We establish a sharp estimate for a minimal number of binary digits (bits) needed to represent all bounded total generalized variation functions taking values in a general totally bounded metric space $(E,ρ)$ up to an accuracy of $\varepsilon>0$ with respect to the ${\bf L}^1$-distance. Such an estimate is explicitly computed in terms of doubling and packing dimensions of $(E,ρ)$. The obtained result is applied to provide an upper bound on the metric entropy for a set of entropy admissible weak solutions to scalar conservation laws in one-dimensional space with weakly genuinely nonlinear fluxes.