Resources
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to the questions lawyers, insurers, investigators and individuals ask us most often, from preserving CCTV and sending footage to authentication, expert evidence and fees.
No questions match your search. Ask us directly or call 1800 865 190.
01 · 7 questions
Getting started
What happens when you contact us, who we work for and how an engagement begins.
Our process →You have a free, confidential initial discussion. We assess the footage, the questions to be answered and your deadline, and tell you candidly what the evidence is likely to support. You receive a written scope and quote before any work starts.
Yes. There is no cost or obligation for the initial discussion. We only begin work once you have accepted a written scope and quote.
Lawyers and barristers, police and investigators, insurers, businesses and individuals. Where a matter is already with a lawyer, we can take instructions from them directly so the work is prepared for the proceedings. More on who we help.
Yes. Many people come to us with home CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage before they have a lawyer. We will tell you plainly whether an examination is likely to help before you commit, and can work with a lawyer later if one becomes involved.
Yes. We work with clients across Australia. Evidence is transferred securely online or by courier, and we can give evidence in any jurisdiction, including by audio-visual link where the court allows it.
We usually reply within one business day. If your footage is at risk of being overwritten or a court date is close, call 1800 865 190 so we can act straight away.
Yes. All enquiries and evidence are treated in strict confidence. We use encrypted transfer and secure storage, record a hash value on receipt, and keep a full record of who has handled the evidence.
02 · 7 questions
Preserving and sending footage
How to secure CCTV and other recordings before they are lost, and how to get them to us.
How to preserve CCTV evidence →As soon as possible. Many recorders overwrite old footage within 7 to 30 days, and some much sooner. Ask the system owner to export or protect the footage straight away, even if you are not yet sure it will be needed.
The recorder’s native or original format, together with any player software it offers. Converting to MP4 or another format can drop frames, change timing and remove metadata.
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.
It is the weakest form of CCTV evidence. Filming a screen adds glare and distortion and loses the original timing and metadata. Keep it if it is all you have, but obtain the native export if the recorder still holds the footage.
Usually not. Once a recorder has written over footage, it is very rarely recoverable. That is why securing an export, or asking the owner to protect the footage, is the first priority.
Contact us first. We will provide an encrypted transfer link, or arrange for the original media to be collected by courier. Please do not send evidence by messaging app or ordinary email, and do not convert or screen-capture it first.
Not always. Many businesses will release footage on request. Police, councils and some organisations may require a formal request or subpoena, and a lawyer can send a preservation request early.
03 · 6 questions
Video analysis and enhancement
What can be established from CCTV, dashcam, body-worn and phone video, and the limits of enhancement.
Video forensic services →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.
Only if the detail was recorded at a usable resolution in the original file. Enhancement can make recorded detail easier to see, but it cannot recover characters or features that occupy only a few pixels or were lost to compression. We will tell you early whether it is likely to be possible.
No. Enhancement can make footage clearer, but it cannot raise its true resolution. Tools that appear to turn low-resolution video into high definition add invented detail, which is not reliable evidence. More on forensic video enhancement.
Enhanced stills and video are commonly presented in court when the process is transparent. Courts look for the original to be preserved, every step to be documented and repeatable, and each enhanced image to be shown with its original. Whether particular evidence is admitted is a matter for the court.
Frame averaging combines several frames of the same still subject, such as a parked car. The random noise differs from frame to frame and cancels out, while the real detail stays the same and becomes clearer. It does not work on subjects that move between the frames.
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.
04 · 7 questions
Authentication, editing and AI
Whether a video or photograph is original, has been edited, or was created or altered with AI.
Video authentication →Yes. We examine the file structure, metadata, timestamps and frame sequence for signs of editing, deletion or re-encoding, and report whether the file is consistent with an original recording. More on video authentication.
Often. We look for the traces that editing leaves in the metadata, file structure, compression and pixels, such as cloned or inserted regions and inconsistent noise or lighting. We also consider innocent explanations, and report what the findings support and how confidently. More on digital image forensics.
We use multiple detection methods and report a level of confidence; no single tool is conclusive. Visual examination, file analysis and provenance are weighed together, because AI-generated images and video are improving quickly and detection tools have known limits.
Yes, but the conclusions may be more limited. These platforms re-encode files and strip metadata, which removes some of the traces we examine. We can still examine the content, frames and pixels, and the earliest available copy or the original device makes a stronger conclusion possible.
Often. Metadata, embedded timestamps, device clocks and the content itself can all indicate when a recording was made. Each can be wrong or altered, so we test them against one another and report how reliable the date and time are.
Not always, but it helps. With the original device we can make reference recordings and compare sensor noise directly. Without it, we use reference files from the same make and model, and the strength of the conclusion may be lower.
An examination can show that a file is consistent with an original, unedited recording and give a level of confidence in that conclusion. No examination can rule out every possible manipulation, so we explain exactly what was tested and what the findings support.
05 · 5 questions
Decoding and file formats
Proprietary CCTV exports, files that will not play, timestamps and frame rates.
Video decoding →Keep the original export and any files that came with it, and send everything exactly as exported. Do not convert it or try other players that might re-save it. We can usually identify the format and decode it, even without the original player.
We do not recommend it. General-purpose converters often drop frames, change the frame rate, re-compress the image and discard timestamps. Send us the original export, and we will produce documented copies that play on standard software.
Usually. Many CCTV formats store a date and time for each frame inside the stream, separate from the on-screen display. We extract these and map them to each frame. They still reflect the recorder’s clock, so its accuracy should be checked as part of any analysis.
It varies widely. Many systems record well below normal video frame rates to save storage, sometimes at only a few frames each second, and some change their frame rate when motion is detected. We verify the actual frame rate from the file before relying on any timing.
Yes. Many recorders export several cameras in one file. We separate every channel into its own file, without re-encoding, so each camera can be viewed and examined on its own.
06 · 4 questions
Speed, height and distance
Measurements from video using photogrammetry, and how precise they can be.
Speed, height and distance analysis →Accuracy depends on the frame rate, the image resolution, the number and quality of reference points and how far the vehicle travels in view. We calculate a margin of error for every result from the uncertainty in each input.
Usually, but the result is a range. Walking changes apparent height through each stride, so we measure across several frames and select the most upright positions. Posture, footwear and headwear are allowed for in the stated margin of error.
Not for most examinations. A site visit is often needed for speed and height analysis, to measure reference points and, where possible, record a reverse projection from the same camera. If the scene has changed, plans, older photos or street imagery can sometimes be used instead.
Sometimes, but it is far less reliable. Filming a screen adds its own distortion and loses the original frame timing, which speed calculations depend on. Wherever possible, obtain the native export from the recorder before the footage is overwritten.
07 · 6 questions
Expert evidence and court
Independence, reports, chain of custody and giving evidence.
Expert witness services →Yes. We prepare expert reports and give oral evidence, including cross-examination and joint expert conferences, in courts and tribunals across Australia, in person or by audio-visual link where the court allows it.
Yes. We are instructed by prosecution and defence, and by plaintiffs and defendants. Our methods and conclusions do not change with the side that instructs us, and our duty in any expert report is to the court.
An independent expert report prepared to the relevant court’s rules on expert evidence, with processed stills and clips, the methodology and a tool log. Working notes are kept so the examination can be peer reviewed and checked by another expert.
It is the documented record of who handled the evidence and when. Gaps in that record can make evidence inadmissible or weaken its weight. We log every handling with the date, time, person and hash check, from receipt to report.
A named forensic examiner carries out the examination, and a second examiner peer reviews the methods and findings. The expert who signs your report is the expert who gives evidence if the matter goes to court. More about us.
Expert opinions must state their limitations and confidence levels. Overstated conclusions fail under cross-examination and can harm the case that relies on them. Careful wording is what makes an opinion reliable and gives it weight with the court.
08 · 5 questions
Fees and timeframes
What an examination costs, how long it takes and how urgent deadlines are handled.
Request a quote →Fees depend on the volume of footage, the file formats, the number of questions and whether a site visit or court attendance is needed. We offer fixed-fee and hourly engagements, and you receive a written quote before any work begins.
It depends on the work. Decoding and simple clarification can take days, while authentication, measurement or multi-camera reconstruction usually take two to four weeks, including peer review. We confirm the timeframe in writing before work starts.
Often, yes. Tell us the deadline at the outset. We will say what can be done properly in the time available, and confirm the timetable in writing before we start.
Simple tasks can be quick. Validated, court-ready work takes longer, because methods must be tested, documented and peer reviewed before an opinion is given. We will tell you at the outset what can be done in the time available.
Usually straight away. After an initial discussion we confirm scope, timeframe and fee in writing, and begin once you have accepted the quote.
Get expert advice
Still have a question?
Tell us what the footage shows, what you need to establish and any deadlines. We will give you a candid view of what the evidence 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.