FREE · CONSTRUCTION & TRADE CALCULATORS
Video Storage Calculator.
Estimate CCTV and NVR disk space from cameras, resolution, frame rate and codec, or from a camera bitrate.
Recording schedule
0% is the video itself. Hikvision adds about 0.3%. Dahua’s basic page divides by 0.9, about 11%. 0 omits audio. 64 kbps is a common AAC track.
A bitrate source may ignore picture quality or scene activity. Those controls stay visible so groups remain easy to compare. Profile bitrates are published typical values. A real camera changes with the scene, night mode and the encoder. The bitrate in the camera specification is the more reliable input.
How to use Video Storage Calculator
Add one or more camera groups. Pick a published bitrate profile or type the camera bitrate, set hours and days, then read decimal terabytes, tebibytes, bandwidth and a disk count.
How it works
Storage is bitrate multiplied by time, in the browser. Seagate’s profile is the published linear frame-rate fit for MJPEG, H.264 and H.265. Western Digital’s profile is pixels × colour depth ÷ a published compression ratio, with 30 bits at 4K and above and 16 bits below, plus quality and scene activity. Hikvision’s table is the published recommended kilobits per second, including H.264+ and H.265+. Dahua’s basic formula is the published resolution curve, with smart codecs scaled by scene activity. The headline uses decimal terabytes. The notes also show how the Hikvision disk page (about +0.3%, rounded up) and the Dahua basic page (÷0.9, then steps of 1,024) would label the same bitrate. Nothing is uploaded.
Example
12 cameras, 1080p, MJPEG, medium, 15 fps, 12 hours and 15 days match the published Seagate result: 30.10 TB.
What this calculator answers
A video storage calculator turns a camera setup into two practical numbers: how much disk you need for a retention period, and how much network bitrate those cameras produce. The arithmetic is the same everywhere. Bytes equal the bitrate multiplied by the number of seconds you record. What differs between vendor pages is the bitrate they assume, and the way they round the result.
PasteZap keeps that split visible. You can type the bitrate from a camera datasheet, or start from one of four published profiles: Seagate, Western Digital, Hikvision and Dahua. The headline is always decimal bytes, where 1 TB is 1,000,000,000,000 bytes, the same counting drive labels use. A second figure shows tebibytes, the 1,024-based unit many operating systems display.
The formula
For a constant bitrate, storage in bytes is bitrate in kilobits per second × 1,000 × hours per day × days × 3,600 ÷ 8. Several cameras add together. Audio, if you enter it, is added to each camera before that multiplication. An optional margin multiplies the total afterwards.
bytes = kbps × 450,000 × hours × days × cameras450,000 is 1,000 × 3,600 ÷ 8. The same formula runs in reverse for the disk planner: usable bytes divided by bytes per day is the number of days that set of disks can keep.
A worked check, matching the public Seagate surveillance calculator: 12 cameras, 1080p, MJPEG, medium quality, 15 frames per second, 12 hours a day, 15 days. That profile is about 30.96 Mbps per camera and the page shows 30.10 TB. Switching the same scene to H.264 medium drops it to 1.46 TB, because the assumed bitrate falls to 1.5 Mbps.
Why four profiles disagree
| Source | What it varies | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Camera bitrate | The number you type, in kbps | Guess the scene |
| Seagate profile | Resolution, quality, MJPEG / H.264 / H.265 and frame rate, as a straight line | Scene activity, H.264+, H.265+ |
| Western Digital profile | Pixels × colour depth ÷ a compression ratio, with quality and scene activity. 4K and above use 30 bits; lower resolutions use 16. Includes H.265+ | H.264+ |
| Hikvision table | Recommended kbps by resolution, codec, quality and a fixed set of frame rates, including H.264+ and H.265+ | Frame rates outside that table |
| Dahua formula | Recommended kbps from resolution, codec, frame rate and PAL or NTSC. Smart codecs also use scene activity | MJPEG |
Hikvision’s own disk page then adds about 0.3 percent (1,000 ÷ 997) and rounds up. Dahua’s basic page divides by 0.9, about 11 percent, and steps the displayed unit by 1,024. For 4,096 kbps, 24 hours and 30 days the exact total is 1.33 TB. Both of those pages round the same stream to 1.4 TB. The notes under the result show those two displays so you can see the gap instead of wondering which site is “right”.
How to use the result
- If the camera or recorder shows an average bitrate, choose Camera bitrate and type that number. That is the most reliable input.
- Use a profile only to get a starting bitrate, then compare it with a real recording if you can.
- MJPEG is included because older cameras still use it. It is not a space-efficient choice for new systems.
- H.265+ and H.264+ save space by reacting to a quiet scene. A busy street, rain or infrared night mode can erase most of that saving. Keep a margin.
- The disk planner counts usable capacity for JBOD, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6 and RAID 10. It does not model rebuild time, and a RAID set is not a backup.
- Sub-streams, snapshots and the recorder’s own operating system are not included unless you add them as a margin or as another camera group.
Nothing in the calculation leaves the browser. For a related conversion of the resulting size, use the data size converter. To see how long that file would take to copy, use the download time calculator.
Questions about Video Storage Calculator
Why does Windows show less space than the drive label?
Drive labels use decimal terabytes, 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. Windows often shows tebibytes, which are about 10 percent larger units, so the same bytes look like a smaller number. This page shows both.
Does a lower frame rate always save space?
Only if the encoder actually lowers the bitrate. The Seagate and Western Digital profiles scale with frame rate. Hikvision’s published table keeps one bitrate from 1 to 10 frames per second. Dahua’s basic formula treats 25 to 30 frames per second as the regional standard rate.
Should I plan for motion recording?
The profiles assume the bitrate you select is what gets stored. If the recorder writes only while the scene moves, lower the hours per day or add a margin after you have measured a real week. A quiet average can still hide a busy day.
Is RAID a substitute for backup?
No. RAID keeps the recording available when a disk fails. It does not protect you from deletion, theft or a recorder fault. The planner only converts capacity.
Which bitrate source should I trust?
The camera or NVR bitrate, measured or taken from its specification at your resolution, frame rate and codec. The four profiles are there so you can reproduce the public calculators and see why they differ.
Is Video Storage Calculator free, and do I need an account?
Yes. This tool is free to use in your browser without an account. Processing takes place on your device.
What are the limits and what should I check?
Decimal bytes: 1 TB = 10^12 bytes. Profiles reproduce the public Seagate, Western Digital, Hikvision and Dahua calculators as of October 2026; they are typical bitrates, not a measurement of your camera. Seagate has no scene activity and no H.264+/H.265+. Western Digital has no H.264+. Hikvision uses fixed frame-rate rows and one bitrate from 1 to 10 fps. Dahua’s plain H.264/H.265 bitrate ignores scene activity, and 25–30 fps share the regional rate. Sub-streams, snapshots and the recorder operating system are excluded unless you add a margin. RAID figures are usable capacity only, not a backup. Up to 12 groups and 256 cameras each. Review the result before using it in your work.
Is my input sent to a server?
Your input is processed in your browser and is not uploaded by this tool. Files and pasted text are cleared when the page is refreshed. Normal website requests are still required to load the page and its libraries. Read the privacy explanation.