Service · Video forensics
Forensic analysis of CCTV, dashcam, body-worn and phone video
Video forensics is the scientific examination of recorded video to establish what it shows, when events occurred and what the footage can reliably prove. We analyse CCTV, dashcam, body-worn camera and mobile phone recordings, and set out our findings and their limitations in an independent expert report.
Expert Witness Code of Conduct
Reports prepared in line with court rules on expert evidence
SWGDE best practice
Recognised methods for digital and multimedia evidence
Repeatable methods
Documented workflow that another examiner can reproduce
Hash-verified custody
SHA-256 recorded on receipt and at every hand-off
Strictly confidential
Encrypted transfer and secure storage of evidence
Overview
What is video forensics?
Video forensics applies documented, repeatable methods to recorded video so that a court, insurer or investigator can rely on what the footage shows. It answers specific questions about people, vehicles, timing and sequence, and states clearly where the recording cannot answer them.
Footage that seems clear on first viewing often raises harder questions. Low resolution, compression, motion blur, poor lighting, low frame rates and inaccurate clocks all limit what a recording can establish. Different recording systems also export video in different formats, and a file may behave differently depending on the software used to play it. A forensic examination works from the best available copy of the evidence, verifies its integrity with a hash value, and analyses a working copy so the original is never altered. Every processing step is logged so that another examiner could repeat it and reach the same result. The outcome is an expert report that separates what the footage demonstrates from what it cannot show.
What we can establish
Questions video forensic analysis can answer
Each examination starts from the questions that matter to your matter. We then apply the technique that can answer them and report the result with its limitations.
Sequence of events
Frame-by-frame reconstruction of what happened and in what order, across one or many cameras.
Timing and synchronisation
Verification of on-screen timestamps, correction of clock drift and alignment of several recordings into one timeline.
Clarification
Logged, repeatable adjustments that make recorded detail easier to see without adding anything new.
Visibility assessment
Whether a person, face, object or action is actually visible in the recording, and for how long.
Clothing, vehicle and object comparison
Comparison of visible features such as clothing, vehicle make and model, colour and distinctive marks.
Speed, height and distance
Photogrammetry and frame-timing analysis to estimate speed, height, position and distance.
Continuity and gaps
Whether a recording is continuous, or contains gaps, interruptions or motion-triggered breaks.
Stills and clips for court
Extracted frames and sequences, annotated and referenced to the original file for presentation.
Footage we examine
Every common source of video evidence
Each type of recording has its own formats, metadata and weak points. Knowing them tells us what to ask for and what the footage can support.
CCTV systems (DVR and NVR)
Security cameras at shops, workplaces, car parks, transport and public spaces.
Watch out: many recorders overwrite footage within 7 to 30 days. Export it natively with the system’s own player.
Dashcams
Vehicle cameras in road traffic incidents, insurance claims and personal injury matters.
Watch out: loop recording overwrites quickly. Remove and keep the memory card, rather than copying single clips.
Body-worn cameras
Recordings from police, security, transport and enforcement officers.
Watch out: request the export together with its audit trail, which records who accessed the footage and when.
Mobile phone video
Recordings made by witnesses, parties and bystanders on their own phones.
Watch out: messaging apps and social media re-compress video and strip metadata. Send the original file from the phone.
Doorbell and home cameras
Residential cameras and cloud-connected systems covering homes and streets.
Watch out: cloud services may delete clips after a set period. Download the original clips as soon as possible.
Copies and screen recordings
Footage filmed from a monitor, screen-recorded or forwarded through other people.
Watch out: we can still assess a copy, but detail and metadata are often lost. We will help you trace the original.
Specialist services
Video forensic services in detail
Three areas of video forensics have their own pages, with the methods we use and what each can and cannot establish.
CCTV Footage Analysis
Identification of people and vehicles, timing and sequence of events from security cameras, including multi-camera reconstruction.
CCTV footage analysis →
Forensic Video Enhancement
Clarification, stabilisation, deinterlacing and frame averaging, with every step logged and kept representative of the original.
Forensic video enhancement →
Speed, Height and Distance Analysis
Photogrammetry, reverse projection and frame-timing analysis to measure speed, height, position and distance from video.
Speed, height and distance →
Common questions
What lawyers and insurers ask us about video evidence
Short, direct answers to the questions that most often decide how footage can be relied on.
Can CCTV timestamps be relied on?
Not without checking. The time shown on a recording is only as accurate as the recorder’s clock, which may be set wrongly, drift over time or ignore daylight saving. We measure each camera’s offset against a reliable reference and correct it before relying on any time.
Where several cameras cover the same event, each usually has its own clock error and frame rate. We find a shared reference point, such as a vehicle passing between two views or a light switching on, and use it to align every recording on one corrected timeline. The report then states each offset and how precise the corrected times are.
Can a person be identified from CCTV footage?
Sometimes, but it depends on what the camera actually captured. We assess whether a face or other identifying features are visible, at what resolution and for how long, and report those limitations objectively. Whether a person is identified is ultimately a matter for the court.
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Resolution and distance | A face a few pixels wide holds no identifying detail. The further the person is from the camera, the fewer pixels they occupy. |
| Camera angle | High, overhead cameras often show the top of the head rather than the face. |
| Lighting and infrared | Low light adds noise; infrared night footage records in greyscale, so clothing colours cannot be read. |
| Compression | Heavy compression discards fine detail and introduces blocks that can mimic or hide features. |
| Frame rate and motion blur | At low frame rates, key moments fall between frames, and moving subjects blur. |
| Duration and views | More frames and more camera angles give more information to assess. |
How is speed, height or distance measured from video?
Through photogrammetry and frame timing. We relate points in the image to measured positions in the real scene, then use the verified frame rate to calculate how far and how fast a subject moved. Every result is reported with its margin of error.
Accurate measurement usually needs reference dimensions from the scene, such as road markings, kerbs or doorways, and sometimes a site visit to measure them. Reverse projection places a known object in the same camera view to estimate a person’s height. The frame rate must be verified rather than assumed, because many recorders do not capture at the rate they report. More on speed, height and distance analysis.
Is poor-quality footage still worth analysing?
Often, yes. Even when faces and number plates cannot be read, footage can still establish clothing, vehicle type, direction of travel, timing and the sequence of events. We tell you at the outset what your footage is likely to support.
Enhancement can make recorded detail easier to see by correcting exposure, reducing noise and stabilising movement. It cannot create detail the camera never captured, and we do not use AI upscaling for identification, because it invents plausible detail rather than recovering it. More on forensic video enhancement.
Instructing us
What to send us, and what you receive
Providing the best available evidence and clear questions keeps the examination focused on the issues that matter to your proceedings.
What to send us
- The original CCTV export or native video files, not a re-recorded, screen-captured or messaged copy
- Any player software exported with the footage
- The date, time and location of the incident
- Which camera or cameras are relevant, and footage from all cameras that may cover the event
- Any existing stills or edited copies already in circulation
- A short chronology of the disputed events
- The specific questions you need answered
- Relevant statements, where context is needed for the examination
Please contact us before sending footage so we can arrange a secure transfer.
What you receive
An independent expert report, prepared in line with the Expert Witness Code of Conduct, that sets out:
- InstructionsThe questions we were asked to address
- Materials examinedEvery file, with its hash value
- MethodologyThe examinations and processing performed
- FindingsFactual observations from the footage
- OpinionsOur opinion on each question within our expertise
- LimitationsFactors affecting reliability and interpretation
- ExhibitsAnnotated stills, clips, measurements and diagrams
Our process
How a video forensic examination works
A defined workflow protects the integrity of the evidence and the weight of our opinion. You receive a written scope and quote before any work begins.
Initial discussion
We review the footage you hold, the questions to be answered and your deadline.
Secure evidence transfer
Encrypted transfer or original media by courier. SHA-256 hash recorded on receipt.
Forensic examination
Analysis on a verified working copy, with every processing step logged.
Peer review
Methods and findings checked before anything is reported.
Report and testimony
Expert report and exhibits, with court attendance if required.
Simple clarification can often be completed within days. Multi-camera reconstruction and measurement take longer, and urgent court deadlines can be accommodated.
See the full process7–30
days to overwrite
Footage may be overwritten within days
Many CCTV recorders and dashcams record over old footage automatically. Request a native export now, keep any player files, and avoid filming the screen or sending the video by messaging app or email.
Frequently asked questions
Video forensics FAQs
Answers to the questions we are asked most often about video forensic analysis.
See all FAQsIt depends on the volume of footage, the file formats and the questions asked. Simple clarification of a short clip can often be completed within days, while multi-camera reconstruction, measurement or work involving proprietary formats takes longer. We confirm a timeframe in writing before work starts, and urgent court deadlines can be accommodated.
Send the original export from the recording system, together with any player software it came with. Avoid copies that have been filmed from a screen, screen-recorded, converted or sent through a messaging app or social media, because each step can remove detail and metadata that the examination relies on.
Yes. We align recordings from multiple CCTV cameras, dashcams, body-worn cameras and phones on one corrected timeline, allowing for each device’s clock error and frame rate. This is often the clearest way to establish the sequence of events and where each person or vehicle was at a given moment.
Only if the characters were recorded at a usable resolution in the original file. Enhancement can make recorded detail easier to see, but it cannot recover characters that occupy only a few pixels or were lost to compression. We will tell you early whether a plate is likely to be readable.
No. We record a hash value of every file on receipt and carry out all analysis on a verified working copy. The original evidence is preserved unchanged, and the hash allows anyone to confirm that the file we examined is identical to the one supplied.
Not for most examinations. A site visit is sometimes needed for speed, height or distance analysis, to take reference measurements or record a reverse projection from the same camera position. We will advise whether one is required when we scope the work.
Related services
Other video and image forensic services
Video forensic matters often involve questions of authenticity, file formats or still images as well. These services are provided by the same team.
Video Authentication
Testing for editing, re-encoding, splicing and deepfake manipulation.
Video authentication →
Video Decoding
Playback of proprietary DVR and NVR formats and recovery of damaged files.
Video decoding →
Digital Image Forensics
Metadata, source-camera and AI-generated image analysis of photographs.
Digital image forensics →
Expert Witness
Independent expert reports and court testimony on video evidence.
Expert witness services →
Get expert advice
Discuss your footage with a forensic video expert
Tell us what footage you hold, what you need to establish and any deadlines. We will give you a candid view of what the recording can support before you commit to any work.
Freecall
1800 865 190
Hours
Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 5.30 pm
All enquiries are treated in strict confidence. Please contact us before sending any footage so we can advise on the most appropriate transfer method. If you do share footage with us, always use a secure method to protect the integrity of your evidence.