With many users now requiring security video recordings for 90+ days, the focus has been placed on the storage costs of IP video systems. But with the very best compression technology and the right storage architecture, IP video systems can easily accommodate this requirement.
Many organizations are now requiring that security video images are recorded and archived continuously from all cameras for 90 days or more. In large systems, this can create a significant storage requirement. This is compounded by users wanting to store video at the highest quality and maximum frame rate, particularly in homeland security and law enforcement applications where security video footage is required for evidential purposes. The storage element of a large IP security video system can therefore dominate the overall cost of the system, both upfront costs and lifecycle costs, as hard drives will often need to be replaced over the life of the project.
With potentially large amounts of data being stored, the technology behind the compression employed and the architecture of the storage solution are critical to ensure these extended recording times can be accommodated. Similarly, the security of the stored data is important so that individual disk and equipment failures do not result in data loss.