On this page
- What is the difference between on-premise and cloud CCTV storage?
- How do on-premise and cloud CCTV storage compare?
- How does the DPDP Act affect CCTV footage?
- How much bandwidth does cloud CCTV recording need?
- What happens during internet outages and power cuts?
- How should you plan retention and chain of custody?
- Which option suits offices, schools, warehouses and societies?
- How DVM Techno Can Help
- FAQs
Key takeaways
- On-premise recording keeps footage inside your building and keeps working when the internet goes down; cloud recording adds offsite safety but depends on upload bandwidth.
- CCTV footage of identifiable people is personal data, so India's DPDP Act is relevant to how you collect, secure, retain and delete it.
- Continuous cloud recording of many cameras needs a lot of sustained upload bandwidth, which many Indian office and warehouse connections cannot spare.
- A hybrid approach, recording locally and backing up selected footage offsite, suits most businesses.
What is the difference between on-premise and cloud CCTV storage?
On-premise storage records footage to a DVR, NVR or server inside your building; cloud storage streams footage over the internet to a provider's servers. Both let you view and play back footage, but they behave very differently when bandwidth is limited, the internet fails or you need to hand over evidence.
- On-premise: cameras record to local disks. Remote viewing, if enabled, pulls video from your site only when someone is watching.
- Cloud: cameras or a small gateway upload video continuously or on events. Footage is stored and played back from the provider's platform.
- Hybrid: full recording on-premise, with a copy of selected cameras, events or clips sent to a NAS at another location or to S3-compatible cloud storage.
How do on-premise and cloud CCTV storage compare?
On-premise wins on bandwidth independence, control and outage resilience; cloud wins on offsite protection against theft or fire at the site. Here is a practical comparison.
| Factor | On-premise | Cloud | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet dependency | Records without internet | Needs stable upload to record | Local recording continues; backup resumes later |
| Upload bandwidth | Minimal (only for remote viewing) | High and continuous | Only for selected footage |
| Where footage sits | Inside your building | Provider's data centre | Both |
| Risk of recorder theft or damage | Footage can be lost with the recorder | Footage safe offsite | Critical footage safe offsite |
| Ongoing dependency | Your own hardware | Subscription to provider | Hardware plus storage account |
| Access control | Managed by you | Managed on provider's platform | Managed by you, backup secured separately |
| Evidence export | Direct from local recorder | Download from platform | Either |
How does the DPDP Act affect CCTV footage?
CCTV footage that shows identifiable people is generally treated as personal data, so the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and its rules are relevant to how businesses handle it. This section is general information, not legal advice; speak to a lawyer for your specific situation.
In broad terms, the Act expects organisations handling personal data to use it for a clear purpose, protect it with reasonable security safeguards, and not keep it longer than needed. For CCTV, that translates into practical questions:
- Purpose: are cameras there for security and safety, and is footage used only for that?
- Notice: do visible signs tell employees, students, residents and visitors that the area is under CCTV?
- Access: who can view, play back and export footage, and is that access logged and limited?
- Security: are recorders password-protected, updated and not exposed directly to the internet?
- Retention and deletion: is there a defined retention period after which footage is overwritten automatically?
- Third parties: if a cloud provider or security agency processes footage, what does your contract say about security and data location?
On-premise storage does not remove these duties, but it keeps the number of parties handling footage small. With cloud storage, you also need clarity on where data is stored and how the provider protects it.
Write a one-page CCTV policy covering purpose, camera areas, retention, who has access and how exports are approved. It helps with compliance conversations and with day-to-day discipline.
How much bandwidth does cloud CCTV recording need?
Continuous cloud recording needs sustained upload bandwidth for every camera, all day, every day. Most broadband plans are sold on download speed, and upload is often much lower and shared with everything else in the office.
Bandwidth per camera depends on resolution, frame rate, codec (H.265 uses less than H.264 for similar quality), scene activity and whether you upload the main or a lower-quality sub-stream. A warehouse in Manesar or Bilaspur with many cameras watching busy docks will need far more upload than a small clinic with two cameras.
- List cameras and the resolution you actually need for each area.
- Check the bitrate each camera is configured to send.
- Add them up and compare against the real upload speed of your connection at peak office hours.
- Leave headroom for video calls, cloud apps and backups that share the same line.
If the numbers do not fit, cloud providers usually reduce quality, record only on motion, or buffer and upload later, each of which affects what evidence you will have.
What happens during internet outages and power cuts?
On-premise recording keeps running during an internet outage; pure cloud recording may stop or depend on a small local buffer. Power cuts affect both unless you plan for them.
- Internet outage: a local NVR or VMS keeps recording. Cloud cameras may have an SD card buffer that uploads later, but capacity and reliability vary.
- Power cut: put the recorder, PoE switch and router on a UPS. Without the switch powered, IP cameras go dark regardless of storage location.
- Crash recovery: check how the recorder behaves after an unexpected shutdown. DVM VigiCore is built for crash-safe recording, so footage written before the shutdown remains readable.
- Deliberate tampering: an intruder may cut power or cables. Offsite backup of key cameras protects against losing the recorder itself.
How should you plan retention and chain of custody?
Decide how long footage is kept and how incident clips are exported, stored and handed over, before an incident happens. Retention drives storage size; chain of custody determines whether exported footage is trusted.
Retention depends on your risk, sector, and any client, landlord or insurer expectations. Keep routine footage only as long as needed, but preserve incident clips separately and for longer.
- Identify: note the camera, date and time range of the incident.
- Export: export the clip in its original quality. Lossless export, as in VigiCore, avoids re-encoding that can blur detail.
- Record: log who exported it, when, and why.
- Store: keep the original copy in a restricted folder or storage location and work only on copies.
- Hand over: record when and to whom a copy was given, for example the police, an insurer or management.
Role-based permissions help here: a guard can watch live view, a manager can play back, and only designated staff can export. For choosing the recording platform itself, see NVR vs DVR vs VMS.
Which option suits offices, schools, warehouses and societies?
For most Gurgaon and Delhi NCR sites, on-premise recording with selective offsite backup is the most practical choice. Pure cloud can work for very small setups with few cameras and good upload bandwidth.
| Site type | Suggested approach | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate office (Cyber City, Golf Course Road) | On-premise VMS plus backup of entry and server room cameras | Many cameras, shared internet, access control needs |
| Warehouse (Manesar, Bilaspur) | On-premise with offsite copy of dock and gate cameras | High camera count, heavy footage, theft risk |
| School | On-premise with strict role-based access | Footage involves children; limit who can view and export |
| Residential society | On-premise at the security room, backup of gate cameras | Large area, RWA and agency need different access |
| Small shop or clinic | On-premise recorder or small cloud plan | Few cameras; choose based on upload speed |
Workplace camera layout is covered in our guide to office CCTV installation, and smart alerts that run without sending video out are explained in AI CCTV analytics.
How DVM Techno Can Help
We help businesses set up on-premise recording with optional offsite backup, using our own VigiCore software. VigiCore runs on Windows 10/11 or Windows Server, records ONVIF/RTSP IP cameras locally, and can back up to S3-compatible storage or a NAS. Footage never has to leave the building unless you choose to back it up. Our Gurgaon team can help plan storage, roles and export workflows; contact us to discuss your site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cloud CCTV storage safer than on-premise?
It is safer against one specific risk: losing footage when the recorder is stolen, damaged or destroyed on-site. It adds other dependencies, such as upload bandwidth, internet uptime and a third party holding your footage. Many businesses get the best of both by recording on-premise and backing up only critical cameras or incident clips to offsite or cloud storage.
Does the DPDP Act apply to CCTV footage?
CCTV footage that captures identifiable individuals is generally considered personal data, so the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 is relevant. In practical terms, businesses should have a clear purpose, visible notice, reasonable security, limited access and a defined retention period. This is general information only; consult a legal professional for advice specific to your organisation.
Will my CCTV keep recording if the internet goes down?
An on-premise DVR, NVR or VMS keeps recording without internet because cameras and recorder talk over your local network. You only lose remote viewing until the connection returns. Pure cloud cameras may stop recording or rely on a limited local memory card buffer. A UPS for the recorder, switch and router protects against power cuts too.
How long should CCTV footage be retained?
There is no single period that fits every business. Consider your risk level, sector, and any requirements from clients, landlords or insurers, and avoid keeping routine footage longer than needed. Set automatic overwrite for routine recordings and export incident clips separately, storing them securely with a record of who exported and handled them.
What is chain of custody for CCTV footage?
Chain of custody is the documented record of how a clip was exported, stored and handed over, showing it was not altered. It includes the camera, time range, who exported it, when, where the original is kept and who received copies. Exporting in original quality and restricting export permissions make footage more reliable as evidence.
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