Recording storage depends on how much video is generated and how long the organisation wants to keep it. Camera count alone is not enough: resolution, frame rate, compression, scene activity and continuous versus event-based recording all change the result.
Estimate data from bitrate
A useful first estimate multiplies each camera’s average bitrate by recording time and the number of cameras, then converts the total into storage units. For example, a camera averaging 4 megabits per second produces roughly 43.2 gigabytes over 24 hours before allowance for overhead and storage conventions. Actual bitrate varies with scene complexity and settings.
Choose a retention policy
Identify how many days of footage are needed for operational review, incidents or internal policy. Continuous recording uses more storage than event-only recording, although event detection can miss activity if settings are poor. Include spare capacity and account for usable disk space, not only the advertised raw capacity.
Check recorder limits and resilience
Verify the recorder’s supported camera count, incoming bandwidth, drive capacity and disk configuration. Storage failure can create a gap even when cameras remain online, so review disk health and backup or redundancy options. Explore video recorders and storage-related equipment once retention needs are documented.
