Network Engineer
CCTV Storage Calculator
Use this cctv storage calculator entirely in your browser.
11.4048 TB including 10% allowance.
Daily recording: 345.6 GB before allowance.
Calculations happen locally in your browser.
Capacity-planning assumptions
Results use decimal storage units: 1 GB is 1,000 MB and 1 TB is 1,000 GB. Actual encoded bitrate can vary by scene, codec, quality settings, metadata, snapshots, filesystem overhead, retention policy, and provider behaviour. Keep operational reserve beyond the mathematical estimate.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the labelled values and review the live result.
- Review the live result and use Copy result when you need to share it.
How the calculation works
Per-camera bitrate is multiplied by cameras, recording time, retention days, and the entered capacity allowance.
Formula
Per-camera bitrate is multiplied by cameras, recording time, retention days, and the entered capacity allowance.
Step-by-step calculation
- Enter the labelled values and review the live result.
- Per-camera bitrate is multiplied by cameras, recording time, retention days, and the entered capacity allowance.
- Check the displayed result, then copy it if needed.
Worked example
Eight 4 Mbps cameras recording continuously for 30 days need about 11.4 TB with 10% allowance.
Methodology and review
Who this is for
Installers and owners planning recorder storage.
Inputs and units
- Camera count
- Average bitrate
- Hours per day
- Retention days
- Allowance
Method
Per-camera average bitrate is multiplied by camera count, recording seconds per day, retention days, and the selected capacity allowance, then converted from bits to bytes.
Worked example
Eight 4 Mbps cameras recording continuously for 30 days need about 10.4 TB before allowance.
Assumptions
- The entered bitrate is a representative average for each camera.
- All cameras use the same recording schedule and retention period.
Common mistakes
- Entering resolution instead of bitrate
- Forgetting motion-recording variability
Limitations
- Variable-bitrate scenes, motion recording, audio, database overhead, redundancy, and filesystem reserve can change real storage use.
- Use recorder and camera vendor sizing guidance before purchasing capacity.
How this tool was checked
Release fixtures compare results with the explicit bitrate-times-duration formula and verify allowance handling.
Reference sources
Related tools
Calculation review: 21 August 2026. Published by Goldwave Dynamics Limited. This is an internal product review, not an independent certification.
Risk guidance
Frequently asked questions
Does this tool send my inputs anywhere?
No. The interactive calculation runs in your browser and this site does not submit tool inputs to a backend.
How should I use the result?
Check that the entered units and values match your situation, especially around dates, breaks, and rounding.
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