How many photos can 1TB hold? (& how much video)

How many photos can 1TB hold?

With one terabyte of storage, you can store about:

• 250,000 pictures taken with a 12MP camera or
• 250 movies or 500 hours of HD video

Keep in mind that 1TB in memory card or hard disk is never equal 1000GB usbale storage. This is beacause when formatted and used in devices, part of the actual capacity is reserved for file systems and other management information, resulting in a lower available capacity. In addition, memory card manufacturers usually use a decimal counting system (base 10) to measure capacity, while computers use a binary counting system (base 2), which can also lead to differences in displayed capacity between the memory card and the computer. Therefore, the available capacity of a 1TB memory card is typically only about 930GB.

Assuming your photos are in raw format with an average size of 40MB, a 1TB memory card can store up to 23,250 photos. On the other hand, if your photos are in JPEG format with an approximate size of 5MB, a 1TB memory card can store up to 186,000 photos.

What affects photo file size?

The size of photos can be affected by several factors below:

Camera resolution

Resolution is one of the most important factors that affects the size of photos. Resolution refers to the number of pixels in an image. The more pixels there are, the higher the resolution, and the larger the file size will be.

Compression

Compression is the process of reducing the file size of an image by removing or simplifying some of its data. Compression is commonly used to make images easier to store, send, and share, as smaller file sizes take up less space and can be transmitted more quickly.

There are two types of compression: lossless and lossy. Lossless compression reduces the file size without lowering quality. This is achieved by removing redundant data and compressing the remaining data. When a losslessly compressed image is uncompressed, it will be exactly the same as the original image.

Lossy compression, on the other hand, reduces the file size by removing some of the image data. This results in a smaller file size, but also a loss of image quality. The amount of data that is removed depends on the level of compression applied. Higher levels of compression will result in smaller file sizes, but also more loss of quality.

Photo file format

File format refers to the way in which an image is saved and stored on a computer or other device. Different file formats have different advantages and disadvantages, and are suitable for different applications.

Some common file formats for digital photos include JPEG, PNG and RAW. JPEG is a compressed format that is widely used for sharing and displaying photos, as it has a relatively small file size and can be easily viewed on most devices. PNG is a lossless format that supports transparency, making it useful for graphics and web design. RAW is an uncompressed format that contains all of the data captured by the camera’s sensor, making it ideal for professional photographers who need to edit their photos extensively.

Color depth

Color depth is the number of colors that can be represented in an image. It is usually measured in bits per pixel (bpp) or bits per channel (bpc). The more bits per pixel or channel, the more colors can be represented, and the larger the file size will be.

For example, a black-and-white image has a color depth of 1 bpp, as it only needs to represent shades of gray. An 8-bit color image can represent up to 256 different colors, or a 24-bit color image can represent up to 16.7 million different colors.

ISO and noise

One little-known fact is that ISO and noise also contribute to increasing image size. Increasing ISO when taking photos results in a higher amount of noise, making image compression more complex and less effective. On the other hand, raising ISO helps the camera capture more details, thereby increasing the image size as well.

Content

The content of an image can also affect its size. Images with more detail and complexity tend to be larger in size than simpler images. This is because images with more detail require more data to represent accurately.

In addition, the color content of an image can also affect its size. Images with more colors or a higher color depth require more data to represent accurately, resulting in a larger file size. For example, a photo of a rainbow will be larger in size than a photo of a plain blue sky.

How many hours of video can 1TB hold?

The amount of hours of video that can be stored on a 1TB hard drive depends on several factors such as the video resolution, frame rate, bit rate, and compression format. Here are some estimates for common video formats and settings:

• Standard definition (SD) video at 480p resolution and 30 frames per second (fps) with MPEG-4 compression: Approximately 250 hours of video.
• High definition (HD) video at 720p resolution and 30 fps with H.264 compression: Approximately 125 hours of video.
• Full HD video at 1080p resolution and 30 fps with H.264 compression: Approximately 83 hours of video.
• 4K Ultra HD video at 2160p resolution and 30 fps with H.265 compression: Approximately 20 hours of video.

What affects video file size?

Beside the resolution mentioned above. The size of videos can be variable by several factors below:

Frame Rate

Frame rate refers to the number of individual images, or frames, that are displayed per second in a video. It is typically measured in frames per second (fps). The frame rate of a video affects how smooth and fluid the motion appears on screen. A higher frame rate generally results in a smoother motion but the file size is bigger, while a lower frame rate may result in more stuttering or choppiness but the file size is smaller.

Bit Rate

Bit rate is the amount of data used to represent in a certain amount of time in the content. It is typically measured in bits per second (bps) or kilobits per second (kbps), or megabits per second (Mbps). Bit rate is an important factor in determining the quality and file size of digital video and audio.

Codec

A codec (short for encoder/decoder) is a software algorithm that is used to compress and decompress digital video and audio files. Different codecs use different compression techniques, which can affect the size of the resulting file. The popular video codecs used today include H.264 (AVC), H.265 (HEVC), VP9, and AV1.

Audio (if applicable)

Audio is an essential component of video, which can significantly impact the overall size of the video. Typically, higher audio quality corresponds to larger file sizes. The size of the audio can be estimated separately if the audio bit rate and duration are known within the video.

FAQ (Frequently asked questions)