iCSee Camera SD Card Size, Format and Cloud Storage

The limit appears on the BESDERSEC A6, the SDTNOVA and GESKS pan-tilt models, the three-lens three-screen PTZ, the solar camera, the bulb camera and the dual-lens PoE PTZ. Where a maker gives no figure, 128GB is the safe assumption.

• 32GB (SDHC): enough for motion-only recording on one lens, or a day or two of continuous 1080p.
• 64GB (SDXC): a middle size, and a sensible floor for any camera with two lenses.
• 128GB (SDXC): the default for a dual-lens or 4K camera, or anything recording around the clock.

Speed class rarely decides the right SD card for iCSee camera recording. Even an 8 Mbps stream writes about one megabyte a second, well inside the 10MB/s floor of a Class 10 or U1 card. A U3 card costs more and gains nothing here.

Some cameras arrive with a card. The Anssipo 3-lens includes 32GB, and the 4K dual-screen PTZ and solar camera have versions with one. Swap an included card for a high-endurance 128GB one once the camera is settled.

A stream at 2 megabits per second writes about 0.9GB an hour. A 128GB card therefore holds roughly 142 hours, just under six days, of continuous recording from one lens at that rate.

• Two lenses write two streams, so halve the figures for a dual-lens camera.
• H.265 needs roughly half the data of H.264 for a similar picture; the GESKS single-lens, the HIKJBSET and the three-lens three-screen PTZ use it.
• Motion-only recording writes only when something moves, and a quiet yard can stretch a card to weeks.
• Night and rain raise the data rate, because noise and moving droplets are harder to compress.

These are sums, not promises. The real rate depends on each camera's quality setting and the scene.

To see your own figure, record continuously for a day, then open the storage screen in the camera's settings. The space used in 24 hours, divided into the card's size, gives the days it will hold before the oldest footage is overwritten. More on how resolution drives the rate is in the resolution guide.

1. Power the camera off and slide the card in, contacts facing the way the slot label shows, until it clicks.
2. Power it on and open the camera in the iCSee app.
3. Open the device settings and find the storage section, where the card's capacity should appear.
4. Choose format and confirm; it wipes the card.
5. Set the recording mode to continuous or to alarm-only, and make sure overwrite is on.
6. Play back a clip after an hour to prove that recording works.

Cards up to 32GB come formatted as FAT32; 64GB and 128GB cards usually arrive as exFAT. Most iCSee cameras handle both after formatting in the app. If one refuses a large card, format it to FAT32 on a computer first and then again in the app.

Windows' built-in format window does not offer FAT32 for cards larger than 32GB, so that job needs a dedicated formatting tool. On a Mac, Disk Utility's MS-DOS (FAT) option does the same.

• Format again after moving a card between cameras.
• Format again after a firmware update if playback shows errors.
• Check the storage screen monthly for a card that suddenly shows zero capacity.

1. Card missing or unread: the storage screen shows no capacity. Reseat the card with the power off.
2. Never formatted: the camera sees the card but cannot write; format it in the app.
3. Alarm-only mode: the camera records only on motion, so a quiet day leaves nothing. Switch to continuous if you want everything.
4. Overwrite off: the card filled and stopped. Turn overwrite on so the oldest footage is replaced.
5. Wrong clock: recordings exist but sit under another date or hour. Set the time zone in the app.
6. Worn card: capacity shows, formatting fails or clips break off. Replace it with a high-endurance card.

Worn cards are the slow cause and the easiest to miss. A card that has rewritten itself for a year or two can fail quietly, so the camera appears healthy while nothing is saved. A monthly glance at playback catches it.

If the camera also drops offline, storage is not the first suspect. Power and Wi-Fi faults stop recording too; the offline fixes take those in turn, and a camera that still misbehaves can be cleared with the reset steps.

Many iCSee cameras offer paid cloud storage through the app. The SDTNOVA describes it as encrypted, and the GESKS, the 10x dual-lens and the three-lens three-screen PTZ all list it as an option. The card keeps working without a plan.

• Cloud: survives theft and fire; costs a recurring fee and uses your upload bandwidth; usually keeps event clips rather than every hour.
• Local recorder: an NVR or a PC keeps weeks of footage inside the house, with no monthly fee. It needs ONVIF or RTSP support on the camera.
• Built-in storage: the three-lens three-screen PTZ lists 256GB inside the housing beside its card slot.
• Snapshots: the BESDERSEC A6 can send alarm snapshots to email or an FTP server as they happen.

A local copy is straightforward: the A6, the SDTNOVA and the HIKJBSET all work with ONVIF software such as Blue Iris, and the SDTNOVA also names QNAP and Synology. The stream addresses and ports are set out in the RTSP and PC guide.

Whichever backup you choose, lock the account behind it. Use a strong password, share cameras through the iCSee app instead of handing out the login, and remove old phones from the account when they are replaced.