The video clip, or "one good picture", is in most cases compelling enough to encourage early resolution of the incident and avoid a protracted judicial process. However, on occasion, the evidence must be used in a court of law, and the admissibility of digital video becomes an important factor in the prosecution's case.
While there are no laws directly governing the use of digital images in a prosecution case, guidelines recommended by legal and scientific experts are available.
iViD incorporates the important methods for establishing authenticity:
An audit log, which cannot be modified or deleted, records all access to DVR files.
Compliance with Standard Operating Procedures3 (SOPs) ensures the required chain of custody.
The original version of the stored video is safeguarded on the DVR.
The units are tamper-resistant and password-protected.
Each frame is time and date stamped
A video security watermark provides an instant check of the authenticity of stored clips.
Original images are stored on the DVR, but there are a number of common tools available for downloading, printing, or saving of video records in standard formats.
Video snapshots can be extracted as JPEG files, while video clips can be extracted as AVI files. Electronic files can simply be attached to e-mails or downloaded to read-only media, such as a CD-ROM, for easy and timely distribution to corporate investigators or law enforcement agencies.
