How long does a 256GB card record on a 2K (1440p) front and rear dash cam?
About 20 h 21 min. A 256GB card at a typical 26 Mbps (16 Mbps front plus 10 Mbps rear) keeps roughly 20.3 hours of 2K (1440p) front and rear footage before the oldest files are overwritten.
SANDISK 256GB High Endurance microSD Card + Adapter
256GB / high endurance
A high-endurance 256GB card rated for continuous video, the size this page is about. Check your camera's maximum supported card size first.
How does bitrate change the answer?
The same 256GB card at three bitrates for a 2K (1440p) front and rear camera. Cameras that record H.265 sit near the efficient row; cameras set to their highest quality sit near the high row.
| Total bitrate | Loop on 256GB |
|---|---|
| 20 Mbps (efficient H.265) | 27 h 8 min |
| 26 Mbps (typical) | 20 h 21 min |
| 36 Mbps (high quality) | 14 h 32 min |
What about other card sizes?
Recording time scales in a straight line with card size: double the card, double the loop. The step that matters is whether the loop covers your longest driving day plus any parking-mode time.
| Card | 2K (1440p), front and rear |
|---|---|
| 16GB | 1 h 16 min |
| 32GB | 2 h 33 min |
| 64GB | 5 h 5 min |
| 128GB | 10 h 10 min |
| 256GB | 20 h 21 min |
| 512GB | 40 h 42 min |
How does 256GB compare across cameras?
Typical bitrates: 12 Mbps for 1080p, 16 Mbps for 2K, 20 Mbps for 2.5K, 32 Mbps for 4K, plus 10 Mbps for each extra 1080p channel. Usable space is taken as 93 percent of the labeled capacity.
| Front resolution | Front only | Front + rear | Three channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 44 h 5 min | 24 h 3 min | 16 h 32 min |
| 2K | 33 h 4 min | 20 h 21 min | 14 h 42 min |
| 2.5K | 26 h 27 min | 17 h 38 min | 13 h 14 min |
| 4K | 16 h 32 min | 12 h 36 min | 10 h 10 min |
2K (1440p) front and rear dash cams and 256GB+ cards
Check your camera's maximum supported card size before buying.
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Other card and camera combinations
- 16GB at 2K (1440p), front and rear
- 32GB at 2K (1440p), front and rear
- 64GB at 2K (1440p), front and rear
- 128GB at 2K (1440p), front and rear
- 512GB at 2K (1440p), front and rear
- 256GB at 1080p, front only
- 256GB at 1080p, front and rear
- 256GB at 2K (1440p), front only
- 256GB at 4K, front only
- 256GB at 4K, front and rear
Frequently asked questions
Is 256GB enough for a 2K (1440p) front and rear dash cam?
256GB keeps about 20 h 21 min of footage at this setting. That covers a full day of commuting and most road-trip legs, so it is enough for most drivers. Parking mode and locked event files both use the same card, so allow some margin.
What happens when a 256GB dash cam card is full?
Loop recording deletes the oldest unlocked clip and keeps writing, so the card never stops recording; it just reaches back about 20 h 21 min at this setting. Clips locked by the G-sensor or the event button are protected and are not overwritten, which shrinks the loop until you clear them.
Why might my camera record less than this?
This page assumes a typical 26 Mbps. Some 2K (1440p) cameras record at a higher quality setting, H.264 instead of H.265, or reserve part of the card for event and parking files. Record ten minutes and check the file size on a computer to find your real bitrate, then use the recording time calculator.