Data Storage

How to estimate and optimize the data storage capacity.

Instructions

How settings like continuous recording, high resolution or video quality, etc will impact the length of time their data is stored before being trimmed/deleted.

Solution

The amount of days of data stored on a 3VR SmartRecorder depends on several factors:

• The storage capacity of the unit

• The number of cameras connected

• Channel type (video recorded on IP cameras will take up a lot more storage space than video from analog cameras)

• Continuous recording

• The activity level

• Recording resolution

• Recording quality

• Recording frame rate

 To increase the amount of media storage:

1. To reduce size of video data stored:

   • Position cameras correctly (such as excluding areas of high activity that are not of interest to your company)

   • Disable continuous recording

   • Use analog cameras instead of megapixel cameras

   • Overall reduce the video resolution, frame rate, quality, and compression settings

   • Establish a recording schedule in which optimal settings are not in place during off-peak hours

2. To reduce spurious, non-meaningful motion events:

   • Position cameras away from vibration sources such as air vents.

   • Set up motion exclusion zones to reduce motion event capture from non-interesting areas of the camera field of view - for example, exclude motion in a window that shows cars passing by on the street outside. To edit the motion exclusion zone:

     • Select the camera in the Manage Servers tab of SystemManager. In the Motion settings section, click "Exclude Motion in Region" (click the ... button that appears when this setting is selected). A video view will open with a grid overlaid. Click and drag the mouse to select the region(s) where motion will NOT be recorded. Click OK to close the video view window. Click Save to store the changes.

   • Increase the "Exclude Motion Smaller Than" and "Exclude Motion Shorter Than" thresholds.

     • Increasing these settings values will decrease the camera's sensitivity to motion in its field of view. This reduces the number of events generated from meaningless motion.

     • You can open the video view for the "Exclude Motion in Region" setting to determine what size to select for "Exclude Motion Smaller Than."

   • Adjust the "Motion Sensitivity" setting. Increasing this value will decrease how sensitive the camera is to motion in its field of view.

   • 3VR recommends monitoring the video recorded after making these changes to verify that motion events are being captured correctly - decreasing the sensitivity can help to prevent spurious motion events, but decreasing it too far can also cause the cameras to miss meaningful events.

   • One easy way to tell if you have a lot of spurious motion events is to do a search over non-business hours when no activity should be present. The presence of constant motion events during that time indicates the need to adjust the camera settings. Something like a minor vibration of the camera or a blinking light on a phone or computer could cause the cameras to detect motion constantly and can quickly fill up storage space. Adjusting the above settings will resolve this issue in most cases. Once settings changes have been made, you can do a subsequent search during non-business hours to verify that the changes have prevented the spurious motion events.

3. To see estimated storage time:

   1. Login to SystemManager.

   2. In Manage Servers tab, locate and select the relevant server.

   3. On right-hand side, locate the System Storage section.

   4. Locate Projected Video Storage Duration (Est.) field.

4. To reset estimated storage time:

   1. If the user makes changes to system settings, they should reset the projection to calculate based on the new settings. When they reset the projection, they should wait at least 2 weekdays to get an accurate projection (because camera activity level can vary over time). The full 7 days is likely to be the most accurate estimate (recommended). 

      1. Log in to SystemManager.

      2. In Manage Servers tab, locate and select the relevant server.

      3. On right-hand side, locate the System Storage section.

      4. Locate the Projected Video Storage Duration (Est.) field.

      5. Beneath this field, click the Reset Projections… button.