Use the calculator below to estimate recorded video data. Enter the average bitrate per camera, number of cameras, recording activity and target days. The default values are an example calculation, not a recommended retention policy or a confirmed camera specification.
How the calculation works
Decimal GB = cameras × average Mbps × 86,400 seconds × days × recorded proportion ÷ 8 ÷ 1,000. For example, four cameras averaging 4 Mbps each, recording continuously for 14 days, produce approximately 2,419 GB of video data, or 2.42 decimal TB.
What the result leaves out
Recorder overheads, audio, metadata, file systems, disk formatting and resilience arrangements can change the usable capacity. Advertised disk capacity also differs from the binary units sometimes shown by a recorder. The result is a planning estimate; it does not promise that a disk of the same advertised size will achieve the target.
Choose a realistic bitrate
Use the configured or measured average recording bitrate, not the remote viewing substream. Variable bitrate changes with scene activity and quality settings. If cameras have very different bitrates, calculate them in groups and add the results. Motion recording percentages are estimates and should be checked against real activity.
Validate the design
Check recorder compatibility and capacity before buying disks. After installation, confirm the oldest available recording across cameras once the system has run long enough. Review footage retention before deciding how many days to retain, or request a commercial survey for equipment and storage planning.