A wired 4K camera system can be purchased for less than $1,000. Many systems, including Ring, Arlo and Blink, can be purchased for less than $500. Today a homeowner can install a wireless, high-definition camera system in less than an hour. Video manufacturers are competing with each other for consumer dollars.

Over the course of the last decade, video quality, resolution and ease-of-use have dramatically improved, while the overall cost of ownership has significantly dropped. Frequently we encountered cheap DVR systems plugged into existing analog cameras, which resulted in poor-quality video. The first few generations of digital video systems were extremely expensive and poorly designed. When a major crime occurred, we considered ourselves fortunate to find a surveillance system at one or two nearby locations.įast forward to today and digital surveillance systems are everywhere, and digital video has virtually replaced analog tape systems however, this transition took some time. It was rare to find video systems in residential settings, small businesses or public spaces. Back then, the work was tedious because there were few resources specifically designed for video forensics.Īt the time, we could expect to find CCTV systems in medium-to-large-sized businesses. We then used free programs and Photoshop to crop, clarify and create still images for investigators. When I entered this field, we recovered VHS tapes and used tools such as AVID (mainly designed for the motion picture industry) to convert analog videotape to a digital format. Growth in digital surveillance systems, smartphone videos Additionally, public disclosure laws in many jurisdictions require digital evidence to be retained for five or more years. Many newer surveillance systems record high-resolution HD or 4K video. The second consideration is the amount of redundant server or NAS space needed to store digital evidence. It’s apparent that a significant number of new surveillance systems are being installed in our jurisdiction each year. The number of surveillance videos we recovered jumped 66% between 20. The first is the dramatic increase in video recoveries year over year. On the horizon: Tech trends impacting law enforcement investigations

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