“It is estimated that the average person is captured on video eight to twelve times each day…..and so is the average crook."

Adjunct Video Services  is pleased to serve as your one-stop shop for analysis of your security tapes and Digital Video Recordings.

What is Forensic Analysis ?

Forensic Video Analysis is the science involving the examination, enhancement, and comparisons of images captured by video cameras and recorded to videotape, computer hard drive or any other digital media.

Adjunct Video Services has one of the few technologies outside of the FBI and other agency crime labs that will enhance surveillance video into clear and understandable images. With video cameras everywhere these days, it is frequently possible to find a camera that recorded an incident, but making the images understandable requires a skilled technician with the right tools — and we have both.

With our Forensic Video tools, we can decode multiplexed images, turn time-lapse video into real-time, stabilize unsteady surveillance video, track images of a person in a large crowd, pull readable information from dark areas of the video or complete a host of additional analysis tasks.

Deciphering Surveillance Video

 

Surveillance cameras appear in virtually every corner of our lives, capturing each one of us on video an average of 8 to 12 times every day. American businesses and individuals spend approximately $2 billion on surveillance equipment every year.

 

More often than not, however, culling any workable evidence from these poor-quality videos is extremely difficult, if not impossible.

 

Forensic video tools can assist law enforcement officers and trial attorneys in obtaining credible evidential material from surveillance videos. The tools can also enhance otherwise unviewable portions of the tape.

FORENSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS TOOLS

De-Interlacing       Most multi-camera systems record to the same videotape, recording the images in sequence at the rate of 1/60 of a second each. Though this system is efficient while it is running and recording, the interlaced playback can be difficult to decipher.

One second of video is comprised of 30 frames. Each frame contains two interlaced fields. A single second of field-based, multiplexed video contains 60 unique images, far too many for the human eye to comprehend when played back in a standard VCR. Many multiplexed devices record a single camera image on each field of video, but most playback machines only display the odd field hiding all of the video evidence contained in the even field.

We can quickly and easily separates each individual frame of video into two unique images, allowing us to examine the evidence at the field level. Field-based examination frequently reveals images normally lost to the investigator.

De-Multiplexing    Most playback machines only display the odd field during playback, hiding all of the video evidence contained in the even field. De-Multiplexing separates each camera angle to a separate timeline, allowing us to isolate the relevant camera(s) and enabling us to watch the action from each camera separately, or as "matrix" video clips - a single video clip with up to sixteen individual camera views playing simultaneously.

Comparative Analysis     Reverse Projection and reliable height analysis are made easy with the superimpose feature. After isolating a suspect on video, we can superimpose a calibrated measurement standard over the suspect's picture and then 'look through' one video track into another. This simple comparison clearly determines the suspect's actual height.

Time Lapse Footage     We can convert time-lapse video into real time. When played on a standard VCR, time-lapse video plays back far too quickly for an analyst to easily assess the incident. When we slow the recording to real-time, it becomes possible to clearly analyze the entire incident.

Video Acquisition       We can digitize full-screen (720 x 486) uncompressed NTSC video from any composite, components, S-Video, DV or MPEG 50 video source.

Uncompressed Video     We capture video to our system using a 1:1 video option (industry standard ITU-R 601), digitizing footage with no quality degradation. Most monitors do not show the entire captured footage, leaving some areas unseen. We digitize video at the industry standard 720 x 486 pixel matrix (349,920 pixels), ensuring analysis of every pixel.

Capturing Digital Surveillance      We use DVR decoding software which will digitize the original footage and then duplicate the file in an uncompressed digital format for analysis and processing.

Frame Averaging       Many times crucial details are hidden in video due to poor lighting or improperly adjusted and maintained cameras and video equipment. When dealing with color video, details are often more prevalent in one color than another. We can isolate the video color space that holds the most valuable information. With the click of the mouse, we can compensate for the poorly exposed video. By analyzing the entire video, or just a region of interest, we automatically adjust brightness, contrast and gamma to bring out more detail.

We can remove noise and video graininess through a time-lapse processing technique called frame averaging. When the target remains still for even a moment, video noise and other transient items like rain and snow are removed, revealing the details hidden beneath.

Highlighting/Masking      Our software allows us to highlight an area of video or just as easily obscure an area to hide sensitive information. We can select an area with a user-defined shape. The size and position of this shape can change over time to track moving objects. By darkening the outside area, we focus attention on critical portions of the evidence. By applying a mosaic or blur, we can hide sensitive information like faces and license plates. Effects such as blur, mosaic and scatter can be applied selectively to both the inside and outside of the target area.

Image Stabilization      Our software allows us to draw a region of interest box around an unstable area of video and allows the computer to track and stabilize the video.  We can stabilize vertically, horizontally, or both. This allows us to analyze video shot with hand-held or amateur video cameras.

Collection of Video Tape Evidence Stop the recorder and before ejecting the tape, record the time on the recorder as well the time on your watch, to the second, if possible. Further note the position counter on the tape recorder as times are consistently incorrect - sometimes being off by hours Next, write down the information about the recorder including the manufacturer, the model, the time lapse mode and any other recorder settings After ejecting the tape, break off the “write protect” tab (located on spine) so the tape cannot be recorded over by accident Label and package the tape and contact Adjunct Video Services The video may provide images, statements or other physical evidence as part of the crime. It might also provide evidence of innocence Proper preparation and planning are key to the success of gathering video evidence for processing NOTE: All the above will not be successful without the careful purchase and maintenance of your video surveillance equipment