Dashcam Storage Calculator

Storage usage depends on resolution and bitrate. A 1080p dashcam at 8 Mbps recording 8 hours per day uses approximately 28 GB. A 4K dashcam at 32 Mbps uses about 112 GB for 8 hours. Dual camera setups double these numbers. Use our calculator above to get exact figures for your setup.

For a single 1080p dashcam recording 8 hours daily: 64 GB gives ~2 days, 128 GB gives ~4 days, 256 GB gives ~9 days. For 4K or dual-camera setups, 256 GB or 512 GB is recommended. Most dashcams support up to 256 GB or 512 GB microSD cards.

Yes. 4K (2160p) video uses roughly 4x more storage than 1080p at comparable quality settings. 1440p (2K) uses about 2x more than 1080p. The bitrate setting is the primary factor — higher bitrate means better quality but more storage consumption.

With a 1080p dashcam at 8 Mbps bitrate: approximately 36 hours of continuous recording, or about 4.5 days at 8 hours/day. With a 4K dashcam at 32 Mbps: approximately 9 hours of continuous recording, or about 1 day at 8 hours/day.

Loop recording automatically overwrites the oldest footage when the SD card is full, so recording never stops. Most dashcams record in 1-5 minute segments. Important clips (from G-sensor events or manual locks) are protected from being overwritten. This means you don't need massive storage — just enough to cover your desired retention period.

Use high-endurance microSD cards specifically designed for continuous recording (e.g., Samsung PRO Endurance, SanDisk High Endurance). These cards are rated for thousands of hours of read/write cycles. Regular SD cards can fail prematurely in dashcams due to constant recording. Look for cards rated U3/V30 or higher with A2 app performance class.

A dual dashcam (front + rear) typically needs 1.5x to 2x the storage of a single camera, since the rear camera often records at a lower resolution. For example, a front 1080p + rear 720p setup at 8 hours/day needs about 42 GB per day. A 256 GB card would last about 6 days.

Parking mode typically uses less storage than driving mode because most dashcams switch to motion-detection or time-lapse recording when parked. Instead of continuous recording, it only saves clips when motion is detected, significantly reducing storage consumption — often using only 1-5 GB per 24-hour parking period.

For 1080p, 6-12 Mbps is typical (8 Mbps is a good balance). For 1440p/2K, 12-20 Mbps is recommended. For 4K, 25-40 Mbps provides good quality. Higher bitrate means better video detail (important for reading license plates) but uses more storage. Check your dashcam's spec sheet for the exact bitrate setting.

Some newer dashcams support 1 TB microSD cards, but many are limited to 256 GB or 512 GB. Always check your dashcam's maximum supported card size in the manual. Using a card larger than supported may cause recording failures or data corruption.

Format your dashcam SD card every 1-2 months to prevent file fragmentation and recording errors. Always format the card in the dashcam itself (not in a computer) to ensure the correct file system. Back up any important footage before formatting.

Yes. Video quality is directly tied to bitrate, which determines file size. Higher quality settings (higher bitrate) produce clearer footage with better detail for reading license plates and identifying faces, but consume more storage. H.265 codec uses about 30-50% less storage than H.264 at the same quality level.