How to send a large video file

How big is your video?

Size depends on the bitrate the camera records at, not just the length. Roughly: size in GB ≈ bitrate in Mbit/s × minutes × 0.0075. The bitrate is in the camera’s recording settings, or in the file’s details on your computer.

Typical figures. Your own camera may record higher or lower.

The ways to send it, side by side

Anything that says “compressed” makes a new, smaller video. That’s fine for watching on a phone, but it can’t be undone, so don’t use it for footage someone will edit, grade or show on a big screen. Where video loses quality, and how to avoid it

Send it with a link, step by step

This is how it works in FDD Transfers. Other services follow the same idea: upload once, send a link.

1. Drop the video in

   Drop it on your projects. A project is made at once, named after the file and dated today, and the upload starts. Big files go up in parts, so if the connection drops, the upload carries on from where it stopped.

2. Share it

   In the file’s menu, Share opens your phone’s or computer’s own share options (WhatsApp, Mail, Messages, AirDrop). Or copy the link and paste it anywhere. It lasts 30 days.

3. They watch, then download

   The link opens in any browser, with no account. They can play the video first, then download the original.

Sending a whole folder (a day of rushes, a camera card)? Share the folder instead of the file. They get Download all, which keeps the folders inside as they were, in Chrome and Edge on a computer.

How long it will take, and how to make it faster

The slow part is your upload speed, which is usually far lower than your download speed. A 10 GB file takes about 70 minutes at 20 Mbit/s and about 14 minutes at 100 Mbit/s. To work out yours: minutes ≈ GB × 133 ÷ upload speed in Mbit/s.

• Use a cable or 5 GHz Wi-Fi near the router. Walls and distance cut Wi-Fi upload speed sharply.
• Keep the computer awake until the upload finishes. A laptop that sleeps stops the upload.
• On a phone hotspot, check it says 5G. Uploads on 4G are often a fraction of 5G’s.
• On Windows, the FDD Transfers desktop app can send over two connections at once, such as office Wi-Fi and a phone on 5G, and add their speeds together.
• Send in the evening if your office or home connection is shared during the day.

Should you make it smaller first?

Only if the person just needs to watch it. Shrinking a video (with HandBrake, or your editing app’s export settings) makes a new file with less detail. Zipping it doesn’t help: video is already compressed, so a zip ends up almost the same size. If they need to watch and also edit, send the original: on a share link they can play it in the browser without downloading the whole file first.

Common questions

How do I send a 30-minute video?

From a phone it’s usually 4 to 11 GB, so use a share link rather than email or a chat app. Upload it once, send the link, and they download the original.

Can I send a 50 GB file?

Yes, with a service that has no small limit per transfer. In FDD Transfers one file can be as big as your storage allows, and a dropped connection doesn’t start it over.

Does the person need an account?

No. They open the link in a browser, watch, and download.

How long does the link last?

A link from Share lasts 30 days. From the project’s Share window you can also choose a different expiry, add a password, or turn the link off at any time.