One of the most important features of the modern security camera is the ability to preserve captured data. Most cameras provide both high-resolution stills and video clips. Both can be triggered by motion. They both also serve distinctly different purposes.
Anyone looking to add video cameras to a security setup should take the time to learn how stills and video differ and whether they need to retain both. Most consumers save at least some data, so it is also helpful to know how long to keep recordings.
Stills vs. Video: What’s the Difference?
We are all familiar with the format differences between still shots and videos. Still shots capture a moment in time, while video captures continuous action. From a security standpoint, the differences run far deeper. The most fundamental difference is context.
1. Still Snapshots
A still image is a single high-resolution photograph. It’s taken the moment motion is detected or a sensor is triggered. Because it captures only a single moment in time, its storage requirements are minimal. A single still can be kilobytes instead of megabytes. Stills are also easily transferable, making them ideal for push notifications.
The downside is that an image capturing one moment in time doesn’t tell you much. It certainly doesn’t reveal what happened seconds after the original shot was taken.
2. Video Clips
A video recording captures continuous motion and synchronized audio (if a camera is equipped with such capabilities). Its main advantage is that it offers more context. Video reveals things like directional movement, threat severity, event sequence, and perhaps even intent.
The downside is that video data requires a lot more network bandwidth and storage capacity. A small SD card could fill up quickly if a camera takes too many videos.
Do You Need to Store Both?
Most modern home automation platforms can handle both still images and videos. But do you need both? According to Vivint Home Security, most people don’t. But they explain why cameras and home automation platforms produce both.
Snapshots are ideal for attaching to phone notifications. By viewing the image that comes with an alert, a homeowner can see what triggered the camera. An attached photo is more informative than a plain text message that simply says something like, ‘your camera has been triggered’.
If a snapshot attached to a phone alert suggests a genuine emergency, video will supply the continuous motion and context needed to take action. This suggests that the real value is in the video data. So while snapshots are good for phone alerts, there’s really no need to store them long term.
How Long Should You Keep Security Camera Data?
As far as how long security camera data should be stored, it really depends on how the homeowner is handling storage. A consumer with terabytes of local storage could save months of data and not worry about running out. Another consumer with a cloud storage subscription has to keep in mind that additional data has a tendency to increase subscription prices.
From a practical standpoint, a rolling 7-14 day window of data storage is usually sufficient. Anything older than two weeks is probably too stale to be of any use anyway. In the event a home is burglarized, the homeowner can always download relevant videos and store them permanently without disrupting his rolling window setup.
There is plenty of debate among consumers over still images and video data. It’s nice that we can have this debate because it means our video cameras are producing valuable data that can be leveraged to keep our homes safer.