SMPTE ST 2110-20 Bitrate Calculator
SMPTE · Raw and stream bitrate for one SMPTE ST 2110-20 signal.
- Raw bitrate
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- Stream bitrate (SMPTE ST 2110-20)
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- Compression ratio
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- Streams on 1 GbE
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- Streams on 10 GbE
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- Recommended link
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- Endpoint power
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Supports up to 444 · 12-bit. Uncompressed transport — 1080p ≈ 3 Gbps, 4K ≈ 12 Gbps.
About SMPTE ST 2110-20
SMPTE ST 2110-20 is the broadcast standard for transporting uncompressed video over IP — separate essence streams for video, audio and ancillary data, with no compression at all.
ST 2110 is the backbone of IP broadcast and live production: a studio-grade signal where every pixel arrives bit-for-bit intact. Because it is uncompressed, its bitrate equals the raw signal — 1080p30 4:2:0 is about 746 Mbps and 4K60 4:4:4 about 12 Gbps, which is why ST 2110 runs on 10 GbE and 25 GbE rather than 1 GbE.
The calculation is the raw-video formula with a compression ratio of exactly 1: width × height × frame rate × bits-per-pixel. Bits-per-pixel is bit depth × the chroma factor (3 for 4:4:4, 2 for 4:2:2, 1.5 for 4:2:0). ST 2110 supports 12-bit and 4:4:4, so it does not clip a high-end source.
Worked example
A 1080p30 4:2:0 signal is 746.5 Mbps raw, and ST 2110-20 keeps it uncompressed (1:1 ratio) — so the stream is also 746.5 Mbps. That one stream needs a 1 GbE link, but 4K pushes you to 10 or 25 GbE.
Frequently asked questions
Why is ST 2110 uncompressed?
Broadcast needs zero loss and near-zero latency through every production step, so the video is carried as raw essence rather than being recompressed at each hop.
What link speed does ST 2110 need?
1080p fits 1 GbE, but 1080p50/60 and 4K exceed 1 GbE — 4K60 needs 10 GbE, and 4K at 4:4:4 12-bit can need 25 GbE.
Is ST 2110 the same as NDI?
No. ST 2110 is an open, uncompressed broadcast standard; NDI is a proprietary, compressed protocol aimed at lower-bandwidth production and streaming.
What is the difference between raw and stream bitrate?
Raw is the uncompressed signal (width × height × frame rate × bits per pixel); stream is what the codec actually puts on the wire after compression. The compression ratio is raw ÷ stream.
What do 4:4:4, 4:2:2 and 4:2:0 mean?
They describe chroma subsampling — how much colour detail is kept relative to brightness. 4:4:4 keeps full colour (3× bit depth per pixel), 4:2:2 keeps two-thirds, and 4:2:0 keeps half (1.5×).
Related calculators
- Blackmagic IP10 Bitrate Calculator
- IP Video Bitrate Calculator — compare every codec side by side.
- Switch Configurator — size the switch for these streams.
Disclaimer: bitrates are planning estimates. Confirm final figures with your codec and switch vendor.