The Argus 2 supports the use of micro SD cards, allowing users to store files locally and add up to 64GB of space to their wireless security camera. Recorded videos can be replayed via the Reolink app, without any additional subscription fees. But user always want to know how to delete video on Reolink Argus 2? Is it possible to delete CCTV footage? How do you delete the footage off a security camera? This could be easy or nearly impossible, depending on whether you have the administer rights to the camera. And today we’ll introduce all feasible solutions for you to remove the CCTV footage from DVR, NVR, SD card and computer.
How could you delete the OLD recorded files in DVR? What to do if the SD card storage is full. In fact, you DON’T need to do that when the HDD is full. That’s because the DVR or NVR systems will automatically overwrite the oldest recorded data, so you will always have the latest CCTV footage.
How to delete video on Reolink Argus 2 via Reolink App?
Applies to: Argus 2, Argus Pro, Reolink Go, Argus Eco, Reolink E1, Reolink E1 pro, Reolink E1 Zoom, and Reolink Lumus
The following steps describe how to quickly delete recorded videos from Reolink cloud via Reolink App.
Step 1: Launch Reolink App and log in to your cloud account, then click Cloud Recording and turn to the recording page.
Step 2: Select the videos you need to delete, and then click on the Delete icon.
How to delete certain video footage on Reolink Argus 2 from Micro SD card?
Applies to: Reolink cameras with Micro SD card slot.
The answer is YOU CANNOT. Reolink cameras do not support deleting certain video footage that stored on the Micro SD card via Reolink software. If you want to delete the clips, you need to take out the Micro SD card to delete them on the computer.
If you don’t want to take out the Micro SD card, the camera will automatically overwrite the old files when the SD card is at capacity and then continue to record. You may refer to the following methods to format the SD card to erase the recorded videos or check the status of the Micro SD card in the camera.
So is it possible to wipe CCTV footage?
The short answer is YES if you are the camera owner instead of the intruder. The thing is that if you want to delete the CCTV footage, whether it is stored in the SD card or an NVR/DVR, you have to come to the camera settings which will need the admin password to it.
Can someone delete surveillance recordings by hacking?
Not a chance!
These days the quality IP cameras from top CCTV camera brands, are secured with SSL encryption to encrypt the video feed and surveillance footage, WPA2-AES encryption to secure users’ WiFi network, and SSL-TLS to provide data encryption and authentication when video feeds are sent across insecure networks.
Some IP cameras can sound very loud alarm if you try to tamper it. And the camera owners can set email alerts which enable photos or video clips to be sent to their phone or FTP server. So they will know it immediately if anything happens.
What’s more, some security cameras support cloud storage. So even if you destroy the CCTV footage and the local storage device, the camera owners will still get a copy secured in the cloud.
However, if you have admin rights, it’s another story. You can delete the CCTV camera footage as you want.
How to delete CCTV footage off SD card?
If the recordings are stored in the SD card, you can format the SD card directly via the camera software to clean up all the video footage. If you only want to delete certain individual clips, you need to take out the SD card from the camera and delete those unwanted recordings via a card reader on your computer. Take Reolink cameras as an example. To format and delete CCTV history, you only need to:
Step 1.Log into the camera on Reolink Client and come to its Device Settings.
Step 2. Find the Micro SD card info and click the Format button to delete all the recording files from SD card.
Check the video tutorial to delete security camera recordings from SD card:
How to delete CCTV video Footage on Argus 2 from DVR/NVR?
How do I erase what is recorded on DVR? How to delete camera recordings from NVR? Formatting the DVR or NVR HDD is the way to go. And here is how to delete all video footage on CCTV DVR/NVR, taking Reolink cameras an example:
Step 1. Connect your DVR/NVR to a monitor.
Step 2. Log in to the DVR/NVR and come to its Device Settings.
Step 3. Find the disk management option, and then you can format the hard disk drive to delete all your camera’s video history and snapshots.
Tips: Rest assured that your former DVR/NVR configurations, like the motion detection mode and email settings, will remain the same after you format its HDD.
How to Delete Security Camera Data from PC
Some may prefer to record IP cameras to their computer or laptop than a dedicated DVR/NVR. If you are one of them, follow the below steps to clear CCTV footage:
Step 1. Connect security cameras to PC. (How?)
Step 2. Find the file on PC according to its storage path.
Step 3. Select and delete specific recordings.
Don’t Be Fooled: This method seems to enable you to delete video clips like particular 1 day recording, but it is not, actually. Those specific recordings will still remain on the SD card or PC unless they are reformatted with the above steps.
How long does footage stay on security cameras?
Find it difficult for you to delete the video evidence? You may eager to know, in this case, how long a security camera can keep records. The answer depends on the storage space, camera’s resolution, compression, bit rate and the number of cameras, as the formula requires:
Recording Days = Storage Space (GB) * 10242 * 8/ Bitrate (kb/s) * 3600 * 24 * Cameras
Generally speaking, with 1 TB built-in HDD, the NVR security systems, can support 4 cameras doing 24/7 recording in Full HD (1080p) for 6 days, before the recordings get erased. And some users may also schedule the system to motion detection mode or add external HDD to record longer periods.
Can CCTV footage be recovered?
There could be those desperate moments when you find the security camera footage is deleted by mistake, or the important recordings got overwritten before you have a chance to check it out or back it up.
So you may ask: How do I retrieve deleted DVR video recordings? Can we recover a CCTV’s DVR videos that were overwritten?
The simple answer:
You can have the CCTV footage recovered. Even if any video is deleted it does not get erased permanently and the video data still remains on the hard drive unless overwritten.
There are companies who are able to recover formatted, deleted and overwritten data on hard drives. You may search online for hard drive recovery services. And there could be a cost for it, depending on the data loss situation, the damage of your CCTV/DVR footage, and the CCTV/DVR storage drive’s data storage capacity and condition.