All Mevo cameras are compatible with microSD cards (SD, SDHC, and SDXC formats), including high-capacity cards up to 1TB. While there is no limit on storage size, your card must meet minimum performance requirements to reliably handle video recording, especially at higher bitrates.
Understanding Write Speed Requirements
Mevo cameras record video based on the bitrate you’ve selected in the app. To ensure smooth recording and prevent issues like frame drops, corrupted files, or premature file splitting, your card must support a sustained write speed that exceeds your selected bitrate.
For example, if you record at 30 Mbps, you’ll want a card with a sustained write speed of at least 40–50 Mbps to account for bitrate spikes and overhead. This helps ensure reliability during longer recordings or high-motion footage.
How to Check Your Card’s Ratings
If you're unsure whether your card is suitable, check the front of the microSD card for symbols. Here’s what to look for:
- U1 — A "1" inside a U: Supports minimum 10MB/s sustained write speed (sufficient for 720p or low bitrate 1080p)
- U3 — A "3" inside a U: Supports minimum 30MB/s sustained write speed (recommended for 1080p and 4K)
- V30 / V60 / V90 — Part of the Video Speed Class, these indicate minimum sustained speeds of 30, 60, or 90MB/s respectively
- A1 / A2 — Application performance ratings that focus on random read/write speeds for apps; helpful but not a direct video performance spec
You may see several of these symbols on the card. If you see both a U1 and A1, the card is only guaranteed for 10MB/s sustained write speed. For full HD and 4K recording, choose cards with U3 or V30 ratings.
Recommended Brands
Not all microSD cards are created equal. Generic or no-name brands often have inflated capacity ratings, lower write speeds, and may cause footage loss or corruption. Avoid cards that are dramatically cheaper than well-known options.
To ensure performance and long-term reliability, we recommend using microSD cards from trusted brands such as:
- SanDisk (Extreme, Extreme Pro series)
- Samsung (EVO Plus, PRO Plus series)
- Lexar (Professional or High Performance series)
- Kingston
- PNY (Performance or Turbo series)
- Transcend
These brands typically provide more consistent write speeds, better heat tolerance, and fewer compatibility issues.
For long or high-bitrate recordings, we also recommend formatting your card using exFAT instead of FAT32. This reduces the likelihood of file splitting and allows for longer continuous recordings. You can format cards within the Mevo app or using your computer.
Troubleshooting microSD Card Issues
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When recording with your Mevo camera to a microSD card, the available recording time depends on your chosen quality setting and the bitrate you've configured. Since Mevo supports customizable bitrates, understanding how to calculate estimated recording time can help you plan ahead.
How to Calculate Estimated Recording Time
The calculation is simple:
For example, if you're using a 128GB card (which is ~128,000MB), and recording at 20Mbps:
- 128,000MB × 8 = 1,024,000 megabits
- 1,024,000 ÷ 20 = 51,200 seconds = 14.2 hours
This formula is helpful if you adjust your bitrate from the defaults in the Mevo app.
Standard Bitrate Reference
| Resolution | Typical Recording Bitrate | Streaming Range |
|---|---|---|
| 4K | 40 Mbps | Not supported for streaming |
| 1080p | 20 Mbps | 1.2–6 Mbps |
| 720p | 10 Mbps | 0.7–2 Mbps |
| 480p | 4.5 Mbps | 0.4–1.5 Mbps |
| 360p | 2.5 Mbps | 0.3–1 Mbps |
If you are livestreaming while recording, your stream will continue uninterrupted even if your microSD card fills up. However, your local recording will stop once space runs out.
Estimated Recording Times by Card Size (Default Bitrates)
These estimates assume default recording bitrates and may vary slightly based on video complexity.
| Quality | 16GB | 32GB | 64GB | 128GB | 256GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 360p (2.5 Mbps) | ~14 hrs | ~28 hrs | ~57 hrs | ~114 hrs | ~228 hrs |
| 480p (4.5 Mbps) | ~8 hrs | ~16 hrs | ~33 hrs | ~66 hrs | ~132 hrs |
| 720p (10 Mbps) | ~3.5 hrs | ~7 hrs | ~14 hrs | ~28 hrs | ~56 hrs |
| 1080p (20 Mbps) | ~1.75 hrs | ~3.5 hrs | ~7 hrs | ~14 hrs | ~28 hrs |
| 4K (40 Mbps) | ~50 min | ~1.6 hrs | ~3.2 hrs | ~6.4 hrs | ~12.8 hrs |
Scene Complexity Affects Recording Time
- High-motion scenes (e.g. sports) use more bitrate, resulting in shorter recordings.
- Low-motion scenes (e.g. interviews) compress more easily and result in longer recordings.
Bitrate fluctuation is normal — Mevo automatically adjusts based on scene activity to balance quality and file size.
Troubleshooting
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