Importance of Storage Costs - Statistics

By: John Honovich, Published on Mar 30, 2015

10 years ago, 500GB for an entire DVR was considered good. Today, there are 6TB hard drives.

More and more storage at lower prices has lead many to conclude that storage costs are no longer important.

On the other hand, a decade ago, 2CIF (less than 0.2MP) was common. Now, 2MP cameras are ordinary.

So which way is it?

In this note, we share statistics and color commentary from security integrators on how important (or not) storage costs are now for surveillance systems.

** ***** ***, ***** for ** ****** *** was ********** ****. *****, there *** *** **** drives.

**** *** **** ******* at ***** ****** *** lead **** ** ******** that ******* ***** *** no ****** *********.

** *** ***** ****, * decade ***, **** (**** than *.***) *** ******. Now, *** ******* *** ordinary.

** ***** *** ** it?

** **** ****, ** share ********** *** ***** commentary **** ******** *********** on *** ********* (** not) ******* ***** *** now *** ************ *******.

[***************]

Key ******** - ********* *** ****

*** *** ******* ******** integrator ********:

  1. ******** ** *********: *********** with *****-***** ********* ******* all ***** ******* ***** to ** **** *********.
  2. **** ** *******: ***** with ***** / ******* systems ***** ***** ******* costs ** ** **** important.

** *** ********, ***** integrators ************ ** ******* systems ********** *** ***** hard ****** *** *** and ***, ** * result, *************** *** **** of ******* *** *** tens ** ******* **** could ** ****** ** a ****** ***.

*********

****** *** ***********, ******* costs ****:

  • **% - **** *********
  • **% - ********** *********
  • **% - *** **** important

Duration ** *********

* ****** ***** ***** those ******** **** *** long ******* ********:

  • "**** *** *** * huge **** ** ******* and *** **** ** break *** ****** **** trying ** ***** *** 30, **, ** **** , **** **** **** 1 **** ******* ********** for ********."
  • "***** ******* ***** *** very *********** ******* *****. In *** *** ********* region ** *** *********, the ******** ** ******** authorities **** ********* ************ for ** ***** ******* and ***-**** ******* ** all ***** ******* **** public ***** *** **********."
  • "******* ***** ********* * large ********** ** *** project ****. ******* ***** are ***** *** ******** factor ** ***** ****, retention, ***.
  • "******** **** ***** ***** have **** **** *************, certain ********* **** ********* institutions *** ******** ** have ** **** ** archiving ***** *** *** significantly ** ***** ******** budgets."
  • "* ******* ******* **** take *.*** ** *** storage *** ****** *** 120 **** **. **** a ******* *** ******* cameras **** ******* ***** 30% ** ** ******* is *** ** ****** and **% *** ** storage. ******* ** * big ******. * ***** pay *** * **** expensive ****** **** ** get * **** *********** mbps."

******, * *** ** those *** **** ******* was *** **** ********* emphasized ***** ******** ************:

  • "****** ** ** ***** about ******* ** **** as ********* ***** ** not ** ****** ** days."
  • "********. *** ** *** fact **** ** *** only ****** ** ** 28 **** ** *** Netherlands *** ******* ***** grows **** ***."
  • "** *** ** **** the ******* *********** **** to * - * months ** **** ********* of *** ***** **** NVR/DVR **** ***** **** interfaces *** ********* **** fewer ****."
  • "***... ***** *********** ****** *** video ********* **** ** 14 ****."

Small *******

********, ***** **** ******* camera ****** ****** *** to ** **** ********* with ******* *****:

  • "*** **** ** ******* has ****** ** **** that *** ******** ***'* much **** **** *** cost ** * ******* switch. ****** ***** *** very ***** *** ******* appliances ******** ** **** don't *** * ***** impact."
  • "** ******* ****** ***** on * ****** ** quite *** ** ** doesn't ****** ** ******** that *****."
  • "** *****'* *** *** attention ****** ** ** an *************** ***** ********."
  • "*******, ******* **** ***'* a **** ****** *** most ** *** ********. We ******* * ******* of *** ** **** application. ******** ** ***'* unusual ** ** ****, using *** ** ****** recording **** ***** *** customers ****** ** ******* and ***** ***** ** win ****."
  • "**** ** * ** 4TB **** ****** *** not ********* ******** ** the **** ** *** systems. **** ** *** NVRs *** **** ** 24TB ******* *******, ******** for ****** ****** *** higher ***** ***** ******* as **** ****** *********."
  • “***'* *** ********** *********** now *** ********** ***** drives (*~***).”

Larger *******

***** *** * ******** who **** **** ****** customers *** *** ***** / ********* ** ****** storage:

  • "**** ******* ***** *********/**********, they **** *** ****** and *** **** ** justified **** * ******** of **** **** **** happen *** *** ** talk **
  • "** ****** *******, *** storage ** **** * minor **** ** **, that ** ***'* ****** fret **** **. 
  • "*** ***** *******, *** very. ****** ******* ******* have ******** ******* ******* that **** ******* ***** IT ******, *** ******** project *******.

*******, ******* **** ***** larger ******* ** ******** storage **** **********:

  • "** ***** *** ******. With *** ********. ***** price ** ****** **% of *** ** ** the **** ******."
  • "** ****** *******, ******* costs *** * ***** factor **** *** ******* customers **** ********* ***********."
  • "******* **** ********* ***** the ***** *** ****, brand **** ******, *** RAID */*, *** *** a ****** *** ******* shocked ***** ** *** work ****** ************ ** get *** ****** **** as *** ** **** can ***** ***** ******* these ********."
  • "****** ****, *** ***/***/** will **** **** ** be *** ****** *** models **** **** **** interfaces *** ** **** more *********."
  • "****, ***** ******* ***** are */* ** ***** NVR ***** *** ** (72TB *** ***).
  • "******** ** ******* ********, but **** ** ****** ones."

Overall ******

*********, ***** ************ ******* costs **** *** ****** irrelevant, ******* *** ******* decrease ** ********* ******* cost ** *** **** decade. *******, ** *** made ******* ***** ********* insignificant ** ******* *********** using **** ******. ** the ***** ****, ****** users, ********** **** ****** retention *****, ***** **** greatly ***** *** **** of ***** ************ *******.

Comments (6)

Undisclosed #1

03/30/15 04:28pm

Another factor complicating the assessment is the fact that long term archival technology options, tape, WORM, has not kept pace with platter densities. There was a time (long ago), when you could easily back up your entire system to helical scan tape or optical media.

Today, even though there has been advances in low-cost optical storage densities (blu-ray), it still would take 120+ Blu-Rays to store a single 6TB hard hard drive. There are of course higher density solutions with automated jukeboxes, but they can be pricey.

So the easiest option is to use drives to backup other drives and use more drives instead of archiving to a long term media. But it gets expensive for the longer retention periods.

Itamar Kerbel

03/31/15 11:58am

Not directly related to this but we advise customer who are willing to invest more in cameras to buy analytic cameras (like the Avigilon H3A) and save a lot on storage.

This does not apply to indoor cameras but for outdoor they save a LOT of storage.

Undisclosed #1

In reply to Itamar Kerbel | 03/31/15 07:35pm

How do the analytics save a LOT of storage? Because of camera side motion detection? Does that save more storage space than server side VMD? Less false alarms because better algorithims capable of ignoring leaves blowing, branches swaying etc?

Or do you mean more sophisticated recording triggers like record only on cross-a-line detection, for example?

Itamar Kerbel

04/01/15 05:55am

In Avigilon at least, the H3A cameras come with motion detection disabled.Avigilon H3A options

You have classified object motion detection which mean that the NVR will record only when Humans or cars are detected.

This means that all other (non interasting) motion detection events are not recorded.

From the cameras we have installed here outside of our office for show we see a great reduction in recrod time as at night there is virtually no recording and at day time its also minimized.

As I wrote this does not apply to indoor cameras as they do not differ much from analytic cameras.

Undisclosed #1

In reply to Itamar Kerbel | 04/01/15 06:11am

...great reduction in record time as at night...

There can also be a great reduction in image quality at night, no?

Are you saying that the analytics ability to classify objects is not diminished by low light?

Have you ever recorded two identical streams at the same time, one with camera-side classified object detection and the other with classic server side motion detection to insure that you are never missing something 'interesting'?

Itamar Kerbel

04/01/15 06:33am

We have done this when we fist installed the camera and done this for customers pilot testing.

The results are:

  1. At night the distance of discovery goes down unless you use good IR lamps to light the area and not rely only on the camera IR.
  2. At night there are some but not many recordings of false events these events are not reported as alarms but are recorded as "motion detection" they are caused mainly by dust particls going too near to the camera and appear large in the picture becuase of the IR replection. These are not alarms since they are too shortto be considered a real person or a car.
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