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Paving the Way to Digital Video: The Road to Digital Can Be Rocky If an Agency Fails To Pave the Way Before Heading in That Direction

NCJ Number
181749
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 27 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2000 Pages: 34-38
Author(s)
Ronnie L. Paynter
Date Published
February 2000
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Planning is a crucial factor in helping a police agency make a smooth transition to the use of digital video and to produce videotapes of crime scenes, accidents, surveillance and highway interdictions, and other situations that will present effective evidence to today’s technologically knowledgeable jurors.
Abstract

Digital video is superior to analog video. The digital world is also more standardized than the analog domain; users can expect fairly consistent quality from most manufacturers. The two digital formats are MiniDV and Digital 8. They use the same basic recording method, can use the same editing equipment, and provide similar video and audio quality. The main advantage of Digital 8 appears to be its lower cost. A Digital 8 camcorder also can play back analog tapes. MiniDV cameras can be small and useful for surveillance operations. In addition, the tapes last a bit longer than do Digital 8 tapes; they offer more choices of manufacturers and equipment. Both formats have a place in law enforcement. The biggest advantage to digital video is its consistency. The ability to work with a digital tape electronically to enhance, store, and copy images is a big advantage. A digital video camera also enables the user to produce both still and motion images. Furthermore, digital video brings the ability to communicate with 100 percent of the information on that tape. Protecting digital evidence is important; both conventional photograph and digital images can be manipulated. Police agencies should maintain images accurately in a controlled manner, use a copy and not the original if they manipulate the image, maintain the original without enhancements, record manipulations made to a copy, and establish an analog video policy and a digital video policy as a safeguard. Photographs