Camera Storage Calculator

Quick Start Guide

Simple Mode vs Advanced Mode

• Simple Mode (Default): Quick calculator for basic storage estimates. Enter camera count, resolution, codec, frame rate, and retention days to get instant results.
• Advanced Mode: Full-featured project designer with multiple devices, camera groups, JBODs, and detailed configuration options. Use this for complex multi-device installations.
• Toggle between modes using the Simple/Advanced buttons at the top of the page.

Step 1: Configure Devices (Advanced Mode)

• Click "+ Add Device" to create NVRs, Servers, or JBOD expansion units
• Each device has its own settings:
  • Name: Descriptive label (e.g., "Main Gate NVR", "Server Room")
  • Type: NVR, Server, or JBOD (expansion storage)
  • Max Drive Bays: How many drives the unit can hold
  • RAID Type: Device-specific RAID configuration
  • Retention Days: Device-specific retention period
  • Max Drive Size: Limit drive capacity for the device
  • Max Cameras: Channel limit for NVRs
  • Max Bandwidth: Network throughput limit
• JBODs: Link expansion units to parent NVRs/Servers for additional storage capacity. JBODs inherit RAID settings from their parent device or can use their own.
• Click a device card to select it—the camera groups panel will show only cameras assigned to that device.
• Project Totals Bar: Always visible at the bottom showing total cameras, drives, and storage across ALL devices.

Step 2: Configure Camera Groups

• Click "+ Add Group" to create camera groups for the selected device
• Name each group descriptively (e.g., "Parking Lot 4K", "Interior 1080p")
• Set the number of cameras in each group
• Select resolution, codec (H.264 or H.265), and frame rate
• Choose recording mode: Continuous (24/7), Motion Detection, or Scheduled
• For motion detection, adjust the activity percentage based on expected motion
• Camera groups are automatically assigned to the currently selected device

Step 3: Set Global Parameters

• Retention Period: Default retention for new devices (7-365 days)
• RAID Configuration: Default RAID level for new devices
• Safety Margin: Add buffer for growth and overhead (10-25% recommended)
• Note: When a device is selected, the Global Settings panel shows that device's settings. Changes update the selected device.

Step 4: Review Results

• View storage requirements in the Results Panel for the selected device
• Check the recommended drive configuration
• Review network bandwidth and PoE requirements
• Use the RAID Pool Layout diagram to visualize storage configuration
• For devices with JBODs, the diagram shows parent + expansion storage breakdown

Step 5: Save & Export

• Enter a project name and click "Save" to store your configuration
• Click "Export PDF" to generate a detailed report with technician instructions
• Use "Export JSON" to download a backup file you can share with others
• Use "Import JSON" to load a previously exported project file
• Use "Load" to retrieve saved projects from browser storage
• Projects auto-save to browser storage as you work

Advanced Drive Settings (Global)

• Click "Advanced Drive Settings" to expand additional storage options
• Drive Size Override: Force a specific drive capacity instead of auto-calculation
• Max Drive Size Limit: Cap the maximum drive size the calculator will recommend (useful when devices don't support larger drives)
• Max Drive Count: Limit the maximum number of drives recommended
• Price per TB Override: Set custom pricing for cost estimates
• Pool Utilization Target: Set RAID pool usage percentage (80% recommended for RAID arrays)
• Max Drives Per Array: Limit drives per RAID 5/6 array before splitting into RAID 50/60
• Use Formatted Drive Sizes: Account for real-world formatted capacity (~9.1% less than advertised)
• Allow Mixed Drive Sizes (BETA): For non-RAID configurations only. Instead of using uniform drives with wasted headroom, the calculator will recommend a mix of drive sizes to minimize excess capacity. Example: Instead of 5×14TB (70TB) when you need 61TB, it recommends 4×14TB + 1×10TB + 1×2TB (62TB).

Advanced Settings (Per Camera Group)

• Click "Advanced Settings" within each camera group for additional options
• Bitrate Mode (CBR/VBR): Choose between Constant Bit Rate (CBR) or Variable Bit Rate (VBR):
  • CBR (Constant): Fixed bitrate at all times—use for worst-case storage planning
  • VBR - Low Activity: ~60% of max bitrate (stairwells, storage rooms, empty hallways)
  • VBR - Medium Activity: ~75% of max bitrate (offices, retail floors, lobbies)
  • VBR - High Activity: ~90% of max bitrate (entrances, outdoor areas, traffic lanes)
• When VBR is selected, the "Max Bitrate" field sets the bitrate cap. Storage is calculated using the estimated average.
• Max Bitrate / Bitrate Override: Manually set a specific max bitrate (in Kbps) instead of auto-calculated values.
• Configure SubStream: Enable to configure the secondary low-bandwidth stream settings:
  • Resolution: D1, 360p, 480p, or 720p for remote viewing
  • Frame Rate: 5, 10, or 15 fps
  • Bitrate: 256-2048 Kbps
  • Recording Mode: Not Recorded (default), Continuous, or Motion Only
• SubStream is typically NOT recorded—it's used for live remote viewing. Only enable recording if you need dual-stream storage.

H.265 (HEVC) is the newer, more efficient codec that typically reduces storage requirements by 30-50% compared to H.264 while maintaining the same video quality.

• H.264: Widely compatible, lower CPU requirements, higher bandwidth/storage
• H.265: Better compression, lower bandwidth/storage, requires more processing power

Recommendation: Use H.265 for new installations if your NVR and cameras support it. The storage savings are significant over time.

Your RAID choice depends on your priorities:

• RAID 5: Good balance of performance, capacity, and redundancy. Survives 1 drive failure. Best for 3-10 drives.
• RAID 6: Higher redundancy, survives 2 drive failures. Recommended for larger arrays or critical data.
• RAID 10: Best performance and good redundancy. Uses 50% capacity for mirroring. Ideal for high-write workloads.
• RAID 50/60: For large deployments exceeding 10 drives. Combines multiple RAID 5 or 6 arrays.

For video surveillance, RAID 5 is most common for small-to-medium systems, while RAID 6 is preferred for larger deployments where rebuild times are a concern.

This is due to how storage manufacturers and operating systems measure capacity:

• Manufacturers use decimal (base-10): 1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes
• Operating systems use binary (base-2): 1 TB = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes

The result is approximately 9% less usable space than advertised. For example, a 16TB drive formats to about 14.55TB.

This calculator accounts for this by default (checkbox in Advanced Settings). Disable it only if you're working with raw manufacturer specifications.

Pool Utilization Target refers to how much of your RAID array's capacity you should actually use. The industry best practice is to keep RAID pools at 80% or less utilization.

Why not fill to 100%?

• Write performance degrades significantly as pools fill up
• RAID rebuild operations need free space to work efficiently
• File system overhead and fragmentation require buffer space
• Extends drive lifespan by reducing write amplification

Note: This setting only applies to RAID configurations. Single drives (No RAID) don't have the same overhead concerns.

Motion-based recording only stores video when activity is detected, dramatically reducing storage needs:

• High Traffic Areas (50-70%): Lobbies, retail floors, busy corridors
• Medium Traffic (25-40%): Offices, parking lots during business hours
• Low Traffic (10-20%): Stairwells, storage rooms, overnight periods

A camera recording continuously needs about 42 GB/day at 4K H.265. The same camera with 25% motion activity only needs about 10.5 GB/day – a 75% reduction!

Tip: Be conservative with your estimates. Underestimating motion activity can lead to storage shortfalls.

Frame rate selection depends on your use case:

• 5 fps: Overview cameras, low-activity areas, maximum storage savings
• 10 fps: Good balance for most indoor surveillance applications
• 15 fps (Recommended): Standard for general surveillance, smooth playback
• 20 fps: Higher quality for areas requiring more detail
• 25/30 fps: Real-time video, fast-moving subjects (traffic, gaming floors)

Higher frame rates increase storage proportionally. Going from 15 fps to 30 fps doubles your storage requirements with minimal practical benefit for most security applications.

The bitrate values used are industry-standard estimates for typical surveillance scenarios. Actual bitrates can vary based on:

• Scene Complexity: Busy scenes with movement require higher bitrates than static scenes
• Camera Quality: Higher-end cameras may use different encoding parameters
• Lighting Conditions: Low-light scenes often produce more noise, increasing bitrate
• Compression Settings: VBR vs CBR, quality presets, I-frame intervals

The Safety Margin setting helps account for these variations. For critical projects, consider adding 15-25% margin or performing actual bandwidth tests with sample cameras.

While technically possible, mixing drive sizes in a RAID array is not recommended:

• The array will be limited to the capacity of the smallest drive
• Larger drives will have unused space that cannot be utilized
• Performance may be inconsistent across drives

Best Practice: Use identical drives (same manufacturer, model, capacity, and firmware version) for optimal performance, reliability, and capacity utilization.

If you must mix drives, use the smallest drive size in your calculations to ensure accurate capacity estimates.

The Network Bandwidth calculation shows the total throughput required to stream video from all cameras to your NVR:

• Total Bandwidth: Sum of all camera streams (includes 20% headroom)
• PoE Ports Required: Number of PoE switch ports needed
• Estimated PoE Wattage: Power budget for your PoE switches

Planning Tips:

• Ensure your network infrastructure can handle the calculated bandwidth
• Use Gigabit switches for deployments over 50 Mbps
• Consider 10GbE uplinks for large camera counts
• Factor in other network traffic when planning capacity

This calculator offers multiple ways to save and share your work:

Save Project:

• Enter a project name and click "Save"
• Projects are stored in your browser's local storage
• Access saved projects anytime via the "Load" button

Export PDF:

• Click "Export PDF" to generate a comprehensive report
• Includes all camera configurations, storage calculations, and technician setup instructions
• Features RAID configuration guide with step-by-step setup instructions
• Use your browser's Print dialog to save as PDF or print directly

Export JSON:

• Downloads raw project data for backup or transfer
• Includes all settings, camera groups, and advanced configurations
• Useful for sharing configurations between team members

Import JSON:

• Click "Import JSON" to load a previously exported project file
• Restores all camera groups, settings, and configurations
• Great for transferring projects between computers or team members