Bitrate
Bitrate measures how much data describes each second of video. A higher bitrate holds more detail and handles complex motion without artefacts, but it makes files larger and harder to play back. A lower bitrate shrinks the file and eases playback, at the cost of detail, especially in fast or busy scenes. Capture formats run at high bitrates, while delivery and proxy formats deliberately run lower.
Bitrate can be constant or variable. Constant bitrate holds a steady rate throughout, simple but sometimes wasteful, while variable bitrate spends more data on complex shots and less on simple ones for better quality at the same average size. Proxies use low bitrates on purpose, so they scrub smoothly on a laptop while the high-bitrate original waits for the finish.
Examples
- •A 4K camera records at 100 Mbps for high capture quality
- •A 720p proxy at 15 Mbps scrubs smoothly on a laptop
- •A YouTube export uses variable bitrate to balance quality and size
In Sanbila
Sanbila generates low-bitrate proxies for fast local editing while keeping the high-bitrate original in the cloud, so you get smooth playback now and full quality at export through Smart Relink.
Frequently asked questions
How is Sanbila different from the proxy generator built into my NLE?+
Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro and Avid all generate proxies locally, but they keep the original full-resolution files on the same SSD — so the disk fills up twice. Sanbila stores the originals in the cloud (Cloudflare R2) and keeps only the lightweight proxies on your machine. At export, Smart Relink streams the originals back via a local WebDAV mount, so you finish at full quality without ever downloading the source files.
Does Sanbila work offline?+
Yes for editing — once a proxy is cached on your SSD, you can cut, trim, color and arrange your timeline without an internet connection. You only need network access for the initial import (uploading originals to the cloud) and for the final export (streaming originals back via WebDAV).
How much cloud storage does the free plan include?+
The free plan includes 5 GB of cloud storage and one project, with no credit card required. Paid plans start at $49 per month for 2 TB and 50 projects, going up to 25 TB on the Enterprise plan with overage billing for teams that need more.
What upload speed do I need to use Sanbila?+
Any broadband connection works for the initial upload — Sanbila chunks files into 50 MB parts and uploads in parallel, so a typical 100 Mbps fiber line uploads 1 hour of 4K H.264 footage in about 6 minutes. After upload, day-to-day editing happens on local proxies, so your connection speed only matters again at export time when originals are streamed.
Which video formats does Sanbila support?+
Sanbila handles 22+ formats out of the box: MP4, MOV, MXF, R3D (RED RAW), BRAW (Blackmagic RAW), ARRI proxies, ProRes, DNxHR, DNxHD, H.264, H.265, plus WAV and AAC for audio. Both 4K and 8K sources are supported up to 200 GB per single file (URL imports have no size limit).