Storage Calculator
Estimate the HDD storage capacity you need for your CCTV recording system.
How It Works
The storage calculator estimates total HDD capacity required based on the number of cameras, their resolution, frame rate, compression codec, recording hours per day, and retention period. It uses industry-standard bitrate estimations for H.264 and H.265 codecs.
Input Parameters
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Number of cameras | Total cameras recording simultaneously |
| Resolution | Camera resolution (1MP, 2MP, 4MP, 4K/8MP, etc.) |
| Frame rate | Frames per second (typically 15-30 fps) |
| Codec | H.264 or H.265 — H.265 uses ~50% less storage |
| Recording hours | Hours per day each camera records (e.g., 24h or 12h) |
| Retention days | How many days of footage to keep (e.g., 7, 14, 30, 90 days) |
Reading the Results
The calculator displays:
- Total storage required in TB (terabytes)
- Daily storage consumption per camera
- Recommended number of HDDs based on common drive sizes (2TB, 4TB, 8TB, etc.)
- Bandwidth requirements for network planning
Tip: Always overestimate storage by 15-20%. Real-world scenes with motion can produce higher bitrates than estimates. Also consider using H.265 compression — it cuts storage requirements roughly in half compared to H.264 with similar image quality.
Ready to Design Your System?
Put these guides into practice. Try CCTVplanner free and create professional CCTV designs.