
But we settled with 28 mbit as going faster there was not really a gain, but this meant with standard passing a row of naked trees lining the road, you would see blocking in the footage, doing the same with a 28 mbit bitrrate and you wouldn't see blocking as now the camera had the muscles to process it all.

Now your fine action cameras, they will often record with a 100 mbit bitrate, but many / some action cameras they can not do that sitting on a living room table, they will simply overheat in a few minutes.
Now strap the camera to your helmet, and it will be fine with the wind rushing over it.

Our specialized dash cameras, well we are limited in a few ways:
1: no one want big files as that mean you can store a lot less on a given memory card size.
2: Heat generation, high bitrate = high heat, and a camera sitting in the sun on a windscreen and not necessary getting much wind rushing across it, well thats a problem.
You can do it, but it will probably eat into the life span of your camera then, and no one want a camera that only work for a year.

Now i dont mind large high quality files, but then i can not accept little memory cards for storage, also in that case write speed might be a problem if you need to write 100 - 150 MB every second ( and thats just 1 camera )
So now where 256GB are okay in a camera, in a future high quality / high bitrate camera, you will probably want a 2000 GB storage, if not bigger.

Hence why i argue for other storage means like M2 drives, and remote boxes as that is the only way you can accommodate a cooling solution needed to keep up with the heat generated.
And then you also need to be able to transfer your footage, either fast wifi, or plugging in another fast storage like a USB thumb drive, or maybe pull out the storage of the dashcam and plug it into a dock connected to the computer.
 
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Also sometimes the file size for a 1 minute video varies wildly from 40MB to 217MB depending on lighting conditions, and motion in the scene. I’ve seen this before on other dash cams I’ve tested, and it was explained to me it’s called “variable bitrate” instead of fixed bitrate. Anyways this new dash cam is very aggressive at reducing file size in certain lighting, and motion conditions.

The variable bit-rate cameras I have been familiar with have all had a setting for CBR (constant bit-rate) and VBR (variable bit-rate). Maybe the camera you are testing has such a setting buried somewhere in the menu tree? Just a thought.

Also, - considering the work you do, get yourself a proper bleeping computer fer chissakes and get rid of that goldarn Chromey thing!! :smuggrin:
 
You can also open any video in VLC, play it and then select Tools, Media Information, then Statistics for bitrate.
Thank you for they reply.
I guess I should have started with I don’t have a Windows PC, or Mac computer.
This means I do not have access to any kind of video / media viewer.
All I have is a $100 Chromebook.

The reason I want to calculate the recording bitrate from the file size is because I’m testing a new dash cam, and haven’t been given any specifications by the manufacturer yet.

Also sometimes the file size for a 1 minute video varies wildly from 40MB to 217MB depending on lighting conditions, and motion in the scene. I’ve seen this before on other dash cams I’ve tested, and it was explained to me it’s called “variable bitrate” instead of fixed bitrate. Anyways this new dash cam is very aggressive at reducing file size in certain lighting, and motion conditions.

Also I thought calculating the bitrate from the file size, and video duration would be a good way to confirm & verify the manufacturer’s claimed bitrates.
-Chuck
 
Also, - considering the work you do, get yourself a proper bleeping computer fer chissakes and get rid of that goldarn Chromey thing!! :smuggrin:
LMAO.
The reason I don't have a Windows PC, or Mac computer is because I don't want to own one with my own money.
I have not personally owned a Windows PC since 2011.
Most all the PC's I used before were provided by government employers.
I started buying / using Chromebooks in 2012.
They do 98% of everything I need, (email, websurf, youtube, etc.).
For $100 I'm happy with the level of functionality.
I recently looked into buying a Windows Laptop so I could edit 4K footage from the A139 Pro for my YouTube review of it.
It was over $1,000, anything less was not recommended for editing 4K video.
I just can't justify $1,000 for the 2% of the times I will use it.
So I just need to trouble you for a simple E = I x R equation to figure bitrate. lol
 
So I just need to trouble you for a simple E = I x R equation to figure bitrate. lol

I found this webpage that seems to provide the answer. It sounds like for the file, it would be "(file size X 8) /60" in order to get bit rate. Using that formula for the 437 MB file calculates a 58.27 bitrate (437 Mb x 8 / 60 seconds)... which is pretty spot on for the A139 Pro's bitrate.
 
Thank you so much @DoubleDawg this is exactly the answer to my original question.
This article is the best one I’ve ever read how to understand the difference between “bits versus Bytes”.

So back to my example;
437MB (1 Min Video) = ??Mbps
217MB (1 Min Video) = ??Mbps
192MB (1 Min Video) = ??Mbps
48MB (1 Min Video) = ??Mbps

According to the formula;
Screenshot 2023-05-12 7.16.07 PM.png
Bitrate = 437MB ➗ .0075 = 58,267 or 58Mbps
How easy is that, do I have this correct?

437MB (1 Min Video) = 58Mbps
217MB (1 Min Video) = 29Mbps
192MB (1 Min Video) = 26Mbps
48MB (1 Min Video) = 6Mbps
-Chuck
 
This calculator is suitable for calculating the recording time in the presence of a constant bitrate factor.
Thanks for stopping in.
That's kind of the issue that brought this on.
This new camera I'm testing has a variable birate that generates 1 minute clips from 40MB to 217MB in file size depending on lighting conditions, and movement in the scene.
-Chuck
 
Thanks for stopping in.
That's kind of the issue that brought this on.
This new camera I'm testing has a variable birate that generates 1 minute clips from 40MB to 217MB in file size depending on lighting conditions, and movement in the scene.
-Chuck
With a variable bitrate camera, you simply can't calculate the bitrate from file size and video length. The reason: well it's variable! You are exactly right that file size will be different in different light condition and movement in the scene. With variable bitrate when very little changes in the scene, the camera would simply record what was actually changed, in stead of record all the pixels within each frame by frame. More stuff changes in the frame, bigger the bitrate, larger the file size, as the camera do actually has to write those changes into the file. When there's so much movement in the scene that even the max bitrate isn't enough to record all the movement, there's when you'll see bad image quality as the camera used other tricks to limit bitrate, you'd see blocky image, you'll see less details (like harder to read number plates). To learn more, try search "Tom Scott bitrate", Tom Scott has two videos explain that brilliantly.
 
I just spent 15 minutes searching; “video bitrate calculator” on google, and I still can’t figure this out.
Is there a simple way to calculate recording bitrate of a dash cam with only the file size from a 1 minute video clip?
Kind of how you calculate Watts from Volt & Amps? (12.6 Volts x 250mA = 3.15 Watts)

For example;
437MB (1 Min Video) = ??Mbps
217MB (1 Min Video) = ??Mbps
192MB (1 Min Video) = ??Mbps
48MB (1 Min Video) = ??Mbps
-Chuck
View attachment 65103

Given you have great internet speeds (lucky you :) ) this might help you out with getting the answers you are after.

Its an online analyser of video files so I expect it will work with chrome OS

It appears it is almost impossible to work out the internal structure of a video file based on time and size.
Using assumptions given that we are looking mainly at dashcams you probably can guesstimate.
Like 8 bit depth rate
Video codec (H264/5), Audio codec (AAC), Bit rate (nnMb/s) , Frame rate (30/60), Frame rate mode (Constant), Aspect ratio (16:9/16:10), Container format (MP4, AVI, and MKV for example). Duration, Metadata

Hope that helps out.
Cheers.
 
Thank you so much @LateralNW
Best answer so far.
Here are two screenshots of the report for the camera I'm testing.
It says the bitrate is 30 Mbps.
-Chuck
11 .png
22 .png
 
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