CCTV Troubleshooting: Camera Shows Live View but Does Not Record

Diagnose CCTV systems where live video works but recording is missing, intermittent or shorter than expected.

Check the HDD

Inspect storage health, capacity and recorder errors. A failed or unsuitable drive can leave live viewing operational while recordings fail.

Check the schedule

Confirm the channel has the intended continuous, motion or event schedule. Verify date, time and time zone settings.

Check the recording stream

Verify that the recorder receives the intended stream and that resolution, codec and bitrate are within recorder capabilities.

Check retention

If older footage disappears too soon, compare actual bitrate, camera count and recording hours with the planned retention. Motion recording can vary with activity.

Run a controlled playback test

Create a known event, note its exact time and confirm that the footage can be found and played back.