CCTV Planning Tool · 04 of 10

Storage Calculator

After the cameras, storage is your second-biggest CCTV cost. Find out exactly how many TB of disk you need — and how much you can save by changing one or two settings.

Why storage matters more than you think

People plan for cameras carefully but treat storage as an afterthought — then end up either over-paying for a 30 TB NVR they don't need, or worse, finding out that critical footage was overwritten after only 5 days.

Storage depends on four things: how many cameras you have, what resolution they record at, which codec compresses the video, and how many days you want to keep it. Get the codec choice right and you can cut your storage bill by 70% for the same retention.

This tool tells you the exact TB you need, and shows you which lever to pull if the answer is too big.

A real example: 16 cameras × 4 MP × 25 fps × 30 days, recording 24/7.

• Using older H.264 codec: ~30 TB
• Using modern H.265 codec: ~18 TB — 40% less
• Using smart H.265+ codec: ~7 TB — 75% less than H.264

Same cameras, same retention, same image quality. Just a different codec setting that's a checkbox in your NVR menu.
H.264
Older standard
Still found on cheap cameras. Works everywhere, but eats nearly twice the storage of newer codecs.
H.265 / HEVC
Modern standard
Compresses video ~40% better than H.264 for the same image quality. Supported by most modern NVRs.
H.265+
Smart codec
Records less data when the scene is static, more when there's movement. Up to 75% smaller than H.264.

Calculate your storage

Six settings. Results and savings update live.
Total cameras feeding into the storage system.
H.265 (HEVC): the modern standard. ~40% smaller files than H.264 for the same quality.
25 fps = smooth video, 15 fps = balanced (default), 8 fps = storage-saving.
Continuous: records non-stop. Most secure but biggest storage.
How long you want to keep footage before it's overwritten.
— TB
total storage needed
Per camera per day—
Bitrate per camera— Mbps
Total raw— GB
Storage required vs retention period reference your selection

What if you changed the codec? (everything else the same)

Storage configuration

Required (with 20% headroom)
— TB
includes OS, indexing, growth buffer
Recommended drives
—
surveillance-grade HDD
With RAID 1 (mirror)
— TB
double drives for redundancy

Get this estimate as a PDF

A clean, branded breakdown of your storage needs, the codec comparison, and the recommended drive configuration. Share it with your installer or IT team.