Introduction

Watching your CCTV cameras in gCMOB on mobile data can quietly eat through a monthly pack. The good news is that gCMOB’s data use is easy to predict, and with the right settings you can cut it by 75% or more.

Short answer: gCMOB uses about 115–230 MB per camera per hour in sub stream (SD), and about 0.9–1.8 GB per camera per hour in main stream (Full HD). Viewing four cameras at once uses four times as much.

This guide explains where those numbers come from, shows monthly examples for common setups, and lists the settings that save the most data.

How gCMOB Data Usage Works

gCMOB itself barely uses any data. Almost all of it is the video stream your DVR sends to your phone, and its size is set by the camera’s bitrate.

Main stream vs sub stream

Every CP Plus camera channel sends two streams, set in the DVR under Main Menu → Camera → Encode:

• Main stream: the high-quality stream the DVR records, usually Full HD or higher. It gives the sharpest picture and uses the most data.
• Sub stream (Extra stream): a smaller, lower-quality copy made for live viewing on phones. It uses a fraction of the data.

gCMOB lets you switch between the two with one tap during live view.

The simple formula

You can work out the data for any camera from its bitrate:

MB per hour = bitrate in kbps × 0.45

That comes from kbps × 3,600 seconds ÷ 8 bits per byte ÷ 1,000. For example, a sub stream at 512 kbps uses 512 × 0.45 = about 230 MB per hour.

Find your camera’s real bitrate in the DVR’s Encode menu, then plug it into the formula. CP Plus also has an official HDD & Bandwidth Calculator for multi-camera systems.

gCMOB Data Usage per Hour

The sub stream uses about a quarter of the data of a Full HD H.265 main stream. These figures use common CCTV settings; your DVR’s actual bitrate may differ.

Three things change these numbers in real life:

• Playback costs more than live view. Recordings are saved in the main stream, so reviewing old footage uses main-stream data even if you watch live in sub stream.
• Busy or night scenes use more. With variable bitrate (VBR), a quiet room uses less than the figure above, while moving traffic or noisy night video uses close to the maximum.
• H.265 saves 30–50% compared with H.264 at similar quality, depending on the scene.

Monthly gCMOB Data Usage: Real Examples

Watching one camera in Full HD costs as much data as watching four cameras in sub stream. These estimates assume 30 days a month.

For most people, a few short daily checks in sub stream fit easily inside a normal mobile package. Long Full HD sessions on mobile data are what drain it.

To measure your own usage, open Android Settings → Network & internet → Data usage, find gCMOB, and set a monthly data warning.

9 Ways to Reduce gCMOB Data Usage

The first two tips alone cut most people’s data use by 75%. Only tip 3 touches your recordings, and Smart Codec is designed to keep the important parts sharp.

1. Watch live in sub stream. In gCMOB live view, tap the stream button to switch to Sub/Extra. Switch to main stream only when you need to zoom into a face or number plate.
2. Lighten the sub stream on the DVR. Open Main Menu → Camera → Encode, select the sub stream, and set CIF or D1 resolution, 256–512 kbps and 10–15 fps. Phone screens don’t need more.
3. Use H.265 and Smart Codec for the main stream. If your recorder supports them, they shrink the main stream, which makes playback cheaper too. Smart Codec lowers the bitrate for unimportant parts of the video.
4. Open fewer cameras at once. A 16-camera grid streams 16 videos. Open 1 or 4, or make a Favorites group of the cameras you check most.
5. Close live view when you’re done. Leaving gCMOB open on a live screen keeps streaming until you exit.
6. Let alerts tell you when to look. Turn on motion push notifications. An alert uses almost no data, and you only open video when something happens.
7. Do playback on Wi-Fi. Recordings stream in main stream, so save long reviews for home or office Wi-Fi.
8. Search playback, don’t scroll it. Use the date, time and motion-event search to jump straight to the moment you need.
9. Set a data warning. In Android data usage settings, set a monthly warning for gCMOB so you’re never surprised.

Don’t Forget the DVR Side: Upload Data

Every megabyte your phone downloads in gCMOB, your DVR has to upload. This matters most when the recorder runs on a 4G router or a SIM with a monthly limit.

• Recording uses no internet. The DVR saves footage to its own hard disk. Internet data is used only when someone views remotely, plus a small amount to keep P2P connected.
• Each viewer adds up. If two family members each watch 4 sub-stream cameras for 30 minutes a day, the DVR’s SIM uploads about 27.6 GB a month.
• Upload speed must cover the stream. Four sub streams at 512 kbps need about 2 Mbps of steady upload. If the connection is slower, video stutters or gCMOB shows a timeout.

For a 4G-powered site such as a farm, shop or construction site, keep sub streams light and avoid remote playback in Full HD. CP Plus’s HDD & Bandwidth Calculator helps size the connection for larger systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much data does gCMOB use per hour?

About 115–230 MB per camera per hour in sub stream, and about 0.9–1.8 GB per camera per hour in Full HD main stream. Multiply by the number of cameras you open at once.

Does gCMOB use data when the app is closed?

Almost none. Video streams only while live view or playback is open; push alerts use only a tiny amount.

Does my DVR use internet data while recording?

No. Recording goes to the DVR’s hard disk. The DVR uses internet data only when someone views it remotely, plus a small amount to stay connected through P2P.

Why does playback use more data than live view?

The DVR records in the main stream, so playback streams high-quality footage. Live view can use the lighter sub stream.

Is 1 GB enough to check my CCTV every day?

Yes, for short checks. At about 230 MB per hour in sub stream, 1 GB covers roughly 4 hours of single-camera viewing.

How do I see exactly how much data gCMOB used?

Open Android Settings → Network & internet → Data usage and select gCMOB. It shows mobile and Wi-Fi usage separately.

Does H.265 really save data?

Yes. H.265 typically needs 30–50% less bitrate than H.264 for similar picture quality, which means less data for playback and main-stream viewing.