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Handling and Preserving Video Evidence

Video evidence is difficult to collect and handle properly. It is important to preserve the original video and make copies to view instead of risking damage. The manner in which video evidence is obtained and preserved can greatly impact its quality and ability to be used in a case. Different video formats like VHS tapes can deteriorate each time they are used so special care is needed, and only copies should be viewed rather than the original. The quality of the original collection of video evidence also affects how well it can later be enhanced and analyzed.

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Aisha Yassin
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4 views1 page

Handling and Preserving Video Evidence

Video evidence is difficult to collect and handle properly. It is important to preserve the original video and make copies to view instead of risking damage. The manner in which video evidence is obtained and preserved can greatly impact its quality and ability to be used in a case. Different video formats like VHS tapes can deteriorate each time they are used so special care is needed, and only copies should be viewed rather than the original. The quality of the original collection of video evidence also affects how well it can later be enhanced and analyzed.

Uploaded by

Aisha Yassin
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Chapter 18.

Discovery of Video Evidence


Video evidence is one of the most difficult types of evidence to deal with. In most cases it id
difficult to collect and can be mishandled. Video sources can vary from quality, and in most
cases the cameras used to record video evidence are poorly focused or have lights shinning
directly at the camera making it unable to make out clearly the footage. When dealing with video
evidence, it is essential to have the evidence properly preserved by specifying early on that the
evidence is not to be seen on the original media. The steps of handling, preserving, and copying
video evidence are critical elements in allowing it to be used in litigation.

The biggest issue facing video evidence is not obtaining the evidence itself but the manner on
how its obtained. In most cases by the time an attorney receives video evidence, the recording
has been damaged either by mishandling or repeated viewing of the original media. There are
also issues facing the collection and preservation of video evidence. These issues can gravely
impact on the quality of the video evidence, its ability to be authenticated and whether the video
can be enhanced for the use of a case.

Some forms of video evidence such as VHS video tapes face can face some issues. VHS
videotapes deteriorate every time they are viewed or played back. They are mechanical with the
tape running over spools. This causes the tape to degrade every time it is played, rewind, fast-
forwarded and even paused. In most cases, in video evidence only a small portion of the entire
video is of interest to the case. If the original footage is damaged in any way it can gravely affect
the evidence of interest, this is why they should be preserved, and the duplicates should be
worked from.

The devices used to collect video evidence can vary greatly. In many surveillance systems, the
way to get video from the device is to export it using controls on the device. In some cases,
quality and file formats can be used when exporting the video when its collected. The way the
evidence was exported is critical when the evidence must be enhanced and analyzed. The higher
the quality of the video evidence the better because it has a higher chance of being able to be
enhanced and analyzed. This is why video evidence should be exported in the highest possible
resolution and the format that loses the least amount of quality through compression.

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