Yes! Security cameras delete footage after some time and that time is different for different security cameras. For example, some security cameras delete footage after a few days, while others keep it for months or even years.
What is the average storage capacity of a home security camera?
On average, home security cameras offer limited local storage ranging from 16GB to 64GB. This equates to approximately 240 to 960 minutes of video footage, depending on the video quality and bit rate.
Do Home Security Cameras Record All the Time?
Most home CCTV cameras are motion-enabled, recording only upon motion detection. All depends on the features of the camera and how did you set them.
Some cameras offer continuous video recording (CVR), allowing 24*7 recording based on user preferences.
4 Ways to Store CCTV Footage
To understand Do Home Security Cameras Delete Footage, we need to understand the ways to store the footage of the Do Home Security Cameras.
- Servers (DVRs and NVRs with hard drives).
- Surveillance Hard Drives (HDD drives for continuous recording).
- SD Cards (in-built or external storage with the flexibility to save or delete recordings).
- Cloud Storage (online storage solutions with internet connectivity).
How Much Storage Does a Security Camera Have?
The storage of the security camera depends on different factors. The storage capacity of a home security camera varies based on storage method, video format, number of cameras, and specific application.
If the video format closer to HD then it takes a lot of space and the footage needs to be deleted sooner.
In-built storage typically allows access to recordings for one week to a month.
How Long Do Security Cameras Keep Footage?
Most cameras retain footage for 3 months to one year. Cameras with a pixelated formate keep videos for longer as it does not take much space and the footage does not need deletion.
Old footage is deleted to accommodate new recordings.
How Often Do Home Security Cameras Delete Footage?
Cameras often delete footage after 3 months to one year and it can differ depends on the sensitivity of the location the camera is installed. Home cameras delete footage more often. The deletion of the footage depending on the system.
Ways to Keep Footage for a Long Duration:
Use NVR or DVR, SD cards, Hard disks, or purchase cloud storage. Some paid services (e.g., Google Drive) can be used for extended storage.
How to Reduce the Size of CCTV Camera Footage?
Utilize video compression codecs like MJPEG, H.264, or H.265. These are the in-built features found in most of the cameras.
Use external video compression tools if the camera lacks built-in compression.
How to Export Footage and save it?
Export footage to hard disks, cloud storage, or SD cards to create backups. It is beneficial if the camera is not having enough space and you need to delete the footage more often.
What Happens with Old Footage?
Old footage is automatically deleted to make room for new recordings. If you have had some important footage then the best practice is to take a backup before it gets deleted. Sometimes a technical issue in the home security camera can delete the footage.
It’s crucial to take backups of important security footage.
Can CCTV Footage Be Recovered?
Yes, overwritten footage can be recovered, but swift action improves recovery chances. There are some online software to recover the deleted footage. You can also contact an IT expert to recover the deleted footage.
Data recovery from HDD or SD cards is possible, but challenging due to features like TRIM.
Duration to delete footage for security cameras
Home security cameras
Home security cameras are not that much sophisticated and they don’t have more server bandwidth to save longer videos for a long time. Normally, home security cameras delete footage after 1-2 weeks. However, in the homes of some prominent personalities, the duration can be longer depending on the sensitivity of the position of the person and local laws.
Commercial security cameras
Commercial places need more security and their cameras are advanced to store the footage for a longer time. Normally, a commercial security camera don’t delete footage for 30-90 days. However, if the commercial building or surroundings are sensitive then the duration can be longer.
High-risk business security cameras
As narrated from the name, the high-risk security cameras keep footage for a longer time. Some evidence and/or crime scenes can be called after a year or more. So, these high-risk security cameras don’t delete the footage for 6 months to 1 year
Traffic cameras
Roads are highly sensitive places for accidents to happen and they need to keep their footage from 7-30 days. This period is smaller as most of the road accidents or incidents are reported soon. The other factor is that there are a number of traffic cameras on a single road or other can be a lot of security cameras on signals so it uses a lot of bandwidth. So, the footage from traffic cameras gets deleted in a shorter time.
However, there are exceptions and some security cameras will not delete the footage for a longer time.
Police body cameras
Police security and body cameras are sensitive and they don’t delete the footage for 30-90 days. Again, it depends on the sensitivity of the position and the profile of the officer.
FAQs
How long does footage from home security cameras typically stay stored?
Security cameras for homes usually store footage for about 1 to 4 weeks before automatic deletion to free up storage space. However, the footage can be downloaded and kept indefinitely when stored locally or on the Cloud.
What happens when a security camera runs out of storage space?
It depends! If the owner of the home security camera has bought unlimited bandwidth then it will keep on storing the footage and nothing will be deleted. However, if the security camera runs out of storage capacity then either it will stop storing the new footage or start deleting the older footages in coronogical order.
How long is street camera footage retained?
Footage from street cameras is typically stored for 30 to 90 days, based on local regulations and requirements. The exception is if the camera footage is installed in high-risk area then the footage will not be deleted for long.