CCTV footage typically lasts between 1 and 4 weeks before the recorder automatically overwrites the oldest files to make room for new recordings. The exact duration depends on a few key factors: hard drive size, camera count, recording resolution, and whether continuous or motion-only recording is used.
Most home systems with 3-4 cameras recording continuously in 4K will get around 10-14 days of footage on a 2TB drive. Switching to motion-only recording can stretch that significantly - often to 3-4 weeks or more - because the system only writes to disk when something is happening.
The UniFi Protect system that Doberman installs uses a local Network Video Recorder (NVR) with built-in storage. It manages recording retention automatically and shows you exactly how many days of footage you have available at any time through the app. When the drive fills up, the oldest footage is overwritten first - you do not need to manually delete anything.
If you need to keep specific footage - for example, after an incident - you can export clips directly from the UniFi Protect app to your phone or computer before they are overwritten. Doberman walks you through this during the handover so you know how to save important recordings.
For properties that need longer retention - some businesses require 30 days or more - Doberman can spec a larger hard drive or adjust recording settings to hit the target. During the site survey, we will recommend the right storage capacity based on your camera count and how long you want footage to last.