CalculatorShelf
Home / Storage Calculators / CCTV Storage Calculator

CCTV Storage Calculator

Last reviewed: June 24, 2026 · Formula version: CCTV_STORAGE-1.0 · Formula-backed planning calculator

Estimate CCTV recording storage

Estimate security camera storage from camera count, bitrate, FPS, recording hours, retention days, compression, and motion-recording percentage.

Server-rendered example result

Example: Input: 8 cameras, 4 Mbps each, 24 hours/day, 30 days, 100% recording. Output: about 10.4 TB total storage, about 346 GB/day, before RAID or filesystem overhead.

The interactive result cards update this example when JavaScript runs, but this default snapshot is crawlable and printable.

Quick answer

Storage is driven mostly by bitrate and retention. Eight cameras at 4 Mbps recording all day for 30 days need about 10.4 TB before extra headroom or RAID overhead.

Best for: comparing realistic scenarios before acting. Not for: final professional approval, emergency decisions, or replacing product labels and local requirements.

How to use the calculator

  1. Enter the measurements, quantities, costs, or target values requested above.
  2. Adjust optional assumptions such as waste, overhead, product strength, retention days, or multipliers.
  3. Read both the main result cards and any warning notes. The warnings are part of the answer, not fine print.
  4. Use the share, copy, or print/PDF controls when you want to save the scenario.

What the results mean

The first result card is the primary decision number. Supporting cards explain capacity, cost, efficiency, safety margin, input assumptions, or the next value to check. When the page returns a range, treat it as a planning envelope rather than a guaranteed price.

Formula / methodology

Storage = bitrate × seconds recorded × cameras × retention days. Convert bits to bytes, then to GB/TB. Motion recording reduces the recorded-time percentage.

Assumptions and limitations

  • Inputs are assumed to be measured accurately and entered in the units shown.
  • Rounding is intentional so the result is easier to use in real decisions.
  • Vendor-specific behavior, local code, product labels, and regional pricing can override a generic calculator.
  • High-risk medical, legal, tax, and emergency calculators are intentionally not published without expert review.

Example calculation

Input: 8 cameras, 4 Mbps each, 24 hours/day, 30 days, 100% recording. Output: about 10.4 TB total storage, about 346 GB/day, before RAID or filesystem overhead.

Server-rendered example result

Example: Input: 8 cameras, 4 Mbps each, 24 hours/day, 30 days, 100% recording. Output: about 10.4 TB total storage, about 346 GB/day, before RAID or filesystem overhead.

The interactive result cards update this example when JavaScript runs, but this default snapshot is crawlable and printable.

Common mistakes

  • Using resolution instead of actual bitrate.
  • Forgetting retention days.
  • Assuming motion recording always saves the same percentage.
  • Planning drive size without RAID/NAS overhead.

FAQ

What formula does this page use?

Storage = bitrate × seconds recorded × cameras × retention days. Convert bits to bytes, then to GB/TB. Motion recording reduces the recorded-time percentage.

What changes the result the most?

The most important inputs are the size, count, rate, target, or unit assumptions shown in the calculator.

Is this a final professional answer?

No. Treat it as a planning result and verify important decisions against product documentation, labels, quotes, local code, or professional guidance.

Why does this page show warnings?

Warnings call out assumptions that can materially change the result or create safety, cost, or reliability problems.

Can I share this scenario?

Yes. The share button copies a URL with the current inputs, while the canonical page remains the base calculator URL.

Last reviewed

Last reviewed: June 24, 2026. Formula version: CCTV_STORAGE-1.0. Index status: indexable.