NaplesTechPro · Free Planning Tool
Camera & NVR Storage Estimator
Estimate recording storage from the actual bitrate, recording schedule, activity level, retention period, system overhead, capacity reserve, and storage configuration.
Runs locally in your browser · No data uploaded
Storage planning assumptions
Use decimal storage units as drive manufacturers do: 1 TB = 1,000 GB. Your recorder may display a lower binary-unit number for the same drive.
Indexes, metadata, filesystem and variance
Unused room for growth and uncertainty
Usable capacity divided by installed raw capacity
How should I choose bitrate and activity percentage?
Bitrate: use the configured average bitrate from the camera or recorder whenever possible. Resolution, codec, frame rate, image complexity, lighting, and quality settings all change the result. Activity: use 100% for continuous recording. For motion/event recording, enter the estimated percentage of scheduled time that video will actually be recorded. Conservative inputs are safer than optimistic ones.
Camera groups
Group cameras that share the same bitrate and schedule. Different locations or recording profiles can use separate rows.
| Camera group | Qty | Bitrate each (Mbps) | Scheduled hours/day | Recording activity (%) | Retention days |
|---|
Planning estimate—not a retention guarantee. Actual storage varies with codec implementation, variable bitrate, scene movement, lighting, noise, keyframe interval, analytics, audio, event frequency, recorder behavior, drive formatting, RAID layout, failed-drive state, and manufacturer capacity reporting. Confirm the final design with the camera/NVR vendor and test representative footage.