Guides
CCTV storage: how long footage really lasts
A 1 TB drive holds roughly 15 to 20 days of continuous recording from four 2MP cameras. Doubling cameras or resolution halves that. Choose storage from how long it takes you to notice a problem — for most shops that is a month, which means 2 TB for a four-camera system.
Work backwards from your risk
If stock discrepancies surface at month end, two weeks of footage is worthless. Decide the retention first and let it determine the drive, rather than buying the smallest drive that fits the budget.
Motion recording changes the maths
Recording only on motion can multiply retention several times over in a quiet premises. In a busy shop it barely helps, because there is motion all day. It suits boundary and stock-room cameras, not tills.
Drives wear out
Surveillance drives run continuously and typically last three to five years. A standard desktop drive in a recorder fails sooner. Ask what drive is quoted — it is a line most installers hope you skip.
Overwrite is not a backup
When the drive fills, the oldest footage is deleted automatically. If something matters, export the clip. We show every client how to export before we leave.
How much storage do I need for CCTV?
How do I keep footage for longer than the drive allows?
Either fit a larger drive, drop to motion recording on the quieter cameras, or export the clips that matter to a USB drive. For most businesses a bigger drive is cheaper than the alternative.
Can footage be backed up automatically?
Yes, to a second drive or to network storage on site. Cloud backup is possible but needs upload bandwidth most premises here do not have to spare during the working day.
Need this doing?
CCTV installation covers surveying your premises, choosing camera positions that actually cover your entrances and till, running cable in conduit, fitting the recorder with enough storage for your retention needs, and setting up phone viewing before we leave. A four-camera system typically costs PKR 45,000 to 70,000 installed.
CCTV installation — what it costsRelated pages
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