SD cards or No SD cards

factor01

Getting the hang of it
Feb 9, 2025
112
65
TN
Do we always put sd cards in all cameras even if we have nvr or not?

Pros? Cons? why?

I ask since I dont do this now and it might be a n3wb mistake.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mat200
We put them in for redundancy in the event the NVR or VMS goes out or is stolen.

Only real con is some cameras get wonky when the SD card is failing, but a format or drive SD card fixes that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mat200 and factor01
I decided against it, just more to go wrong and more things to touch. The less to touch on the camera the better IMO

I run Blue Iris with 4+ months recording and then Frigate with 1 day recording for redundancy, and that 1 day is synced to Backblaze B2 every 1 minute
 
  • Like
Reactions: mat200 and factor01
Totally a personal preference based on your assessment of benefits vs. liabilities for your situation. I'll say only that it's a lot easier to put the card in before you mount the camera, than to do it later after changing your mind.
 
I don't.

If my NVR gets stolen or burns down, the cameras will no longer have power to operate and record anyway.

So unless you're powering your cameras via something other than the same cable/PoE, I dont see where it makes any sense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mat200 and factor01
I don't.

If my NVR gets stolen or burns down, the cameras will no longer have power to operate and record anyway.

So unless you're powering your cameras via something other than the same cable/PoE, I dont see where it makes any sense.

But the cameras would have recorded the perps coming in before they stole the NVR.

Advantage BI where the POE is separate :lmao:
 
Ok so it think I get this out of it:
Its like insurance but cheaper ;)
SD cards are cheap.
Provide some fault tolerance in Disaster recovery.
No immediate drawbacks
Other than might not be worth it on preexisting cams without them.
Put in place on first maintenance.
 
No immediate drawbacks

The big drawback for me is that a faulty SD card can cause the camera to be kinda wonky

Which is more likely to fail, the camera or the SD Card? The SD card by a mile
 
The SD card

I am sort of just talking out loud here for myself. I am taking your points into account.

Also its why I included the word Immediate. I don't see a SD card failing in the first year or so. If it does no biggie for me.

Plus mine is just simple home system. I don't have my surveillance setup on multiple servers, software and backblaze. I also only have 6 cameras.

BTW worked in Houston for some years on the Katy side. Love the Texmex..
 
  • Like
Reactions: mat200
If you use an SD card, you should also only set the SD cards to record on motion.

They really get wonky quick if recording 24/7. It is well documented here that most cameras do not do well with 24/7 recording to SD cards.

In most instances when the SD card fails, it simply quits recording to the card, and there have been a few instances of the camera rebooting.

If the camera is a hard to get to location, many times a reformat buys you time (maybe days or years), but you can also hit the "hot swap" button in the GUI and it will then ignore the card until you replace it.

I don't consider it that big of a deal for the extra redundancy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mat200
is that a feature on most Cams not sure I have seen it. Currently mine dont have cards.

It is on every camera I have that has an SD card as it allows you to remove the SD card without powering down the camera and not corrupt the card or cause the camera to spaz out removing memory while it is writing to it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mat200
it allows you to remove the SD card without powering down the camera
Oh cool. I bet the new 54ir I just got has this.