Security & Surveillance
IP Camera Bandwidth Reference
Typical Mbps per camera by resolution and codec, plus the scaling rules for frame rate and scene complexity. Use alongside the IP Camera Bandwidth Calculator.
Last updated: July 2026
Terms
- GbEGigabit Ethernet
- A network connection speed of 1,000 megabits per second — the common standard speed for wired office and data-center networks today.
- H.264video compression standard
- A widely-used method for compressing video so it takes up less storage space and network bandwidth, while keeping reasonable picture quality. The older, more universally-supported of the two common camera codecs.
- H.265video compression standard
- A newer, more efficient version of H.264 — it needs roughly half the storage and bandwidth for the same picture quality, but not every camera or recorder supports it.
- H.265+vendor-enhanced video compression
- A manufacturer-tuned version of H.265 that saves even more space by being smarter about static scenes — it uses less data when nothing is moving in the picture.
- NVRNetwork Video Recorder
- The device (or software) that records and stores video footage from network/IP cameras — the modern, network-based equivalent of an old-fashioned DVR.
Typical Bitrate by Resolution & Codec
Mbps per camera at 30 fps, medium scene complexity (typical traffic) — the baseline the calculator scales from.
| Resolution | H.264 | H.265 | H.265+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2MP (1080p) | 4 Mbps | 2 Mbps | 1.2 Mbps |
| 4MP | 8 Mbps | 4 Mbps | 2.4 Mbps |
| 5MP | 10 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 3 Mbps |
| 8MP (4K) | 16 Mbps | 8 Mbps | 4.8 Mbps |
H.265 ≈ 50% of H.264 for the same visual quality; H.265+ ≈ 30% of H.264 (a further ~40% saving over H.265), more on static scenes, less on busy ones.
How to Read the Table
Mbps/camera = baseline(resolution) × (fps ÷ 30) × codec factor × scene factor
The table above already applies the codec factor at 30 fps and medium scene (scene factor = 1.0). To estimate a different frame rate or scene, scale the table value directly:
Frame rate: linear — half the fps ≈ half the bitrate (15 fps ≈ 50% of the 30 fps table value).
Scene complexity: static ≈ 60% of medium, complex ≈ 140% of medium — same resolution and codec, very different real-world bitrate.
Scene Complexity Factors
| Scene | Factor | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Static | × 0.6 | Empty corridor, night with little motion |
| Medium | × 1.0 | Typical foot/vehicle traffic (table baseline) |
| Complex | × 1.4 | Busy junction, crowd, constant motion |
Modern codecs are content-adaptive — the same camera pointed at a different scene can vary bitrate more than a full resolution step.
Network Planning Notes
| Term | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Network overhead | Add ~20% on top of raw camera bitrate for protocol/network overhead — the calculator default |
| 1 GbE uplink | ≈940 Mbps usable (≈94% of nominal 1000 Mbps) — plan headroom, don't run to the wire |
| Sub-stream | Many NVRs record a low-res second stream (often ~1 Mbps) alongside the main stream — add it to the total if used |
| Datasheet CBR | Manufacturer datasheet bitrates are usually lab CBR maximums — real-world VBR average is normally lower |
Frequently Asked Questions
H.264 vs H.265 vs H.265+?
H.265 typically needs about half the bandwidth of H.264 for the same visual quality. H.265+ (vendor-tuned smart codec) can save around 70% versus H.264 on static scenes. Check that both camera and NVR/VMS support the codec.
Why does scene complexity matter?
A busy junction with constant motion encodes far more data per second than a quiet night-time hallway, even on the identical camera and settings — often a bigger swing than a full resolution step.
Do these numbers match my camera's datasheet?
Not necessarily. Datasheet bitrates are usually lab CBR maximums on a fixed test scene. Real-world average bitrate with VBR is normally lower and scene-dependent — treat this table as a planning reference, not a guarantee.