CCTV storage calculator
Size the drives and the bandwidth for the job. In: cameras, resolution, codec, fps, record mode, retention days. Out: TB and Mbps.
Storage needed
2.4 TB
Suggested: 1 × 3 TB
Recording bandwidth
14.7 Mbps
All cameras, main stream
Per camera / day
10 GB
At your recording mode
Stock drives that cover it
All storage- 3 TB3TB - HDD 3.5" SATA Hard Drives – Free Installation with Any CCTV Kit or Package -Ideal for 24/7 continuous recordingAvailable
- 4 TBSeagate 4TB - HDD 3.5" SATA Hard Drives – Free Installation with Any CCTV Kit or Package -Ideal for 24/7 continuous recordingAvailable
Spec surveillance-rated drives — they are built for 24/7 writes. Desktop disks in recorders are the number-one cause of year-two drive failures.
How the figure is built
Start point: the typical encoder bitrate at that resolution and codec. Multiply by frame rate, camera count, record mode and retention. H.265 takes roughly half the space of H.264 at equal quality; motion recording typically keeps 30–50% of the continuous figure, depending on scene activity.
It is a planning number, not a guarantee: night mode, encoder settings and how busy the scene is all move the real bitrate. Always round to the next drive size up. WD Purple or Seagate SkyHawk surveillance-rated drives in recorders, never desktop disks.