Disclaimer: RacewayIQ is an informational engineering tool only. All calculations must be independently verified by the user. Do not rely on these results as the sole basis for design, procurement, installation, construction, permitting, or code compliance decisions.

CCTV Storage Calculator

Estimate CCTV/VMS storage from camera count, bitrate, recording schedule, retention, usable storage capacity, and overhead assumptions.

This calculator provides a planning estimate for CCTV/VMS storage. Final storage requirements should be verified using camera/VMS manufacturer tools, actual codec settings, scene complexity, frame rate, resolution, motion recording behavior, RAID, hot spare, formatting, metadata, and platform reservations.

Job Information

Project nameLocationPrepared byDateNotes

Main Inputs

CCTV storage calculation modeChoose whether to check available usable storage, estimate the required storage, or estimate retention from storage capacity.Camera entry modeUse simple average for a quick planning estimate. Use camera groups when different camera types, bitrates, or retention assumptions apply.Recording modeMotion/event and scheduled recording are planning assumptions and should be verified with measured data or VMS tools.Camera quantityEnter cameras with similar bitrate and retention needs. Use camera groups for different camera types or retention requirements.Average recording bitrate per camera (Mbps)Use VMS/camera estimates for the selected resolution, frame rate, codec, and scene complexity.Recording schedule (hours/day)Use 24 for continuous recording, or scheduled hours for motion/event/time-based recording.Required retention period (days)Enter owner, security, legal, or project-required video retention duration.Available usable storage (TB)Use usable post-RAID/post-format/post-reservation capacity, not raw disk nameplate capacity.

Advanced Inputs

Use these when the job has project-specific assumptions, manufacturer data, or review conditions.

Camera typeResolutionFPSCodecBitrate input modeStorage overhead / reserve (%)Allowance for metadata, filesystem overhead, bitrate variation, platform reservation, and operational margin.VMS / NVR platformStorage architectureStorage capacity typeRAID typeHot spare includedPlatform reservation includedManufacturer sizing source / notes

Result

Pass

Base video storage

12.96 TB

Storage overhead / reserve

15.0%

Final required usable storage

14.90 TB

Binary equivalent

13.56 TiB

Available usable storage

20.00 TB

Storage margin

5.10 TB

Storage utilization

74.5%

Estimated retention

Not calculated

Overall status

Pass - Verify VMS Assumptions

Reason

Required usable storage is below available usable storage. Verify bitrate, codec, retention, VMS overhead, and usable storage assumptions.

Practical Next Steps

Use the result as a design check, then verify the assumptions shown in the warnings and references.
Save or export the result with the project record if the inputs match the current design.
Recalculate when field routing, equipment selections, loads, or owner criteria change.

Selected storage must be usable capacity after RAID, hot spare, formatting, and platform reservations. Do not enter raw disk nameplate capacity unless intended.

Actual bitrate depends on codec profile, GOP, scene complexity, resolution, frame rate, compression settings, and camera manufacturer.

Manufacturer or VMS storage sizing source was not entered. Treat this as a planning estimate.

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Calculation Breakdown

Recording Assumptions

Camera entry mode: Simple average bitrate
Camera quantity: 10
Total recording bitrate: 40.00 Mbps
Recording schedule: 24 hours/day
Retention period: 30 days

Recording Duration

Recording duration: 720.0 hours
Recorded seconds: 2,592,000

Base Video Storage

Base video storage: 12.96 TB
Formula: camera quantity x bitrate x recording seconds / 8

Storage Overhead

Storage overhead / reserve: 15.0%
Final required usable storage: 14.90 TB
Binary equivalent: 13.56 TiB

Selected Storage Check

Available usable storage: 20.00 TB
Storage margin / shortfall: 5.10 TB
Storage utilization: 74.5%
Estimated retention: Not calculated
Result: Pass - Verify VMS Assumptions

Code and Design References

Camera and VMS Manufacturer Data

Final storage should be verified using camera and VMS manufacturer tools, measured bitrate, codec settings, frame rate, resolution, retention, and scene complexity.

Use measured or manufacturer-estimated average bitrate for final design.

Usable vs Raw Storage

Use usable storage after RAID, hot spare, formatting, filesystem overhead, and platform reservations.

Recording Mode

Continuous, motion, event, and scheduled recording can significantly change storage requirements.

Bitrate Variability

Average bitrate may vary based on motion, lighting, scene complexity, compression, camera settings, and manufacturer implementation.

Retention Requirements

Retention may be driven by owner standards, legal/security requirements, regulatory requirements, or project specifications.