Take Possession of the DVR
When your matter involves surveillance video recorded on a system that is not saved “in the cloud” but is instead recorded to a computer local to the business or home in which the incident occurred, all efforts must be made to save the evidence in the highest quality possible. And since you may need a video expert to extract your evidence in the most professional way, and since these DVRs will reuse space on hard drives, possibly erasing your evidence in hours or days, and since time is of the essence, you should do your best to convince the owner of the DVR to allow you to take possession of their DVR and replace it with a new one.
DVRs do not always have the best export options for use in forensic video work, so more complicated means for capturing your video may need to be employed. Especially if every detail is important, extreme care must be used when handling and preparing such evidence for clarification.
In addition, you want to analyze the DVR settings because this could explain how the evidence was captured and have huge implications for how you argue your case.
David Notowitz and NCAVF speak to attorneys across the country about the best methods for gathering, clarifying, and preparing video, audio, and cellphone evidence for court. Their trial testimony have been helpful to cases since 2001. Their involvement with conferences, bar association meetings, webinars, and workshops has helped many areas of the law, including civil, criminal, family law, and Federal and State.