How much history can I keep?
At the 1080p / 30 fps reference setting, one camera fills the usable space on a 64GB card in about 31 recording hours; a 128GB card gives about 63. At four hours a day, that is roughly 8 or 16 days.
Recording time calculator
Memory card recording time calculator
Choose your card size and camera settings. Compare how much video you can keep, then get help choosing a card for the way you record.
One-year warranty. Every card tested before shipment.
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How long will your card record?
Start with the picture settings you know. Compare capacities or save a few different setups.
Only combine cameras that save to the same card. For a different card, save this comparison and try another.
Reference estimate: H.264 video compression, no audio, with 10% of the card reserved. Camera quality, movement and night scenes can change the result. See assumptions.
Have a video file? Use its size for a closer estimate.
Use original files from the device, not a clip compressed by a sharing app. This is a separate calculation.
Estimate from a recording
This is a separate calculation. It uses the size of actual recordings, not the resolution selected in your message above.
On a spare supported card with no files to keep, record a normal scene. Add the original file sizes from every camera saving to that card over the same time period. Do not use a compressed clip shared by an app.
MB = megabytes, shown in the file’s properties. The combined size already includes every camera; it is not multiplied again.
Quick comparison · 64GB & 128GB
Look up an estimated recording time
One camera, continuous recording, H.264 video compression. The calculation reserves 10% of the card. Audio is not included. These are planning examples, not measured card results.
| Picture setting | Video per hour | 64GB card | 128GB card |
|---|---|---|---|
| 720p · 15 fps 1280 × 720 Reference rate: 1024 kbps | 0.46 GB | ≈ 125.0 hours | ≈ 250.0 hours |
| 720p · 30 fps 1280 × 720 Reference rate: 2048 kbps | 0.92 GB | ≈ 62.5 hours | ≈ 125.0 hours |
| 1080p · 15 fps 1920 × 1080 Reference rate: 2048 kbps | 0.92 GB | ≈ 62.5 hours | ≈ 125.0 hours |
| 1080p · 30 fps 1920 × 1080 Reference rate: 4096 kbps | 1.84 GB | ≈ 31.3 hours | ≈ 62.5 hours |
| 2K / 1440p · 15 fps 2560 × 1440 Reference rate: 4096 kbps | 1.84 GB | ≈ 31.3 hours | ≈ 62.5 hours |
| 2K / 1440p · 30 fps 2560 × 1440 Reference rate: 8192 kbps | 3.69 GB | ≈ 15.6 hours | ≈ 31.3 hours |
fps means frames per second; kbps means kilobits per second. “2K” here means 2560 × 1440. H.264 is one way cameras compress video. A different compression method, quality setting or scene can change the time substantially.
Calculation inputs: approximate H.264 recommendations from Hikvision. These are device-family recommendations, not universal rates for every camera. Read the source chart
Before choosing the card
Capacity is only the first check.
A card must hold enough video and cope with the recording you do every day.
Will it suit repeated recording?
Keeping three days of footage is different from using a card for three years. All-day recording rewrites the card repeatedly. We help match the card option to that use, not just the capacity on its label.
Understand recording enduranceWill my device accept it?
Check the supported capacity and required speed class. Try recording, playback and loop recording with a sample before ordering the full batch.
What to check in a sampleWhat if recording starts only when there is movement?
Use the hours actually recorded, not all the hours the camera is switched on. If you do not know yet, compare a quiet day and a busy day. Busy scenes need more space.
Why does my camera keep less video than the estimate?
Audio, protected clips, extra cameras and higher picture quality can use more space. H.265 and other compression settings also change file size. Use an original recording for a closer estimate; do not assume H.265 always doubles the recording time.
Choose with YOULEN
A suitable card. A supplier behind it.
Tell us what device you sell and how your customers use it. We help you balance cost, recording needs and after-sales support.
Choose for the job, not the highest price.
A cost-focused card can be the right choice. We explain when more capacity or write endurance is worth paying for.
Check samples before scaling up.
Try the card in the device you will supply. Every card is fully tested before shipment.
See our quality checksInclude after-sales cost in the comparison.
A defect rate is only useful when you know what it counts and over what period. Even a low rate can mean replacements, shipping and time helping customers. Compare the warranty and how the supplier handles a problem—not only the card price.
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Want help choosing the right option?
Your calculation can give us a starting point. You can also ask without completing it.
Method & sources
What the estimate uses
Quick estimates use reference recording rates, not tests of your camera. All values reserve 10% of the card and exclude audio unless your entered rate already includes it.
Show calculation and reference settings
For each camera: recording rate in megabits per second × daily recording hours × 0.45 = gigabytes written per day. We add only cameras writing to the same card. The time kept is 90% of card capacity divided by daily data; target capacity is daily data × target days ÷ 0.9. Decimal GB and MB are used.
fps means frames per second. “2K” here means 2560 × 1440; 4K means 3840 × 2160; 480p uses 640 × 480. H.264 is a video compression method. The 720p–4K presets use Hikvision’s approximate H.264 table. The 480p preset uses the “Better” column of its older recommended-bitrate bulletin. These are reference choices, not universal rates or endorsements of YOULEN.
- Hikvision: approximate H.264 recording rates
- Hikvision: legacy 480p reference rates
- TP-Link: recording duration and settings
YOULEN planning tool. Results estimate storage, not card lifespan or a guaranteed period of footage.