Shinobi using too much Storage for Recordings
There are two main ways to manage this. Through modifying the Bitrate and/or using Event-Based Recording
Efficient storage management in Shinobi CCTV involves optimizing settings like bitrate, FPS, resolution, and codec choice. Lowering bitrate reduces file size while balancing FPS and resolution ensures quality is maintained. Choosing H.265 over H.264 can significantly reduce storage use, as H.265 offers better compression without compromising video quality. Additionally, switching to event-based recording instead of continuous recording minimizes unnecessary footage. By combining these strategies, you can achieve high-quality video surveillance while conserving storage space effectively.
Let’s explore how bitrate impacts storage usage and why adjusting it can make a significant difference.
What is Bitrate?
Bitrate refers to the amount of data processed per second in a video stream, typically measured in kilobits per second (kbps) or megabits per second (Mbps). It determines the quality and size of a video file—higher bitrates produce clearer, higher-quality videos but result in larger file sizes. Conversely, lower bitrates reduce file sizes but may also decrease video quality.
For example, a 1080p recording at 8 Mbps will consume significantly more storage than the same resolution recorded at 2 Mbps. By finding the right balance between quality and bitrate, you can save storage without compromising the effectiveness of your surveillance.
How Bitrate Reduces Storage Use
When you reduce the bitrate of your Shinobi recordings:
- Lower Data Per Second : Each second of recording requires less storage space, directly reducing the file size.
- Efficient Compression : Lowering the bitrate allows the encoding process to compress the video more aggressively, saving space.
- Smaller Archived Footage : Over time, reduced bitrate minimizes the cumulative size of archived recordings.
Balancing FPS, Resolution, and Bitrate
To maintain a high-quality picture while conserving storage, it's essential to find the right balance between frame rate (FPS), resolution, and bitrate:
- FPS (Frames Per Second) : Higher FPS provides smoother video but increases storage use. For most surveillance scenarios, 15-20 FPS is sufficient to capture clear movement while reducing file size compared to 30 FPS or higher.
- Resolution : Higher resolutions like 4K offer sharper images but require significantly more storage and processing power. If 4K is unnecessary, consider reducing the resolution to 1080p or 720p, which still provide clear details for most situations.
-
Bitrate : Ensure that the bitrate aligns with the chosen resolution and FPS. For example:
- 720p at 15 FPS can work well with 1-2 Mbps.
- 1080p at 20 FPS may require 2-4 Mbps.
- 4K at 30 FPS might need 10 Mbps or more.
By reducing FPS or resolution slightly, you can also reduce the required bitrate without a significant impact on video quality, achieving a balanced configuration.
H.264 vs. H.265 Stream from your Camera
Another critical factor in optimizing storage is the video encoding format. Shinobi supports H.264 and H.265 (also known as HEVC), with the latter offering significant improvements in compression efficiency. This would be a setting changed within the camera itself. Similar to Bitrate, FPS, and Resolution.
Essentially, you could use half the proposed Bitrate as suggested above. For example :
- 720p at 15 FPS can work well with 0.5-1 Mbps.
- 1080p at 20 FPS may require 1-2 Mbps.
- 4K at 30 FPS might need 5 Mbps or more.
When using H.265 Streams be sure to set the Stream Type accordingly so you may view the stream and recorded footage.
Use Poseidon over Websocket : https://hub.shinobi.video/articles/view/DoqdG2mdBsvMctn
Note : H.265 can only be viewed in the browser for select Operating Systems and Browsers. For the Client, We recommend using a Windows 11 Operating System with Chrome to view these streams. For the installation of Shinobi Server itself you may keep using whatever it is you like.
Where to change these Settings
The Bitrate, FPS, Resolution, and Encoder type should be set within the camera's internal settings, not in Shinobi. This also ensures that the Shinobi server performs smoothly and allows each camera to do much of the lifting when it comes to pre-processing the video streams.
Generally you can access the internal settings by accessing the IP Address of the IP Camera in your web browser. Alternatively you can use the ONVIF Device Manager in Shinobi. ONVIF Device Managers also exist as standalone tools that can be found on the web.
Event-Based Recording vs. Continuous Recording
If bitrate adjustments aren’t sufficient, consider switching from continuous recording to event-based recording. Instead of recording 24/7, event-based recording triggers only when motion or other specific activities are detected. This approach not only reduces storage usage but also makes it easier to review footage since it captures only significant events.
Within your Monitor Settings set Mode to Watch-Only and then enable the Detector Settings. By default Motion Detection will be enabled. For more information about using Motion Detection or Object Detection please see our documents.
https://docs.shinobi.video/detect
Get an Estimate for Storage Use
You may use our estimation tool at https://shinobi.video/estimate