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— CCTV Storage · 8MP

Hikvision DS-2CD2387G2-LU (ColorVu 8MP) storage & retention

Problem. A fleet of Hikvision DS-2CD2387G2-LU (ColorVu 8MP) cameras generates far more footage per day than a lower-resolution camera, so storage sizing has to start from this camera's actual bitrate rather than a generic rule of thumb. Get the drive capacity wrong at design stage and a 30-day retention promise quietly shrinks the moment continuous recording begins.

Answer. For 16 of these cameras recording continuously (24/7) at 30-day retention, expect roughly 41 TB of usable storage, worked out from about 86 GB per camera per day. At that camera count, the recording head-end sits in the Entry NVR class rather than a mid-tier or enterprise platform.

02 / In depth

How this preset reads — the engineering view.

The DS-2CD2387G2-LU records at 8MP with a typical bitrate of about 8 Mbps using H.265+, and that combination is what drives the storage figure: roughly 86 GB per camera per day at continuous recording. H.265+ is a smart-codec variant that compresses static scene detail more aggressively than plain H.264, so the same 8MP image lands at a noticeably smaller daily footprint than an equivalent camera left on an older codec.

Storage scales in a straight line from there: 16 cameras across 30 days of continuous recording works out to about 41 TB. Add more cameras or extend the retention window and the total climbs proportionally in the same way. At 16 cameras, the recording platform falls into the Entry NVR class of head-end, which is the practical planning boundary this preset is built around.

To use the calculator, drag the camera count, retention period, and recording schedule and watch the storage total recompute in real time. Switching from an always-on schedule to a motion-only schedule applies a duty-cycle factor that reduces the effective recording hours per day, which lowers the storage total without changing the camera's underlying bitrate.

The calculator does not decide the real scene-activity variance that pushes bitrate above or below the 8 Mbps average, any RAID or redundancy overhead layered on top of raw capacity, whether a failover or archive tier is needed, or whether the network and recorder can sustain the required write throughput. It also does not select the exact drive model or count to reach the sizing figure it produces.

What this preset deliberately does not solve

  • The 8 Mbps figure is a scene-average bitrate; busier scenes with more motion or detail will record at a higher rate than this preset assumes.
  • The result compares continuous and motion-only schedules but cannot predict your site's actual motion frequency, which depends on real activity levels.
  • The storage total is raw capacity only and does not include RAID, redundancy, or backup overhead, which add to the physical drive requirement.

How this preset differs from its siblings

The DS-2CD2387G2-LU's 8MP resolution and 8 Mbps H.265+ bitrate sit well above typical 2MP or 4MP cameras, so its per-camera daily footprint is substantially larger even before camera count is factored in. A fleet built from a lower-resolution or plain-H.264 model would land on a materially smaller storage total and could stay within a different NVR class at the same camera count, which is why this camera warrants its own preset rather than reusing a generic one.

03 / Hydrated calculator

Try the configuration — live.

The calculator below is preloaded with this preset’s state. Adjust any input — your URL stays shareable.

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