Video Storage Calculator

Average Bit Rate per Camera (Mbps): (e.g., 4-8 Mbps for 1080p H.264, 20-50 Mbps for 4K H.264)

Recording Duration per Day (Hours): (e.g., 24 for continuous recording, 8 for business hours)

Number of Recording Days to Store: (e.g., 7, 30, 90 days)

Number of Cameras/Streams:

function calculateStorage() { var bitRateMbps = parseFloat(document.getElementById('bitRateMbps').value); var recordingHoursPerDay = parseFloat(document.getElementById('recordingHoursPerDay').value); var numRecordingDays = parseFloat(document.getElementById('numRecordingDays').value); var numCameras = parseFloat(document.getElementById('numCameras').value); if (isNaN(bitRateMbps) || isNaN(recordingHoursPerDay) || isNaN(numRecordingDays) || isNaN(numCameras) || bitRateMbps <= 0 || recordingHoursPerDay <= 0 || numRecordingDays <= 0 || numCameras <= 0) { document.getElementById('result').innerHTML = "Please enter valid positive numbers for all fields."; return; } // Convert Mbps to bits per second for one camera // 1 Mbps = 1,000,000 bits/second var bitsPerSecondPerCamera = bitRateMbps * 1000000; // Total bits per second for all cameras var totalBitsPerSecond = bitsPerSecondPerCamera * numCameras; // Total bits per day // 1 hour = 3600 seconds var totalBitsPerDay = totalBitsPerSecond * recordingHoursPerDay * 3600; // Total bits for the entire recording period var totalBits = totalBitsPerDay * numRecordingDays; // Convert bits to bytes (1 byte = 8 bits) var totalBytes = totalBits / 8; // Convert bytes to Gigabytes (1 GB = 1024^3 bytes) var totalGB = totalBytes / (1024 * 1024 * 1024); // Convert Gigabytes to Terabytes (1 TB = 1024 GB) var totalTB = totalGB / 1024; document.getElementById('result').innerHTML = "Required Storage: " + totalGB.toFixed(2) + " GB (" + totalTB.toFixed(2) + " TB)"; }

Understanding Your Video Storage Needs

Planning for video surveillance, live streaming, or video editing projects often involves a critical, yet frequently overlooked, component: storage. Running out of storage space can lead to lost footage, system downtime, or unexpected costs. Our Video Storage Calculator helps you accurately estimate the disk space required for your video recordings, ensuring you're always prepared.

Why is Video Storage Calculation Important?

Accurate storage planning is essential for several reasons:

Cost Efficiency: Avoid overspending on unnecessary storage or underspending and needing costly upgrades later.
Data Retention: Ensure you can store footage for the required duration, whether for security compliance, legal reasons, or personal archives.
System Performance: Adequate storage prevents systems from slowing down or failing due to full disks.
Hardware Planning: Helps in selecting the right Network Video Recorder (NVR), Digital Video Recorder (DVR), or server storage solutions.

Key Factors Affecting Video Storage

Several variables influence how much storage your video footage will consume:

Average Bit Rate per Camera (Mbps): This is the most significant factor. Bit rate (Megabits per second) determines the amount of data transmitted per second. Higher resolution, higher frame rates, and less compression result in higher bit rates.
- Typical Bit Rates (H.264/H.265):
  - 720p (HD): 2-5 Mbps (H.264)
  - 1080p (Full HD): 4-10 Mbps (H.264)
  - 1440p (2K/QHD): 8-20 Mbps (H.264)
  - 2160p (4K/UHD): 15-50 Mbps (H.264)
  Note: H.265 (HEVC) can often achieve similar quality at roughly half the bit rate of H.264. Always check your camera's specifications or actual stream bit rate.
Recording Duration per Day (Hours): How many hours each day the camera is actively recording. This could be 24 hours for continuous recording, or fewer hours if motion detection or scheduled recording is used.
Number of Recording Days to Store: The total number of days you need to retain the video footage. Common retention periods are 7, 30, 90 days, or even longer.
Number of Cameras/Streams: The total count of video sources contributing to the storage. More cameras mean proportionally more storage.

How to Use the Calculator

Simply input the values for each field:

Average Bit Rate per Camera (Mbps): Enter the average bit rate for a single camera. If unsure, use the typical values provided above or consult your camera's specifications.
Recording Duration per Day (Hours): Specify how many hours per day each camera records.
Number of Recording Days to Store: Input your desired retention period in days.
Number of Cameras/Streams: Enter the total number of cameras or video streams you are recording.

Click "Calculate Storage" to see the estimated total storage required in Gigabytes (GB) and Terabytes (TB).

Example Calculation

Let's say you have a security system with:

4 Cameras
Each camera records at an average of 8 Mbps (typical for 1080p H.264)
Recording 24 hours per day (continuous)
You want to store footage for 30 days

Using the calculator:

Bit Rate per Camera: 8 Mbps
Recording Duration per Day: 24 Hours
Number of Recording Days: 30 Days
Number of Cameras: 4

The calculator would output approximately 2592.00 GB (2.53 TB). This means you would need at least a 3TB hard drive (allowing for some overhead) to meet these requirements.

Use this tool to plan your storage effectively and avoid any surprises!