CCTV and Video Storage Calculator
Work out how much storage your video recordings need.
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CCTV and Video Storage Calculator by TheCalcTools
How the CCTV and Video Storage Calculator works
Enter how many cameras you have, each camera’s bitrate, how many hours per day it records and how long you keep footage.
Bits per day are the bitrate times the seconds recorded.
Dividing by 8 gives bytes, and decimal prefixes give GB and TB.
The formula
Worked example
Using the default values shown in the calculator:
| Number of cameras | 4 |
|---|---|
| Bitrate per camera (Mbps) | 4 |
| Recording hours per day | 24 |
| Retention (days) | 30 |
- Total bitrate = 4 × 4 = 16 Mbps.
- Per day: 16 × 3,600 × 24 ÷ 8 ÷ 1,000 = 172.80 GB.
- For 30 days: 5,184.00 GB, or 5.184 TB.
Result:
| Storage per day (GB) | 172.80 |
|---|---|
| Total storage (GB) | 5,184.00 |
| Total storage (TB) | 5.184 |
| Total bitrate (Mbps) | 16.00 |
Frequently asked questions
What bitrate should I use?
Check the camera settings. 1080p H.264 is often 2–6 Mbps and H.265 can be about half that. Motion-only recording reduces the hours.
Should I add a safety margin?
Yes, 10–20%. Bitrates rise with motion and at night, and file systems need free space.
Sources and further reading
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This calculator gives estimates for information only. Check important results independently before you rely on them. See our disclaimer.