How to Calculate Video Traffic?

How to calculate video traffic? Is the size of a video equal to the traffic generated when watching it?

First, we need to clarify a concept: what is traffic? Traffic is the number of data packets sent and received per unit of time. That is, when we watch a video, traffic is generated accordingly. How to calculate traffic? There is a simple formula: Traffic (kb) = Video duration (s) * Current video bitrate (kbps) / 8. The same video at different resolutions, i.e., different bitrates, generates different amounts of traffic. So, how many bitrate types are there for a video, and what are their corresponding relationships?

Videos can be categorized by resolution into formats such as 200P, 360P, 720p, 1080i, and 1080P. Generally speaking, formats below 360P are called smooth, those below 720P are called HD, and those above 720P are called Ultra HD. (P stands for progressive scan, i stands for interlaced scan.)

Below is an analysis of the relationship between video resolution, corresponding bitrate, and network requirements.