About CCTV Storage & Bandwidth Calculator
Calculate exactly how much storage and bandwidth your surveillance system needs. Compare codecs, plan RAID configurations, and get hard drive recommendations.
CCTV Storage & Bandwidth Calculator
Calculate hard drive storage and network bandwidth requirements for IP camera surveillance systems. Compare H.264 vs H.265 codec savings.
CCTV Storage & Bandwidth Calculator Tutorial
How Storage is Calculated
Storage = Bitrate × Cameras × Hours/day × Days × 3600 seconds / 8 bits per byte. The bitrate depends on resolution, frame rate, codec, and scene complexity (motion activity).
H.264 vs H.265 vs H.265+
- H.264 (AVC) — Most widely compatible. Higher bitrate/storage.
- H.265 (HEVC) — ~40-50% less storage than H.264 at same quality. Requires newer NVR.
- H.265+ (Smart Codec) — Vendor-specific enhancement (Hikvision, Dahua). Up to 70% less than H.264 in low-motion scenes.
- MJPEG — Legacy format. 5-10x more storage than H.264. Only use if required.
Recommended Hard Drives for Surveillance
- WD Purple — Designed for 24/7 surveillance, up to 18TB
- Seagate SkyHawk — Optimized for DVR/NVR, up to 20TB
- Toshiba S300 — Budget surveillance drive, up to 10TB
Tips for Reducing Storage
- Use H.265/H.265+ if your NVR supports it
- Use motion detection recording instead of continuous
- Use sub stream for less critical cameras
- Lower FPS to 15 fps (sufficient for most surveillance)
- Use variable bitrate (VBR) to save space in low-activity scenes
Resolution Quick Reference
| Name | Pixels | Megapixels |
|---|---|---|
| 720p HD | 1280×720 | ~1 MP |
| 1080p Full HD | 1920×1080 | ~2 MP |
| 2K / 4MP | 2560×1440 | ~4 MP |
| 5MP | 2592×1944 | ~5 MP |
| 4K UHD | 3840×2160 | ~8 MP |
Need RTSP URLs for your cameras?
RTSP URL Generator — Generate stream URLs for Hikvision, Dahua, Uniview and 6+ more brands.
RTSP URL Generator — Generate stream URLs for Hikvision, Dahua, Uniview and 6+ more brands.