Mbps, MB/s, GB and GiB — a creator’s quick guide
Video files, recording settings and internet speed tests use similar-looking units that represent different things.
Bits and bytes are not interchangeable
One byte is eight bits. Mbps means megabits per second and is commonly used for internet connections and encoded video rates. MB/s means megabytes per second, a unit frequently used for file copy speeds. A transfer at 40 Mbps corresponds to 5 MB/s before overhead.
| Unit | What it represents |
|---|---|
| 1 Mbps | 1,000,000 bits per second |
| 1 MB/s | 8 Mbps |
| 1 GB | 1,000,000,000 bytes |
| 1 GiB | 1,073,741,824 bytes |
Why a file looks smaller on some computers
Storage manufacturers and many websites use decimal GB. Some systems report binary GiB but may label the number as GB. Therefore a 10 GB file is approximately 9.31 GiB: the data did not disappear; the unit changed.
Estimate transfer time with units
A 5 GB file contains 40,000 megabits. At 20 Mbps useful throughput, a transfer takes about 2,000 seconds, or 33 minutes 20 seconds. Real transfers can take longer because of overhead and network variability.
Useful next steps
Try the upload calculator or plan the speed required for a deadline. If you care about local recordings, start with the OBS storage guide.
Math-based estimates are not guarantees. Values depend on actual average bitrate, container overhead and your network or device.