How long do security cameras keep footage? This is the question every person asks about security cameras.
A security camera's storage capacity or storage time is very important to know, as security cameras protect our houses and business. And if you lost the footage once, you will not be able to get the important evidence of a crime or dispute.
Different security cameras are available in the market as per the storage space. For businesses, you can use the cameras that save at least one month's worth of footage, whereas, for homeowners, at least one to two weeks of video footage is worth it.
The question is, which security camera is best for you that stores as much footage as you want without paying more?
Let's find out everything in detail.
How is Video Footage Store in Security Camera?
There are various methods to store footage in security cameras. With a security camera, you will get different options to store your file according to your needs, preferences, and the resources available to you. Previously security cameras recorded or saved videos on VHS tapes and DVDs, but as the modern systems introduced, you will get the following options with them.
1# SD Card
Most of the security cameras nowadays come with a built-in memory slot. It helps you increase your camera's storage, and you can save more footage. But that build-in-memory storage is very limited; it might not cope with your footage recording demands. So you need to purchase an SD storage card.
2# Cloud Storage
Cloud is another great option to store security camera video footage. Many modern IP cameras come with cloud storage and make it possible to use as much as storage you need.
3# Server-based storage
Saving camera footage on servers is gaining popularity nowadays. Those servers have NVRs and DVRs. These are the external devices that help to store footage on one or multiple hard drives. And these drives are in strong proximity to your business.
How Much Storage Does Security Cameras Have?
There are several factors on which the storage of security cameras depends. These factors include the type of camera you have, the type of storage you use, the number of specific applications you use, etc.
Usually, the storage available in security cameras where you use the hard drive to record footage is around for a week to a maximum of a month.
It means that you will only view the footage as long as you do not load video files onto an external device like your computer or drive.
Although security cameras come with built-in memory, most businesses use additional devices either to extend the memory or save their video for a longer period due to their low memory.
So whenever you go to purchase a security camera, you must consider the security methods it can be plugged by or the devices it is compatible with, and how much storage it offers.
How Much Security Camera Storage Do I Need?
It all depends upon your storage usage. If you are into a business, it will depend on the activities you want to record. Video recording timings, the amount of space your security camera provides, and constant recording are the factors on which your storage requirements depend.
If you want to purchase a security camera for your business, let me tell you, most of the businesses store the security footage for at least a month. This helps them access any of their events if they need to look back on them.
If you purchase a security camera for home usage, you require footage storage for a week or two.
Hotels, construction companies, and supermarkets require 30-90 days of footage storage.
Larger organizations require footage storage for up to 3 months.
The area which comes under high-risk zone like banks, casinos, etc., needs to store footage from 6 months to one year.
So, you need a hard drive as per your storage; the more the storage, the bigger the hard drive will be.
How does Security Camera Resolution Affect Storage Capacity?
Whenever a video is recorded from a high-resolution camera, it will use more bandwidth, leading to higher video capacity and higher storage.
Besides, other factors like camera settings, video time duration, frame rate, compression type also decide the memory allocation of video, which requires more storage capacity.
But always remember that lowering the resolution of your security cameras makes the footage useless; your recorded footage may lose some important details like incomplete features of person in details, the license plate can be blurry.
So it is advisable to businesses that appropriate camera resolution with affordable storage is a must.
For best results, you should use the 3MP or higher lens; these can capture all the necessary details you need.
How Can I Keep My Security Camera Footage for a Longer Period?
To get the footage for a longer period, you need more space, and you need to buy that space, but in the long run, it will be very costly for your business.
So what to do?
Below I have shared some strategies to save more space even without compromising on the footage quality.
# Schedule Video Recording
If your security camera records continuous video, your storage system will be full of irrelevant footage. So to get out of this issue, you can schedule a video recording. This extends the life of your video storage and helps save you from spending extra bucks on storage.
With the help of scheduling cameras, you can record footage at certain times of the day and eliminate unnecessary recordings and save your security camera space.
# By Using a Motion detection camera
If you want your security system to be alert at all times without using unnecessary storage space, you can choose motion detection cameras. These cameras record only when there is movement in that area, and you can save space from many irrelevant recordings. Together with this, motion detection cameras combined with commercial alarm monitoring provide high accuracy and security.
# Export your Necessary Footage
Exporting your necessary footage is another tip that saves you from excess footage storage. You can export your relevant security camera footage to your computer or special hard drive. This way, you can store footage indefinitely, even without taking up space on your main video storage system.
# Compress Your Video
If you compress your video, it will free storage space by reducing the size of the footage. Video compression uses a codec to examine your video footage and throw out unwanted files together with minimizing the size of existing files without affecting the quality of the video.
That's all for now. Hope you like this information. If you have any concerns, you can ping in comments; I will be very happy to provide you with the best solution.
