The Role of SSD in CCTV: Enhancing Storage Performance
You may have heard the term SSD in CCTV and don’t understand what it is or why SSDs are used in CCTV. If this is the case, then you’re at the right place where you can get a clear concept about it.
The Solid State Drive as known as SSD is a hard drive where you can store all kinds of data. As CCTV records footage, they need to store it somewhere. SSD is the place where all the footage is stored and administrators can get access to the footage from there when needed.
In this article, we will explain what is the purpose of SSD in CCTV, how it works, what are the benefits, and when you shouldn’t use SSD in CCTV. So, let’s read by the end of this article to learn about what is SSD in CCTV in detail.
What Is the Purpose Of An SSD In CCTV?
To understand what an SSD does in CCTV, you need to understand what is a Hard Drive. A hard drive is a storage device that is known as the data house for a computer. Currently, there are basically two types of hard drives used to store data –
- HDD (Hard Disk Drive).
- SSD (Solid State Drive).
CCTVs provide 24/7 surveillance to monitor your property. But in case any incident happens on your property, you’ll need to check the footage of the exact time when the incident occurred. For that, the footage needs to be stored somewhere.
SSD is used to store the recorded footage of CCTV cameras. However, there are also other types of hard drives that are used to store the data of a CCTV. Let’s check below.
What Types of Hard Drives Are Used in CCTV?
CCTV uses almost all types of storage drives to store data based on the type of CCTV. For example, some CCTV uses SD card to store data whereas some Internet-based CCTVs used the cloud to store the data. Primarily, the non-internet-based CCTVs use either HDD or SSD to store data.
Here is the list of hard drives to store data in CCTV –
- SSD
- HDD
- SD Card
- USB Flash Drive
Previously HDDs are used in most CCTV cameras to store data. But we all know that the reading and writing speed of an SSD is way too faster than an HDD. Also, the lifespan of SSDs is longer than HDDs. That’s the reason why most people use SSDs to store data for their CCTV.
Let’s learn in detail which is better for a CCTV below.
Which Is Better for CCTV – HDD or SSD?
Due to high performance, and reliability, SSD is a good choice for CCTV rather than HDD. It not only consumes less power but also decreases lag and increases the performance of a CCTV. However, using SSD in CCTVs is problematic too.
Some CCTVs are required to record footage at a low speed and SSDs aren’t the best option in that case. Again, as SSDs are expensive, you’ll get less space on an SSD than an HDD at the same cost. In that case, you need to use the HDD as the storage device for your CCTV if you’re planning for long-term use.
Let’s check the advantages and disadvantages of using SSD in CCTV cameras.
Benefits of Using SSDs in CCTV
Here are the benefits of using SSDs in CCTV:
1. Faster IOPS
Input/Output Operations Per Second, in short IOPS, determines how fast you can access, modify, read/write, or transfer data from a storage device. The IOPS of SSD is faster than HDD. So, SSD is the better option for CCTVs.
2. Required Lower Power
SSD requires lower power to run than HDD. As you have to use the hard drive continuously for CCTV, SSD is the best option for saving your electric bill.
3. More Reliable
SSDs are more reliable than HDDs because of their shock and temperature resistance ability. HDDs are composed of a magnetic disk that can easily get damaged due to vibration, extreme heat, or if it is dropped. But SSDs use shock and heat-proof chips that won’t damage if it is dropped. Extreme high or low temperatures also can’t affect SSD.
4. Less Noise
As SSD isn’t composed of any kind of disk, it won’t make any noise as HDD does. As CCTV prefers silence, SSD is the best option for it.
Drawbacks of Using SSDs in CCTV
Although SSDs in CCTV has a lot of advantages, they have some drawbacks too.
1. Expensive
You may already know that the maximum capacity of an HDD is up to 26 TB whereas the maximum capacity of an SSD is up to 100 TB. As the storage capacity of SSD can be bigger than HDD, you may think SSD is the best option. But in CCTV, you need to use a hard drive for the long term and you’ll need more storage for this. As SSDs are too much expensive than HDDs, they aren’t suitable for long-term use in CCTV.
2. Overheating
As SSDs are used long-term in CCTV, you may face overheating issues with SSD. Overheating can damage the stored footage on SSD used by the CCTV. However, it doesn’t mean you won’t face overheating issues with HDD.
Frequently Asked Questions And Answers
Can I Use SSD in CCTV DVR (Digital Video Recorder)?
Yes, you can use SSD in DVR of CCTV. However, using SSD in CCTV DVR, in the long run, can slow down the SSD as it supports a finite write cycle while it has to write footage continuously. So, the answer is yes you can but it’s not a good deal.
Is SSD Good for CCTV?
In the case of CCTVs, the most important factor is reliability. As SSDs are more reliable than HDDs, it is a good option for CCTVs. But you have to keep in mind that it is hard to extract or restore data if an SSD fails. Whereas restoring data from HDD is much easier. In that case, HDDs are more reliable.
Conclusion
All the terms about what is SSD in CCTV are explained in this article. We hope you have no confusion about what is the purpose of SSD in CCTV after reading this guide. If you still have any confusion regarding this topic, don’t hesitate to ask in our comment section below. Thanks for reading.
