Enter your number of cameras, resolution, compression and recording days to see how many TB of hard drive you need. English and Urdu.
How much hard drive space does CCTV need?
CCTV storage depends on four things: the number of cameras, the camera resolution, the video compression (H.264 or H.265) and how many days of footage you want to keep. Higher resolution and 24-hour recording need much more space, while H.265 and motion-only recording need less.
How this calculator works
The calculator uses these typical bitrates for one camera recording continuously at 25 frames per second with H.264:
| Resolution | H.264 bitrate | H.265 bitrate (about half) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 MP (1080p) | 4 Mbps | 2 Mbps |
| 4 MP | 6 Mbps | 3 Mbps |
| 5 MP | 8 Mbps | 4 Mbps |
| 8 MP (4K) | 12 Mbps | 6 Mbps |
Storage per day = bitrate × recording hours × 3600 ÷ 8, multiplied by the number of cameras and days. The result includes a 20% safety margin, and the recommendation rounds up to common hard drive sizes from 1 TB to 22 TB.
Example: 8 cameras for 30 days
Eight 2 MP cameras with H.265, recording 24 hours a day for 30 days, need about 5.2 TB. With the 20% margin that is about 6.2 TB, so a single 8 TB surveillance hard drive is enough.
How to reduce CCTV storage
- Use H.265 or H.265+ instead of H.264 to cut storage by about half.
- Record on motion only in areas with little activity.
- Lower the frame rate from 25 to 15 fps where fine detail is not needed.
- Use the main stream only for important cameras and a lower bitrate for the rest.
Frequently asked questions
How many TB do I need for 16 cameras for 30 days?
Sixteen 4 MP cameras using H.265 and recording 24 hours a day for 30 days need about 19 TB including the safety margin. Use the calculator above to try your own settings.
Does H.265 really save storage?
Yes. At similar picture quality H.265 typically needs about half the bitrate of H.264, so the same drive stores roughly twice as many days.
Which hard drive should I use for CCTV?
Use a surveillance-rated hard drive designed for 24/7 writing, and check the maximum drive size and number of bays your NVR or DVR supports.
Does motion recording save space?
Yes, but the saving depends on how busy the scene is. The calculator assumes motion-only recording uses about half the space of continuous recording.
Can ConnecTech supply the NVR, hard drive and PoE switch?
Send your result to ConnecTech on WhatsApp at +92 311 722 4477 and our team will confirm availability and price for the NVR, surveillance hard drive and PoE switch.
سی سی ٹی وی اسٹوریج کیلکولیٹر: کتنے ٹی بی ہارڈ ڈرائیو چاہیے؟
اگر آپ جاننا چاہتے ہیں کہ سی سی ٹی وی کیمروں کی ریکارڈنگ کے لیے کتنے ٹی بی ہارڈ ڈسک چاہیے، تو اوپر کیلکولیٹر میں کیمروں کی تعداد، ریزولوشن، کمپریشن (H.264 یا H.265) اور ریکارڈنگ کے دن درج کریں۔ آپ کو درکار اسٹوریج اور مناسب ہارڈ ڈرائیو کی تجویز فوراً مل جائے گی۔
H.265 کمپریشن عام طور پر H.264 کے مقابلے میں تقریباً آدھی جگہ استعمال کرتی ہے۔ صرف موشن پر ریکارڈنگ سے بھی اسٹوریج کم ہوتی ہے۔
8 کیمروں کے لیے 30 دن کی ریکارڈنگ کتنی جگہ لیتی ہے؟
2 میگا پکسل H.265 کیمروں کے ساتھ 24 گھنٹے ریکارڈنگ پر تقریباً 6 ٹی بی درکار ہوتے ہیں، اس لیے 8 ٹی بی کی ہارڈ ڈرائیو کافی ہے۔ NVR، سرویلنس ہارڈ ڈرائیو اور PoE سوئچ کی قیمت کے لیے ہمیں واٹس ایپ کریں۔
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