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Calixo

CCTV Storage Calculator

Estimate how much storage an NVR/DVR needs for a given camera count, bitrate and retention period.

Inputs

Typical 1080p H.264 CCTV streams run around 2000-4000 Kbps.

Saved Scenarios

— select 2+ to compare

Storage Needed (TB)

4.83

Storage Needed (GB)

4,943.8

Spark says

How it's calculated

Formula

StorageGB=Bitratekbps×1000×3600×Hours×Days×Cameras8×10243Storage_{GB} = \dfrac{Bitrate_{kbps} \times 1000 \times 3600 \times Hours \times Days \times Cameras}{8 \times 1024^3}
Bitrate_{kbps}
— Per-camera video bitrate in kilobits per second

What is the CCTV Storage Calculator?

CCTV storage sizing multiplies each camera's bitrate by recording time and retention period, then converts from bits to bytes to get a practical drive-size estimate for an NVR or DVR.

How to use it

  1. 1 Enter the number of cameras.
  2. 2 Enter each camera's video bitrate (check your camera's spec sheet or NVR settings).
  3. 3 Enter recording hours per day and how many days of footage you need to retain.

Worked examples

8 cameras, 2048 Kbps, 24/7, 30-day retention

About 4.83 TB of storage needed.

Try it

Limitations

  • •Assumes constant bitrate (CBR) — cameras using variable bitrate (VBR) or motion-triggered recording will use meaningfully less storage in practice.

Frequently asked questions

Should I add extra storage beyond this estimate?

Yes — most installers add 10-20% headroom for bitrate spikes, motion events, and to avoid running the drive at 100% capacity.