What memory card for monitoring and video recorder to choose [guide]

Purchasing a memory card may seem like a simple task. There are only a few popular standards on the market. Then just select the capacity and speed class you are interested in. Nothing could be more wrong. A quick purchase of a memory card without a thorough analysis of your needs may result in the permanent loss of extremely valuable data. A simple example. We had a cullet, but we are calm because we have had a video recorder installed in the car for a long time. When you try to download the material, it turns out that the memory card is damaged and does not allow you to play the extremely valuable video material. This scenario is more likely than you might think.

Monitoring and video recorders need special memory cards with increased durability that are adapted to continuous operation under load and in changing weather conditions. In today's guide, we show how to choose the right memory card for video surveillance and video recorders, which are becoming more and more popular on Polish roads.

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The memory card is not forever

At the very beginning, a few dry facts that we usually forget. First of all, the memory card, like other flash memory, is not immortal. Each model has a certain durability and will fail sooner or later. Unfortunately, most buyers are still mainly guided by price and capacity. Hardly anyone bothers with the speed classes and the purpose of memory cards.

At this point, it should be emphasized that video surveillance significantly contributes to reducing the life of the memory card. All because of the continuity of recording without interruptions for many hours and work in unfavorable weather conditions - summer heat and negative temperatures in winter.

You can't cheat physics

Current memory cards are the size of a penny, and yet they offer capacities that were not dreamed of a few years ago. Unfortunately, memory cells have a certain number of write and read cycles. After exceeding it, the memory card stops working.

What do you need to know about a memory card for monitoring and video recorders?

Below we explain what parameters you should pay attention to when choosing a memory card that will be used in an IP camera or video recorder .

Memory card format

There are several types of memory cards available in stores. The easiest way to classify them is by size:

Currently, the most popular format is microSD. All because of small dimensions, attractive price and satisfactory technical parameters. There are also SD and CF memory cards on the market. They are most often used in SLR cameras. Nano Memory cards are a novelty, which is currently used by practically only one manufacturer - Huawei.

It is worth remembering that the microSD memory card can be easily changed into an SD memory card thanks to the adapter.

Recording technology

Recording technology is one of the most important parameters of surveillance memory cards. It determines the lifetime and reliability of the memory card. It is also directly related to the price. On the market you will find memory cards equipped with one of three recording technologies:

Unfortunately, manufacturers rarely boast about the recording technology used in a given model. MLC technology is usually used in monitoring memory cards. You won't buy SLC memory cards in ordinary electronics stores - they are intended for professionals. It is definitely not worth buying memory cards that use TLC recording technology. They tempt with a low price and decent technical parameters, but they are very unreliable.

Memory card class

The memory card class determines the speed at which the memory card is able to write files. The higher the speed class, the better the performance of the memory card. Unfortunately, the division is not unambiguous. Initially, memory cards were marked with a speed class - Class 2,4,6,10. With the advent of faster and more capacious models, UHS classifications were introduced. Currently, however, the V 6,10,30,60,90 video recording speed classification is used, where the number indicates the maximum data transfer rate in MB/s.

Without going into details, for video surveillance and video recorders recording in Full HD resolution, a Class 10 or UHS 1 memory card is enough. It allows you to record 10 MB/s.

If you want to record in 4K, it's worth reaching for a memory card with a speed class of V 30. It allows you to record 30 MB / s, which allows you to record movies in 2K and 4K resolution.

Memory card capacity

Currently, memory cards with a capacity of 16 GB to even 1 TB are available on the market. In the case of video surveillance and video recorders, 32 GB is the absolute minimum. A memory card with this capacity will allow you to save several dozen hours of footage from an IP camera or several hours of driving in Full HD resolution.

A memory card with a capacity of 128 GB will be the optimal choice. It's the perfect compromise between capacity and price.

Before choosing the capacity of the memory card, check whether the camera or video recorder supports such capacity. Some devices cannot handle large memory cards.

In the table below, you can see how much video material a memory card with a capacity of 32 GB to 256 GB can store.

Error correction mechanism

It is worth making sure that our memory card for monitoring and video recorder has an error correction mechanism. Studies show that a classic 32 GB microSD card gives up after recording about 800-1000 hours of footage in Full HD resolution. Memory cards dedicated to video recorders and monitoring are able to work several or even several dozen times longer. All due to the presence of an error correction mechanism and the adaptation of the structure to work in unfavorable weather conditions.

For example, the Kioxia Exceria High Endurance memory card with a capacity of 128 GB, designed for video recorders, is able to record up to 40,000 hours of footage in Full HD resolution.

Current prices in stores KIOXIA Exceria High Endurance microSDXC 256GB memory card PLN 242. KIOXIA Exceria High Endurance microSDXC 256 GB memory card PLN 244. from ordinary models with standard strength. Considering the fact that they work several times longer, and the risk of losing valuable data is much lower, it is definitely worth buying a model with increased durability. Remember that the recording on the memory card from the video recorder or IP camera can save you from huge costs. A quick calculation shows that a seemingly expensive memory card becomes a profitable investment.

High Endurance V30 or higher memory cards with a capacity of 64 GB or 128 GB are the optimal choice.

Are you thinking about buying a car camera? Check how to install it without having to take the car to the workshop.