Saving Your Video Clips and Recordings

Tapo and Kasa Smart Cameras provide robust systems for constantly recording and saving AI or motion events locally and to the cloud.

If you are unsure what to look for when choosing a storage method or don't know where to start, check out the following sections.

• SD Card Requirements
• Recommended Size of SD Cards by By Video Quality
• Cloud Storage with Kasa Care and Tapo Care
• ONVIF / RTSP compatibility for select Tapo Cameras

 

The quality of your video stream will also be impacted by the camera's connection to your wireless network. If you are experiencing video skipping issues or long wait times for the live view, try first turning down the video quality or moving the camera closer to your router / mesh node. Changing the Video Quality of the camera will not affect the quality of the footage saved to the SD Card.

 

Does Tapo Care Support Recording of 24/7 Footage?

• No, 24/7 Recording is only supported when using an SD Card. Tapo and Kasa Care will only store various Motion and AI Activated Recordings for 30 Days.

SD Card Storage Options

What Should I Look for When Buying an SD Card for My Camera?

Each camera has a different maximum supported capacity for the SD Card. Please check the specifications or user guide for your camera to verify the maximum capacity of your camera. Cameras with the following storage capacities are available from Tapo and Kasa:

• Tapo Cameras Support MicroSD Cards Ranging from 8 GB – 512 GB
• Kasa Cameras Support MicroSD Cards Ranging From 8 GB – 256 GB

 

• microSDHC (8 GB - 32 GB)
• microSDXC (64 GB – 512GB)

 

What Size SD Card Do I Need to Record 'X' Amount of Hours?

The recording time of your camera and SD Card will largely depend on your camera's video quality.

 

Estimated 24/7 Recording Time by Video Quality and SD Card Capacity:

Video Quality	SD Card Capacity	Estimated 24-Hour Recording Time (Hours)
3MP (2304*1296)	8GB	16
	16GB	32
	32GB	64
	64GB	128
	128GB	256
	256GB	512
1080P (Full HD)	8GB	24
	16GB	48
	32GB	96
	64GB	192
	128GB	384
	256GB	768

 

 

Supported SD Card Format: FAT32 only. You can format the SD Card directly from your app once installed into the camera. Please be aware that formatting any SD Card will result in a complete loss of the data on the card.

 

3MP? What Quality Video Quality Is That?

3MP, or Megapixels, is another form of rating the quality of a video feed when the resolution does not fit into a predetermined category, such as 1080p, 2K, or 4K. The approximate dimensions for each video resolution can be found below:

 

Resolution	Image Size
480p	640×480
720p	1280×720
1080p	1920×1080
2K	2048×1080
3MP	2048×1536
4K	3840×2160

 

How To View 24/7 Recordings in the Tapo App | How to View 24/7 Recordings in the Kasa App

Or Change the Quality of Your Tapo Camera

 

Cloud Storage Options:

Tapo and Kasa also offer Cloud Storage through their subscription options. Besides bringing more advanced features such as Rich Notifications and Video Sharing, these services allow you to store up to 30 Days of Event Recordings in the cloud.

No more worrying about missing the notification or your camera being stolen.

Learn More About the Benefits of Tapo Care  | Learn More About the Benefits of Kasa Care

 

Tapo ONVIF/RTSP Compatibility:

Some Tapo Cameras that use a hardwired power connection are compatible with the ONVIF and RTSP Protocols. This feature will allow users to record Video Footage to a separate NVR over your local network.

Please check your camera's specifications or user guide for ONVIF/RTSP compatibility before purchasing a camera.

Note: You cannot record to both the SD Card and a Separate NVR simultaneously.

How to View Tapo Camera Streams Through RTSP?

 

Having Trouble with Your SD Card or Setting up Your Camera to Record?

Leave a Comment Below, or Check Out or FAQs:

            General Questions About Tapo Smart Cameras

            General Questions about Kasa Smart Cameras

Change the Quality of Your Tapo Camera