| Scenario | Cameras | Resolution | Codec | FPS | Hours/day | Days | Rec % | Overhead % | Typical Storage (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gate monitoring | 8 | 1080p | H.265 | 15 | 24 | 14 | 100 | 15 | ~2–3 TB |
| Materials yard (motion) | 12 | 4MP | H.265 | 15 | 24 | 30 | 40 | 20 | ~3–5 TB |
| High activity zone | 24 | 8MP | H.264 | 25 | 24 | 30 | 100 | 25 | ~35–55 TB |
These are rough ranges. Actual results depend on motion, lighting, and settings.
The calculator converts bitrate into storage over your retention window:
- Total Mbps = (Video Mbps + Audio Mbps) × Cameras
- Seconds = Hours/day × 3600 × Retention days
- Bytes = Total Mbps × 1,000,000 × Seconds ÷ 8
- Recorded factor = Recording % ÷ 100
- Overhead factor = 1 + (Overhead % ÷ 100)
RAID planning applies a usable fraction (parity/mirroring and hot spares) to estimate raw capacity.
- Enter camera count and recording hours per day.
- Select resolution, codec, FPS, and a scene profile.
- Switch to manual bitrate if you have exact values.
- Set retention days, recording percentage, and overhead.
- Select RAID, drive count, spares, and drive size.
- Click Calculate Storage to view results above.
- Download CSV or PDF to share with stakeholders.
Re-check sizing after camera tuning and site changes.
1) Storage planning reduces operational risk
Construction sites change weekly, but video evidence must remain consistent. Storage shortfalls can overwrite footage before an incident review, while oversized systems waste procurement budget. A sizing workflow that links camera count, recording schedules, and retention days keeps teams compliant and prevents last‑minute drive upgrades during critical phases.
2) Bitrate is the main driver of capacity
Bitrate depends on resolution, codec, frame rate, and scene motion. For planning, 1080p cameras often land around 2–4 Mbps with modern compression, while 8MP cameras can require several times more in busy zones. Motion‑heavy areas such as haul roads or loading bays typically demand higher bitrates to preserve detail.
3) Recording schedules and motion capture shape totals
Continuous recording (24 hours) is straightforward, but many projects use schedules or event recording. If motion recording captures only 40% of the day, retention storage can drop dramatically. However, motion percentages vary by lighting, wind, traffic, and camera analytics tuning, so audits should follow real field data.
4) Add overhead for indexing and bitrate spikes
Beyond raw video streams, systems store indexes, metadata, and container overhead. Variable bitrate also spikes during storms, night noise, or dense movement. A practical overhead margin of 10–25% helps protect retention targets, especially when cameras switch profiles between day and night.
5) RAID and spares protect retention goals
RAID improves resilience, but it reduces usable storage because parity or mirroring consumes capacity. Hot spares further reduce usable drives yet improve recovery time after a failure. This calculator applies a usable fraction so you can estimate raw capacity, drive count, and procurement impact before installation.
1) Should I use estimated bitrate or manual bitrate?
Use manual bitrate when camera specs or measured streams are available. Use estimates for early planning, then validate on site with real motion and lighting conditions.
2) What overhead percentage is reasonable?
Most deployments use 10–25% overhead to cover indexing, metadata, and bitrate variation. Higher values help when scenes are busy or when quality settings are aggressive.
3) Why do TB and TiB show different totals?
Drive labels typically use decimal TB (1 TB = 1,000 GB). Operating systems often report binary TiB (1 TiB = 1,024 GiB). The calculator lets you compare both.
4) How does motion recording percentage work?
Recording % represents the portion of time video is stored. Motion‑only setups might be 20–60%, but it depends on site activity and camera sensitivity.
5) Does RAID always reduce usable capacity?
Yes. Parity (RAID 5/6) and mirroring (RAID 1/10) reserve capacity for redundancy. The tradeoff is better fault tolerance and a lower risk of losing recordings.
6) What if my bandwidth seems too high?
Lower FPS, enable a more efficient codec, reduce resolution where acceptable, or use event recording. Always confirm that changes still meet identification and safety requirements.
7) Can this replace manufacturer storage calculators?
It is best for budgeting and early design. For final commissioning, confirm with camera VMS/NVR tools and field measurements to account for exact encoding and firmware behavior.