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Cisco Meraki Documentation

Video Retention

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Overview

Video retention expectations

In general, higher resolution settings, higher quality settings, and more motion in the camera's field of view lead to shorter video retention. Users can adjust resolution, quality, and/or amount of motion in the field of view to increase retention. Additional retention can be gained with Motion-based retention and Cloud Archive, which are covered further in the article.

It is important to note that not all motion affects video retention equally. Various factors such as lighting, camera installation height and angle, distance between a camera and moving objects, number and size of moving objects, and ambient motion in the background can all affect video retention. 

Typical amounts of motion for various deployments

As discussed in the previous section, the amount of motion in a scene affects estimated video retention. When choosing the right camera and video settings to meet retention needs, it is important to consider the expected amount of motion observed by a camera when deployed. Here are some general guidelines for typical amounts of observed motion that can be expected for various deployments. For more information on motion detection, click here.

Deployment type Typical motion (hours per day)
Busy retail locations 16-24
Busy roads, intersections 16-24
Building entrances, lobby areas 8-16
Office spaces and hallways 8-16
Elementary school, high school, and college/university spaces 0-8
Parking lots 0-8
Warehouses, manufacturing spaces 0-8
IT closets, storage closets 0-8

Smart Codec

Meraki developed Smart Codec technology to greatly improve video retention through more efficient and dynamic encoding when recording. It is automatically enabled on cameras running firmware version MV4.15 or newer. Click here for more information.

Video retention estimates by camera model

The tables below display video retention statistics organized by camera model, video resolution and quality settings, and amount of motion observed per day. This data was sourced from Meraki cameras in operation today running the latest firmware. This data can be used to estimate how much retention can be expected based on desired settings and estimated observed motion.

The "low" and "high" figures show the range of expected retention days in typical deployments. The "absolute minimum" figures show the absolute worst case for cameras that observe extremely high amounts of motion 100% of the time.

To optimize video retention, ensure that recommended physical installation guidelines are followed. Also make sure that the cameras are on the latest firmware. Remember that every deployment is unique and thus retention estimates can vary. 

Note: The results below include the improvements gained from Smart Codec. The results do not include improvements from Motion-Based Retention and Cloud Archive (discussed later in this article). Enabling Motion-Based Retention and/or Cloud Archive can further improve retention estimates if desired.

MV12WE
MV12WE Retention Estimates (days)
      Motion (hrs/day) 0-8 8-16 16-24 Max Motion
Resolution Video Quality Frame Rate Per Stream Bandwidth Usage (kbps) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Absolute Min (days)
720p Standard 8 fps 500 53 70 48 66 40 65 21
720p Enhanced 15 fps 765 34 44 31 41 29 38 14
1080p Standard 8 fps 1024 21 33 19 28 17 26 10
1080p Enhanced 15 fps 1562 15 21 13 19 13 17 7
1080p High 24 fps 3138 7 11 7 9 5 8 3
MV12W/N
MV12W/N Retention Estimates (days)
      Motion (hrs/day) 0-8 8-16 16-24 Max Motion
Resolution Video Quality Frame Rate Per Stream Bandwidth Usage (kbps) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Absolute Min (days)
720p Standard 8 fps 500 110 142 106 140 99 137 43
720p Enhanced 15 fps 765 70 88 63 82 49 73 28
1080p Standard 8 fps 1024 43 66 39 58 37 54 21
1080p Enhanced 15 fps 1562 28 42 24 38 22 33 14
1080p High 24 fps 3138 14 21 13 18 11 17 7
MV22
MV22 Retention Estimates (days)
      Motion (hrs/day) 0-8 8-16 16-24 Max Motion
Resolution Video Quality Frame Rate Per Stream Bandwidth Usage (kbps) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Absolute Min (days)
720p Standard 8 fps 500 102 142 92 135 86 135 44
720p Enhanced 15 fps 765 68 86 63 82 51 75 29
1080p Standard 8 fps 1024 42 65 39 57 34 52 21
1080p Enhanced 15 fps 1562 27 42 26 37 22 35 14
1080p High 24 fps 3138 13 21 12 18 11 16 7
MV22X
MV22X Retention Estimates (days)
      Motion (hrs/day) 0-8 8-16 16-24 Max Motion
Resolution Video Quality Frame Rate Per Stream Bandwidth Usage (kbps) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Absolute Min (days)
720p Standard 8 fps 500 217 285 189 278 149 265 91
720p Enhanced 15 fps 765 133 181 131 163 124 149 59
1080p Standard 8 fps 1024 80 123 79 121 72 115 44
1080p Enhanced 15 fps 1562 56 86 54 80 53 75 30
1080p High 24 fps 3138 28 43 25 36 21 32 14
4MP Standard 8 fps 3096 21 32 20 28 19 25 15
4MP Enhanced 15 fps 8192 8 13 8 11 7 10 6
MV72
MV72 Retention Estimates (days)
      Motion (hrs/day) 0-8 8-16 16-24 Max Motion
Resolution Video Quality Frame Rate Per Stream Bandwidth Usage (kbps) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Absolute Min (days)
720p Standard 8 fps 500 104 142 93 140 91 139 44
720p Enhanced 15 fps 765 59 86 58 84 53 78 29
1080p Standard 8 fps 1024 39 61 38 58 35 54 21
1080p Enhanced 15 fps 1562 26 41 25 37 23 35 14
1080p High 24 fps 3138 13 20 13 18 12 17 7
MV72X
MV72X Retention Estimates (days)
      Motion (hrs/day) 0-8 8-16 16-24 Max Motion
Resolution Video Quality Frame Rate Per Stream Bandwidth Usage (kbps) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Absolute Min (days)
720p Standard 8 fps 500 220 291 202 289 189 282 91
720p Enhanced 15 fps 765 130 176 123 174 122 172 59
1080p Standard 8 fps 1024 79 119 75 112 72 111 44
1080p Enhanced 15 fps 1562 57 83 52 77 47 71 30
1080p High 24 fps 3138 25 39 24 36 23 34 14
4MP Standard 8 fps 3096 20 31 20 28 18 27 15
4MP Enhanced 15 fps 8192 7 11 7 11 7 11 6
MV52
MV52 Retention Estimates (days)
      Motion (hrs/day) 0-8 8-16 16-24 Max Motion
Resolution Video Quality Frame Rate Per Stream Bandwidth Usage (kbps) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Absolute Min (days)
720p Standard 8 fps 500 563 585 524 577 523 570 181
720p Enhanced 15 fps 765 338 369 326 367 269 366 119
1080p Standard 8 fps 1024 183 274 182 267 160 251 89
1080p Enhanced 15 fps 1562 123 180 121 169 117 161 58
1080p High 20 fps 3138 64 83 61 82 55 75 29
4MP Standard 8 fps 3096 49 85 45 84 43 71 29
4MP Enhanced 15 fps 8192 18 28 18 27 17 26 11
4K (8MP) Standard 8 fps 5000 28 47 27 45 27 39 18
4K (8MP) Enhanced 15 fps 8000 19 28 17 27 16 24 11
MV32
MV32 Retention Estimates (days)
    Motion (hrs/day)   0-8 8-16 16-24 Max Motion
Resolution Video Quality Frame Rate Per Stream Bandwidth Usage (kbps) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Absolute Min (days)
1080 x 1080 Standard 8 fps 1024 41 61 40 59 36 53 21
1080 x 1080 Enhanced 8 fps 2048 20 31 19 30 19 28 11
2112 x 2112 Standard 8 fps 1024 29 42 27 40 26 36 21
2112 x 2112 Enhanced 8 fps 3096 9 14 9 13 9 12 7
2112 x 2112 High 15 fps 5120 5 8 5 8 5 7 4
MV63
MV63 Retention Estimates (days)
      Motion (hrs/day) 0-8 8-16 16-24 Max Motion
Resolution Video Quality Frame Rate Per Stream Bandwidth Usage (kbps) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Absolute Min (days)
1080p Standard 8 fps 950 60 81 58 77 57 71 23
1080p Enhanced 15 fps 1400 31 41 30 40 29 39 15
1080p High 24 fps 2800 15 20 15 19 15 18 8
4MP Standard 8 fps 2800 20 25 15 23 15 21 8
4MP Enhanced 15 fps 6000 6 9 5 8 5 7 4
4MP High 24 fps 9000 4 7 4 6 3 5 2
MV63X
MV63X Retention Estimates (days)
      Motion (hrs/day) 0-8 8-16 16-24 Max Motion
Resolution Video Quality Frame Rate Per Stream Bandwidth Usage (kbps) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Absolute Min (days)
1080p Standard 8 fps 950 245 313 239 305 234 291 94
1080p Enhanced 15 fps 1400 148 171 136 171 117 145 64
1080p High 24 fps 2800 62 75 59 79 52 73 32
4MP Standard 8 fps 2800 65 92 52 85 48 81 32
4MP Enhanced 15 fps 6000 27 43 25 36 23 33 15
4MP High 24 fps 9000 16 22 14 21 14 20 10
4K (8MP) Standard 8 fps 4500 34 44 31 41 27 39 20
4K (8MP) Enhanced 15 fps 8000 15 25 14 21 14 20 11
MV93
MV93 Retention Estimates (days)
      Motion (hrs/day) 0-8 8-16 16-24 Max Motion
Resolution Video Quality Frame Rate Per Stream Bandwidth Usage (kbps) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Low (days) High (days) Absolute Min (days)
1080 x 1080 Standard 8 fps 950 56 68 52 66 45 66 23
1080 x 1080 Enhanced 15 fps 1400 35 42 32 42 29 41 15
1080 x 1080 High 24 fps 2800 18 26 16 20 10 17 8
2112 x 2112 Standard 8 fps 2800 17 22 14 21 8 17 8
2112 x 2112 Enhanced 15 fps 6000 7 10 6 9 6 8 4
MV93X
MV93X Retention Estimates (days)
Resolution Video Quality Frame Rate Per Stream Bandwidth Usage (kbps) Absolute Min (days) Low (days) High (days)
1080 x 1080 Standard 8 fps 950 94 237 281
1080 x 1080 Enhanced 15 fps 1400 64 122 173
1080 x 1080 High 24 fps 2800 32 55 88
2112 x 2112 Standard 8 fps 2800 32 67 93
2112 x 2112 Enhanced 15 fps 6000 15 26 39
2112 x 2112 High 24 fps 9000 10 18 27
2880 x 2880 Standard 8 fps 4500 20 36 51
2880 x 2880 Enhanced 15 fps 8000 11 17 28
MV13
MV13 Retention Estimates (days)
Resolution Video Quality Frame Rate Per Stream Bandwidth Usage (kbps) Absolute Min (days) Low (days) High (days)
1080p Standard 8 fps 950 23 36 60
1080p Enhanced 15 fps 1400 15 19 39
1080p High 24 fps 2800 8 14 19
4MP Standard 8 fps 2800 8 15 18
4MP Enhanced 15 fps 6000 4 6 9
4MP High 24 fps 9000 2 4 6
4K (8MP) Standard 8 fps 4500 5 7 10
MV33
MV33 Retention Estimates (days)
Resolution Video Quality Frame Rate Per Stream Bandwidth Usage (kbps) Absolute Min (days) Low (days) High (days)
1080 x 1080 Standard 8 fps 950 23 40 76
1080 x 1080 Enhanced 15 fps 1400 15 33 40
1080 x 1080 High 24 fps 2800 8 14 17
2112 x 2112 Standard 8 fps 2800 8 18 23
2112 x 2112 Enhanced 15 fps 6000 4 7 10
2880 x 2880 Standard 8 fps 4500 5 10 13

Motion-based retention

Video retention can be further extended by enabling motion-based retention. By default, Meraki MV cameras record footage continuously, however in some situations it may be required to only record and store events triggered by motion. Motion-based retention addresses this requirement and can be used to increase video retention of the camera. Click here for more information. 

Cloud Archive

Cloud Archive allows extension of video retention by backing up footage to the cloud in addition to storing footage on-camera. Click here for more information. 

Checking estimated retention time

To check the estimated retention time of a specific camera, follow these steps:

  1. In the Meraki Dashboard, navigate to Cameras > Monitor > Cameras. Select a camera.

  2. Go to the Settings tab and navigate to Quality and Retention.

  3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the estimated retention time.

Suggestions for improving the retention time of footage are also listed alongside the estimated retention time.

clipboard_e045b9b145370865ce4b54e6be3c2e1f5.png

Setting a maximum retention time

Some users may want to limit how much footage their cameras can retain (for example, to meet regulatory requirements). To address this, maximum retention limits can be enabled. Follow these steps:

  1. Go to Camera > Monitor > Cameras. Select a camera.

  2. Go to the Settings tab and select the Quality and Retention tab.

  3. Select the dropdown menu under Maximum Retention Limit > When the footage is older than <option>

Footage will be recorded and deleted in the same way as before, on a first-in-first-out basis, until the maximum retention time is reached.
Screenshot 2023-05-23 at 2.24.35 PM.png

Disabling video retention with recording schedules (live video only)

Some users may want to disable video retention completely, such as to meet regulatory requirements. To enable "live video only" mode, apply a recording schedule that disables recording 24/7. Click here for more information.

This will disable the creation of motion metadata. Motion heatmaps will not generate for live video only cameras. 

Editing setting for many cameras using profiles

In a large scale camera deployment, consider using quality and retention profiles and APIs to configure camera settings in bulk.

Deleting video from a camera

When a camera nears the full capacity of its internal storage, it will automatically start deleting the oldest video stored. To delete all footage, remove the camera from its network. This can be done by selecting the camera checkbox under Camera > Monitor > Cameras and clicking the move or remove option.

Screen Shot 2021-03-05 at 11.28.05 AM.png

Note: When changing Quality and retention settings, there is a brief interruption in the recorded video due to the cameras internal recording services applying the new settings.

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