Calculating CCTV camera storage involves factors like resolution, frame rate, compression, and retention period. Use the formula: Storage (GB) = (Bitrate × Seconds × Cameras) / (8 × 1024³). For example, a 4MP camera at 15 FPS with H.265 compression requires ~33 GB/day. Adjust based on motion detection and recording schedules to optimize storage efficiency.
What Are the Main Types of CCTV Cameras?
How Do Resolution and Frame Rate Impact Storage Needs?
Higher resolutions (4K, 8MP) and frame rates (30 FPS) exponentially increase bitrate demands. A 4K camera at 30 FPS consumes 3-4x more storage than a 1080p camera at 15 FPS. Lowering frame rates to 10-15 FPS for static environments reduces storage by 50% without sacrificing critical detail. Always balance clarity with storage costs based on surveillance priorities.
For environments requiring detailed identification like license plate recognition, 4K resolution at 25 FPS becomes essential. However, this configuration demands approximately 250 GB/day per camera. In contrast, a 2MP camera covering a warehouse aisle at 10 FPS uses only 18 GB/day. The table below illustrates storage differences across common configurations:
| Resolution | Frame Rate | Daily Storage (H.265) |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p (2MP) | 15 FPS | 22 GB |
| 4MP | 20 FPS | 48 GB |
| 4K (8MP) | 30 FPS | 260 GB |
What Compression Formats Reduce CCTV Storage Usage?
Modern codecs like H.265 and H.265+ cut storage needs by 40-70% compared to H.264. H.265+ uses AI-powered motion analysis to discard redundant data, ideal for 24/7 recording. For example, a 4MP camera using H.265 requires ~25 GB/day vs. 45 GB/day with H.264. Always verify compatibility with your NVR/DVR before selecting compression settings.
The evolution from H.264 to H.265 introduced advanced prediction algorithms that analyze macroblocks across multiple frames. H.265+ takes this further by employing machine learning to differentiate between essential motion (human movement) and non-essential changes (tree branches). This results in 55-70% smaller file sizes without quality loss. Newer formats like AV1 promise 30% better compression than H.265 but require specialized hardware support. Consider these compression benchmarks for a 24-hour 4MP recording:
| Codec | Storage Used | Bandwidth Savings |
|---|---|---|
| H.264 | 58 GB | 0% |
| H.265 | 34 GB | 41% |
| H.265+ | 21 GB | 64% |
“Modern surveillance systems demand adaptive storage strategies. We recommend tiered storage: SSDs for live monitoring, HDDs for 7-14 day retention, and LTO tapes or cloud for archival. With AI compression, our clients achieve 90% storage reduction while maintaining evidentiary-grade footage.” — Surveillance Storage Specialist, SecureTech Solutions
FAQs
- How Long Can CCTV Footage Be Stored?
- With a 4TB drive, 8 cameras at 1080p/15 FPS store ≈ 14 days of continuous footage. Using motion activation and H.265 extends this to 45-60 days. Critical systems should maintain 90-180 day retention via RAID arrays or cloud backups.
- Does Higher Megapixel Always Mean Better Security?
- Not universally. While 8MP captures license plates clearly, it quadruples storage needs vs 2MP. Use high-res cameras only at entry points and lower resolutions (2-4MP) for general monitoring to balance identification needs and storage costs.
- Can I Use Consumer SSDs for CCTV Storage?
- Avoid consumer SSDs—they lack write endurance for 24/7 recording. Opt for surveillance-rated HDDs (WD Purple, Seagate SkyHawk) designed for constant writes. Enterprise SSDs work but cost 5-8x more per TB than HDDs.