Reviewed, sourced guidance
CCTV storage units and recorder usable capacity
Direct answer
This tool uses decimal units: 1 GB is 1,000,000,000 bytes and 1 TB is 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. That calculated video-data amount is not a promise about a drive’s formatted or usable capacity.
This calculator reports decimal data units for entered video streams. A recorder or disk specification may report a different usable figure.
Key takeaways
- Calculator outputs use decimal GB and TB.
- Recorded data is distinct from installed drive capacity.
- Usable space depends on the actual system and configuration.
- Check exact manufacturer specifications before sizing hardware.
Read the units as decimal
The displayed decimal units follow base-1,000 conversion: 1 GB equals 1,000 MB and 1 TB equals 1,000 GB.
The estimate is the total encoded video bytes represented by the entered values. It is not a measured hard-drive report.
Sources for this section: Western Digital, surveillance storage estimator and limitations (observed 2026-09-25; manufacturer tool)
Check installed and usable capacity separately
Western Digital says accessible capacity may vary with operating environment and system settings. Seagate separates usable capacity and actual capacity in its calculator.
Compare the estimate with the exact recorder, storage layout and drive documentation. Do not convert the output directly into a drive purchase recommendation.
Sources for this section: Western Digital, surveillance storage estimator and limitations (observed 2026-09-25; manufacturer tool)Seagate UK, video storage calculator for surveillance (observed 2026-09-25; manufacturer tool)
Next steps
- Confirm how the recorder reports its usable capacity.
- Check supported drive sizes and storage layout for the exact model.