Chroma Subsampling Calculator
Data rate and frame size for 4:4:4, 4:2:2, 4:2:0 and 4:1:1, with the chroma resolution and what each one saves.
Results
Bits each pixel really costs
15.000
bit/px
Bytes in one frame
3,888,000
B
Megabytes per frame
3.8880
MB
Uncompressed bitrate
777.600
Mbps
Gigabytes an hour, uncompressed
349.920
GB/h
Size against 4:4:4
0.5000
Saved against 4:4:4
50.00
%
Colour plane width
960
px
Colour plane height
540
px
Samples in one frame
3.1104
M
What this tool does
The eye resolves brightness far better than colour, and chroma subsampling spends the bits accordingly: 4:2:0 keeps every pixel's brightness but only a quarter as many colour samples, and saves half the data before any codec runs. The notation is confusing on purpose — the three numbers are a sampling pattern, not a ratio — so this page shows what they actually amount to: the size of the colour planes, and the bits each pixel really costs.
Formula
4:4:4 = 3 samples per pixel · 4:2:2 = 2 · 4:2:0 = 1.5 · 4:1:1 = 1.5 · bits per pixel = samples × depth
Variables
| Symbol | Meaning | Unit |
|---|---|---|
w | Frame width | — |
h | Frame height | — |
fps | Frames per second | — |
bd | Bits per sample | — |
ss | Chroma subsampling | — |
BP | Bits each pixel really costs | bit/px |
FB | Bytes in one frame | B |
FM | Megabytes per frame | MB |
RT | Uncompressed bitrate | Mbps |
GH | Gigabytes an hour, uncompressed | GB/h |
VS | Size against 4:4:4 | — |
SV | Saved against 4:4:4 | % |
CW | Colour plane width | px |
CH | Colour plane height | px |
TS | Samples in one frame | M |
Worked example
- Frame width1920
- Frame height1080
- Frames per second25
- Bits per sample10
- Chroma subsampling1.5
- Bits each pixel really costs15.000 bit/px
- Bytes in one frame3,888,000 B
- Megabytes per frame3.8880 MB
- Uncompressed bitrate777.600 Mbps
- Gigabytes an hour, uncompressed349.920 GB/h
- Size against 4:4:40.5000
- Saved against 4:4:450.00 %
- Colour plane width960 px
- Colour plane height540 px
- Samples in one frame3.1104 M
Limitations
- The calculation runs at full precision and only the display is rounded. If you copy an intermediate value and retype it, small differences can appear.
- Mixing units is the most common source of error. Convert every input to the units shown next to each field before calculating.