One of the functions of a video surveillance system is ensuring the safety of people and the security of property. Surveillance cameras handle these tasks well. Above all, they help prevent offenses. Over time, footage accumulates. At some point, you need to free up space for new recordings. How do you delete a video surveillance recording? That's what this article is about.

Reasons for Deletion

There are various reasons to clear out a video surveillance archive:

  • •          Deleting a recording frees up space for new footage when the storage medium is simply overloaded.
  • •          The file is damaged, corrupted, or poor-quality camera installation resulted in useless video.
  • •          Previously recorded files are no longer needed.
  • •          There's a risk that the surveillance system could be hacked.

The last point is the most important one and requires special attention. The reasons a surveillance system gets hacked vary widely, from simple mischief to blackmail and financial theft. In this case, deleting recordings can, to some extent, give you peace of mind about the fate of certain footage. But you have to keep this in mind constantly and take appropriate measures.

Let's Get Practical. 2 Methods of Deletion

Before deleting any video surveillance recordings, review them one more time. Consider whether law enforcement officers might need them for investigating an offense. If you're confident that's not the case, go ahead and delete the material you no longer need.

How do you delete a recording from a surveillance camera?

Some cameras automatically overwrite the oldest recording with new footage, so there's no need to separately delete old files. Otherwise, the footage will need to be deleted manually, either from local storage or from the cloud archive.

From a Local Server

Recordings in local storage are kept in a folder on a computer or a recorder (DVR/NVR). This is usually a single folder that both old and new files are saved to. Once you access the folder, you can delete the entire folder or select individual files to remove.

The settings can help ensure the oldest files are erased first, followed by newer ones.

From the Cloud

Cloud storage is the safest and most virtually unlimited way to keep an archive. If nothing else, the archive isn't at risk of physical damage or destruction by an intruder. Even if the camera itself is stolen or destroyed, all the recordings remain in the cloud.

You can delete unnecessary files from cloud storage in the app's personal account. Only an authorized user with management rights has personal access to the archive. Only the owner of the footage can partially or fully delete the recorded material.

Faceter's Features

Today, many people on the video surveillance market rely on the services of the trusted provider Faceter. Faceter's cloud video surveillance service isn't just feature-rich — it also gives users confidence in the security of their stored video files. All system updates happen automatically.

Read the article “Cloud Video Surveillance for Business: Set It Up in 3 Steps” if you need video surveillance for business purposes.

The provider is responsible for data storage, and only the owner can view the material. There's no single way for an outsider to gain access to the archive.

Cloud storage is time-limited. You can choose the retention period yourself, based on your needs. Faceter's cloud video surveillance plans let you pick the best option for your situation. There's also a free plan.

Conclusion

Modern technology makes it possible to shift more and more human concerns onto the “shoulders” of artificial intelligence and smart video surveillance. Cloud storage remains today's safest, simplest, and most cost-effective service in terms of both expense and maintenance. Working with Faceter's specialists lets you hand off everything related to your video surveillance system to professionals and feel completely at ease about it.

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