How Long Can the microSD Card/HDD of Reolink Home Hub Record for Battery-Powered Wi-Fi Cameras?

Understanding how long a microSD card/HDD can record your surveillance footage is crucial for optimizing the performance of Reolink Home Hub series with battery-powered Wi-Fi cameras. This guide provides an in-depth analysis of how Reolink cameras record to microSD cards/Home Hub of Reolink Home Hub series.

Applies to: Reolink Home Hub Pro, Reolink Home Hub.

Key Factors Affecting Recording Duration

Before delving into specific calculations, consider these essential factors that influence how long a microSD card/HDD can record:

1. Bit Rate: The camera's bit rate directly impacts file size and thus storage consumption. The following estimates are based on each camera's default bit rate.
2. Recording Resolution: Higher resolution recordings (Clear mode) result in larger file sizes, consuming more storage space compared to lower resolution recordings (Low mode). The following estimates account for storing videos in both modes, meaning the memory is occupied by both versions of the recordings.
3. microSD Card/HDD Capacity: The capacity of the microSD card/HDD determines the total amount of footage that can be stored. Larger capacity cards (e.g., 128GB, 1024GB) and HDD (e.g., 2TB, 4TB) can store more footage than smaller capacity cards (e.g., 64GB), thereby extending the overall recording duration.

   	Home Hub	Home Hub Pro
   HDD Support	×Not supported.	Supports up to 16TB*1 (3.5'' SATA)
   microSD Card Support	Supports up to 512GB*2	Supports up to 512GB*1

4. Recording Frequency: Higher daily recording times (e.g., 900 seconds per day) consume storage more quickly than lower recording times (e.g., 300 seconds per day).

Storage Estimations for Different Camera Models & Configurations

To quickly answer questions like "How long can a 64GB SD card record for two Reolink Argus 3 Ultra with the home hub connected?" and "How long will a 128GB SD card record for Reolink Doorbell Battery with the hub connected?", the following table illustrates estimated storage durations (years) per camera based on different microSD card/HDD capacities, camera models, the number of cameras in operation and recording frequency:

Explanation of Variables

• Camera Models: Specific Reolink camera models being used.
• SD Card/HDD Capacity: The capacity of the microSD card/HDD used for recording.
• Cameras Connected: The number of cameras connected to the home hub/home hub pro and recording to the microSD card/HDD.
• Recording Frequency: Specifies the daily recording intervals (300s, 600s, 900s) per camera, illustrating how varying these intervals can extend or shorten storage duration.
• Storage Duration: Estimated storage duration in years for daily recording of 300 seconds, 600 seconds, or 900 seconds per camera.

Optimizing Your Storage Strategy

Here are some recommendations to make the most of your microSD card/HDD storage:

1. Assess Your Needs and Choose the Right microSD Card/HDD Capacity:

- Regular surveillance needs may find 64GB adequate, whereas extensive recording requires 128GB or more.
- For Example, as illustrated in the table, for the Argus 3 Ultra, using a 64GB microSD card with 2 cameras recording 300 seconds per day can store video for 1 year. For longer storage times, opt for 128GB or 1024GB cards.

2. Optimize Camera Settings:

-To maximize storage time, adjust the recording duration and resolution according to your needs. Lowering the recording resolution can increase storage time, but balance is required between image quality and storage duration.

By adhering to these guidelines, you can effectively manage your Reolink Home Hub system's storage capacity, ensuring continuous, reliable surveillance coverage tailored to your specific security demands.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact the Reolink support team. We are here to provide you with the best possible support.