Tools · Storage Calculator

CCTV storage & ELV sizing calculator

Estimate recording storage, network bandwidth, RAID disk count and PoE power for your camera system. Results are planning estimates; final sizing should be confirmed against the selected equipment and applicable requirements.

Project

Operating sector

Retention period (days) 120 days is the retention commonly specified for MOI-SSD-regulated sites; confirm the requirement for your project.

Camera groups

Add a group for each camera profile (for example lobby domes, perimeter bullets, PTZs). Each group can use its own resolution, codec, frame rate and recording mode.

Storage design

RAID level

Disk size (TB)

Disks per RAID group

Hot spare disks

Assumptions

Formatted capacity efficiency (%)

Storage headroom (%)

Estimated results

Cameras: –
Net video storage: –
Required usable capacity (incl. headroom): –
Suggested disks: –
Raw installed capacity: –
Recording bandwidth: –
Daily ingest: –
PoE power budget (incl. 20% margin): –
Access switch ports: –
Quick parity allowance (previous calculator method): –

These are planning estimates using typical average bitrates for medium-activity scenes. Actual bitrates depend on the camera model, scene complexity, lighting, smart-codec settings and manufacturer specifications, which FISSS verifies during detailed design. Storage figures use decimal terabytes (1 TB = 10¹² bytes).

How the calculation works

Bitrate per camera comes from a reference table by resolution and codec at 15 fps, scaled by your frame rate — or from your own override.
Storage = cameras × bitrate × 3,600 × recording hours per day × retention days × activity ÷ 8 ÷ 1,000,000 (decimal TB).
Usable capacity adds the headroom you choose; raw capacity adds RAID parity and hot spares, with formatting efficiency applied.
PoE budget adds 20% margin to the typical power draw of each camera type.

Bitrates vary with scene complexity, lighting and encoder settings. For a definitive design we confirm figures with manufacturer tools.

Want an engineer to check your numbers?

Send your camera schedule and we will verify bitrate, retention and RAID assumptions before you order storage.