A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is a silent testimony that speaks for itself. Isn’t it? There is no doubt that video can be powerful evidence, but there are many factors that can affect its availability, completeness, and reliability of interpretation, thus reducing its validity or even misleading.
The popularity of private security systems has led to a surge in the use of CCTV cameras. Nowadays, the widespread use of smart phones has increased the storage capacity of video databases. Video recorded by these devices is increasingly being used to detect and convict crimes.
From CCTV to mobile cameras and body cameras, video evidence is abundant and is only expected to increase. But to make the most of it, every digital forensics investigator needs to know the basics of video forensics.
What is video forensics
Video forensics is the scientific examination and evaluation of video footage in legal matters. In the era of analog video, analyzing video was a relatively simple task, but the spread of digital video changed everything. Video forensics includes forensics, recovery and video analysis.
Video forensics usually begins with the recovery of video footage. At the same time, today’s video extraction devices have a variety of specifications that require the use of different software, file systems, and codecs.
What is video forensic analysis
Forensic video analysis involves a detailed investigation documenting the course of the incident, the cause, the offender and the equipment involved, however, it may be a simple investigation where you just want to identify the victim and his location or understand the location of witnesses to verify their testimony.
We all know that videos can be distorted by shape, size, color, and time, and when these key factors are distorted, it can lead to wrong conclusions. In other words, you may need to perform advanced operations such as video comparison, height recognition, and speed analysis for sophisticated video analysis, or even more advanced forensic video analysis.
In order to better practice forensic video analysis, it is necessary to consider many factors when conducting forensic analysis of video evidence.
The importance of video forensic analysis
Video images are rich in information. However, extracting and mining this information is very complex and difficult. By judging, detecting and analyzing video images, video analysis technology can filter out useless or disturbing information, extract key useful information from video sources, provide intuitive and valuable video image basis for investigation work, and promote the smooth progress of work.
Data forensics analysis usually involves complex professional and technical knowledge, and for non-professionals, professional skills are scarce, and the use of relevant tools and software may have certain learning difficulties and technical thresholds. Customers may be confused and challenged to understand how to properly operate and utilize tools for data forensics and corroboration. Therefore, customers often need to seek professional services to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the forensics process.
The specific functions of video forensic analysis
Video forensics analysis often needs the help of tools, investigators can use MTM – video forensics software, professional to solve the video accurate extraction, playback, time calibration and fixing difficulties, perfect to achieve the process of monitoring evidence extraction (recovery), fixing, analysis of the full process of efficient and integrated operation.
MTM – video forensics software provides auxiliary analysis and judgment through background modeling, object segmentation, object trajectory tracking and generating retrieval video object library. At the same time, it provides auxiliary analysis and judgment through trip wire detection, time concentration, direction screening, color screening, people and vehicles screening, interest region screening, exclusion region screening, etc. Support video transcoding, can be batch transcoding; Video amplification, video clip interception, screen interception, frame playback and multiples playback; Support multi-screen playback, and each video playback window can be individually controlled through the playback control area.
In addition to these functions can assist investigators in analysis and judgment, there are image enhancement functions, through color level adjustment, image fog removal, light and dark repair, color offset repair, image noise removal, distortion correction, blur repair, defect removal and other functions, the image is clear to help solve the case.
Peroration
Law enforcement agencies around the world consider digital forensic analysis to be crucial in investigating a wide range of crimes. Then video forensics tools come into play, playing a complementary and sometimes crucial role. Intelligence agencies frequently use the MTM – video forensics tool to quickly and accurately analyze large amounts of data to help investigators solve crimes quickly.