In video streaming, bitrate refers to the number of bits that are conveyed or processed in a given unit of time. Bitrate is commonly measured in bits per second (bit/s) and often includes a prefix, such as ‘kilo’, ‘mega’, ‘giga’, or ‘tera’. One kilobit per second (kbit/s) is the equivalent of 1000 bits per second. One megabit per second (mbit/s) equals 1000 kbit/s.

In video, a higher bitrate accommodates higher image quality in video output. Bitrate for HD video, for example, is usually in the range of 5-20 Mbps. Standard-definition is typically 1-6 mbps and high quality web video runs at about 2 Mbps. Video for phones is commonly measured in kilobits per second, or kbps.