Storage Calculator

A simple Calculator to help you estimate how much storage you need.
Keep in mind, storage depends on many factors such as the amount of movement in your property that cannot be accounted for. Use this as a guide to help you get as close as possible to the results you desire. We recommend if possible, always enabling h265+ on all your cameras for improved storage.

Storage Calculator

Recording Time (days):
Recording Hours per Day:
Camera Resolution:
Camera Quantity:
Encoding Type:

Estimated Storage: -- TB

In stock

SEAGATE

Seagate SkyHawk 4TB Surveillance HDD – 3.5″ SATA, 180 TB/yr, 3-Year Rescue

$137.99

$137.99 ~~$146.27~~

In stock

SEAGATE

2TB SEAGATE

$122.99

$122.99 ~~$132.83~~

In stock

Recommended Bitrate Table (Kbps)

Estimated bitrate values based on industry standard guidelines for different camera resolutions using H.264 and H.265 compression at standard and high video quality settings.

Hikvision Recommended Bitrates (Kbps)
Resolution (MP)	H.264+ Standard	H.264 High	H.265+ Standard	H.265 High
1MP	1024	1536	512	1024
2MP	2048	3072	1024	2048
3MP	3072	4096	1536	3072
4MP	4096	6144	2048	4096
5MP	5120	7168	2560	5120
6MP	6144	8192	3072	6144
8MP	8192	10240	4096	8192
12MP	12288	15360	6144	12288

H.264 vs H.265 Compression Guide

Choose the best video compression format for your surveillance system based on your hardware and storage needs.

Feature	H.264 (AVC)	H.265 (HEVC)
Compression	Good	Excellent (up to 50% savings)
CPU Usage	Lower	Higher
Compatibility	Very High (older devices)	Modern systems only
Storage Use	More	Less
Ideal For	Older DVRs, legacy systems	High-res cams (4K+), modern NVRs

💡 Quick Recommendations

Use H.264 if you're on older hardware or need maximum compatibility.
Use H.265 for high-resolution setups or to save storage and bandwidth.
Enable H.265+ (or H.264+) if your device supports smart codec – ideal for 24/7 motion detection recordings.

Storage Calculator