I.T. Hardware

IP CCTV Storage Calculator: How Much NAS Do You Need for Philippine Office Surveillance?

June 13, 2026 · 5min read · The Technica Stack

The most common planning mistake in Philippine IP CCTV deployments is underestimating storage. IT teams order a NAS with "enough space" based on intuition rather than calculation, and discover three months after deployment that the system is overwriting footage after 10 days instead of the intended 30.

The correct approach is to calculate the required storage before purchasing hardware, accounting for camera count, resolution, frame rate, compression format, motion detection (which reduces storage but is sometimes disabled), and target retention period.

The Storage Calculation Formula

Daily storage (GB) = Bitrate (Mbps) × 86400 seconds × Camera count ÷ 8 ÷ 1024

Total storage (TB) = Daily storage (GB) × Retention days ÷ 1024

This gives the raw footage storage requirement. Add 20% overhead for NAS operating system, NVR software, logs, and database files.

Bitrate Reference Table

Bitrate depends on resolution, frame rate, and compression format (H.264 vs H.265). H.265 (HEVC) reduces bitrate by 40–50% versus H.264 at equivalent quality — always specify H.265/H.265+ cameras if storage is a concern.

H.264 typical bitrates (15fps, constant bitrate):

Resolution	Bitrate
2MP (1080p)	2–4 Mbps
4MP (1440p)	4–8 Mbps
5MP	6–10 Mbps
8MP (4K)	10–20 Mbps

H.265 typical bitrates (15fps, same quality):

Resolution	Bitrate
2MP (1080p)	1–2 Mbps
4MP (1440p)	2–4 Mbps
5MP	3–5 Mbps
8MP (4K)	5–10 Mbps

Motion detection / VBR (Variable Bitrate): Cameras recording only on motion (or using variable bitrate encoding) can reduce average storage by 50–70% in typical Philippine office environments where motion is intermittent. Use 30–50% of the constant bitrate figure as the average.

Worked Examples for Philippine Office Scenarios

Small Philippine Office (8 cameras, 2MP H.265, 15fps, 30 days)

Bitrate: 1.5 Mbps average per camera
Daily per camera: 1.5 × 86400 ÷ 8 ÷ 1024 = 15.8 GB/day
Daily total (8 cameras): 15.8 × 8 = 126 GB/day
30-day total: 126 × 30 = 3.78 TB
With 20% overhead: 4.5 TB required

Hardware: A 4-bay NAS with 2× 4TB NAS HDDs in RAID 1 provides 4TB usable — slightly short. Specify 2× 6TB for 6TB usable with RAID 1, or 4× 4TB in RAID 5 for 12TB usable with redundancy.

Medium Philippine Office (16 cameras, 4MP H.265, 15fps, 30 days)

Bitrate: 3 Mbps average per camera
Daily per camera: 3 × 86400 ÷ 8 ÷ 1024 = 31.6 GB/day
Daily total (16 cameras): 31.6 × 16 = 506 GB/day
30-day total: 506 × 30 = 15.2 TB
With 20% overhead: 18.2 TB required

Hardware: An 8-bay NAS with 4× 6TB HDDs in RAID 5 provides 18TB usable — matches the requirement. Or 4× 8TB for 24TB — adds headroom for retention period extension.

Large Philippine Office or BPO (32 cameras, 4MP H.265, 15fps, 30 days)

Bitrate: 3 Mbps average per camera
Daily total (32 cameras): 31.6 × 32 = 1,011 GB/day
30-day total: 30.3 TB
With 20% overhead: 36.4 TB required

Hardware: Synology DS1821+ (8-bay) with 5× 10TB HDDs in RAID 6 provides 30TB usable — slightly short. Add a DX517 expansion unit for 5 additional bays, or specify 6× 10TB in RAID 6 (40TB usable).

NVR vs NAS: Storage Architecture Options

Dedicated NVR (Network Video Recorder)

A purpose-built NVR device handles video recording, camera management, and local playback. Most IP camera systems (Hikvision, Dahua, Uniview) are sold with compatible NVRs.

Advantages:

Purpose-built, simpler setup
Camera-to-NVR compatibility is guaranteed
Typically includes HDMI output for local monitor display

Disadvantages:

Storage is proprietary — cannot be repurposed for other workloads
Limited expandability — when drives are full, options are constrained
Backup of footage to secondary storage requires additional configuration

NAS with NVR Software (Synology Surveillance Station, QNAP QVR Pro)

A NAS running NVR software combines surveillance storage with the NAS's broader capabilities.

Advantages:

Camera footage coexists with other NAS workloads (file sharing, backup)
Expandable — add more drives or expansion units as needed
Synology Surveillance Station includes 2 free camera licences; additional licences available
Remote access via mobile app and web browser
Integration with Synology's broader ecosystem (Hyper Backup for offsite footage backup)

Disadvantages:

Camera compatibility must be verified (ONVIF standard covers most IP cameras)
Higher upfront cost for a capable NAS vs a basic NVR

Philippine recommendation: For offices with 8–32 cameras needing 30-day retention and flexible storage expansion, a Synology NAS (DS923+, DS1522+, DS1821+) running Surveillance Station is the preferred architecture. For very large deployments (50+ cameras), a dedicated NVR or commercial VMS (Video Management System) may be more practical. See our Synology vs QNAP comparison to choose the right NAS platform, and our CCTV and IP camera setup guide for camera selection and placement.

Synology NAS Models for CCTV Storage

Model	Bays	Max Raw	Recommended Config	Price Range
DS923+	4-bay	64TB	4× 10TB (30TB RAID 5)	₱55,000–70,000
DS1522+	5-bay	80TB	5× 10TB (40TB RAID 5)	₱75,000–95,000
DS1621+	6-bay	96TB	6× 12TB (60TB RAID 5)	₱95,000–120,000
DS1821+	8-bay	128TB	8× 16TB (96TB RAID 6)	₱130,000–160,000

All available through Technica Solutions Inc., including drive selection and installation.

Retention Period: What Philippine Law and NPC Require

Under RA 10173 (Data Privacy Act), CCTV footage is personal data. Retention should be limited to what is necessary for the stated purpose (security monitoring):

Standard retention: 30–90 days is the most common practice for Philippine commercial buildings
Minimum meaningful retention: 7–14 days (allows investigation of incidents discovered shortly after occurrence)
Maximum before NPC scrutiny: footage older than 90 days without a specific purpose (ongoing investigation, legal hold) may be considered excessive under the principle of data minimisation

Practical recommendation: 30-day retention for standard office CCTV. Retain specific incident footage indefinitely (copy to a separate storage location before the overwrite cycle reaches it).

Practical Setup Checklist

For Philippine offices specifying CCTV storage — NAS hardware, drive configuration, and Synology Surveillance Station setup — available through Technica Solutions Inc., get in touch.

Talk to our I.T. Hardware team →