Fall 2016 NATIA Conferences

Posted on by donald_tunstall

For Fall 2016, Salient Sciences will be exhibiting at the following regional conferences of the National Technical Investigators’ Association (NATIA):

11/01/2016 – 11/02/2016: NATIA Mid-Atlantic Chapter Fall Training and Exhibition, Cambridge, MD

11/30/2016 – 12/01/2016: NATIA Southeast Chapter Training Conference & Technology Exhibition, Jacksonville, FL

Please note that attendance at the NATIA conferences is strictly for NATIA members and exhibitors who are specifically invited by the NATIA organization. For further details, please visit https://www.natia.org/.

New ways to import files into VideoFOCUS

Posted on by Jeff Hunter

open-withVideoFOCUS 6.0.5 adds new ways that media files can be imported so it is a good time to review the options for import in VideoFOCUS. Files can be imported in the following ways:

  • The Import Media dialog;
  • Drag and drop;
  • The system “open with” (new);
  • Open from within DVR Examiner (new), and;
  • Drop on the VideoFOCUS app icon (new).

First I should mention that VideoFOCUS uses a number of stages when trying to import a file. These include examining the file to see if it is a supported proprietary DVR format, a standard audio or video file, a raw encoded video stream, an image sequence, or an individual image. No matter which way you choose to import, all of the appropriate stages are attempted to maximize the chances of a successful import.

To use “open with” to import a file, simply right click on the desired file’s icon wherever it appears and choose the open with action in the popup menu. If VideoFOCUS is not showing, select “choose another app”, then select VideoFOCUS from the list. VideoFOCUS does not automatically claim any file associations but the Windows OS may offer to make VideoFOCUS the default for the file type chosen, so be sure to adjust the checkbox setting as desired.

For those using the DME Forensics’ DVR Examiner product we are also pleased to announce that in their latest release, VideoFOCUS is now an option for opening media files directly from within DVR Examiner.

“Open with” support also brings the ability to drop a file onto the VideoFOCUS desktop shortcut and have it open in VideoFOCUS. Just like “open with” and open from DVR Examiner, if VideoFOCUS is already running, the file will be imported into the currently selected VideoFOCUS case. If VideoFOCUS is not already running, then it will be started and the file will be imported into whichever case was last selected.

Alternatively, if you have one or more files of a single type that you wish to import, drag and drop is often the quickest way to import. Open VideoFOCUS so that the main window is visible, select the files, and if they are audio or video simply drag them into the left hand sessions area. If they are images, dragging them into the sessions area will cause VideoFOCUS to prompt you for a frame rate, and then a video session will be created with that frame rate and the images organized in alphabetical order; if you wish for the images to be treated separately by VideoFOCUS, drag them to the stills area instead.

And finally, the Import Media dialog under the VideoFOCUS file menu can be used to try to import any media into VideoFOCUS and also offers the most control during the import process. The import dialog is also the way to import files that are a mixture of images and video and audio in one action. When there are multiple import options available for a selected file, the  Options button will be enabled; Options can be used to force a transcode or change the aspect ratio or interlace type prior to import. Remember to change the “Files of type” filter to “All Files” if you cannot see the file you are trying to open.

All of these capabilities are available in VideoFOCUS Pro, VFSource, and VFCapture version 6.0.5 or later.

Next UK DAC School Training Announced

Posted on by donald_tunstall

Our UK dealer, Dave Thorne at Demux Video Services Ltd, has confirmed that our next UK DAC School session will be held the week of 27 February – 3 March 2017 at the Holiday Inn Oxford, Peartree Roundabout, Woodstock Road, Oxford , OX2 8JD.

FYI, this is the week prior to Security & Policing 2017, where Salient Sciences will also be exhibiting in stand P2.

For further details and enrollment information for the UK DAC School, please visit the Demux blog.

DAC Training

Expanded DVR Format Support in VideoFOCUS

Posted on by donald_tunstall

Starting with the release of Version 5.1 in 2015, in addition to supporting virtually all standard multimedia file formats, all three VideoFOCUS products (VideoFOCUS Pro, VFSource, and VFCapture) have also supported direct import of many proprietary DVR formats that previously could only be brought into VideoFOCUS through the real-time screen capture functionality.

Direct DVR file import is quickly and easily accomplished by the Import Media function in VideoFOCUS, through a combination of:

  1. Native parsing (via FFmpeg, licensed under LGPL), which opens perhaps 50% of these formats through a forced extraction of any video, audio, and images that are identified in the file, which largely ignores other metadata such as camera names, etc., plus;
  2. An integrated software component called DVRConverter, which additionally recognizes and interprets the metadata of many popular DVR formats and enables VideoFOCUS to correctly open these specific file types, achieving perhaps another 20% beyond what native parsing can achieve alone.

DVRConverter was first developed for VideoFOCUS under a commercial licensing arrangement with DME Forensics, Inc., and is based upon technology contained in its DVR Examiner product. DVRConverter continues to be improved on a regular basis by DME Forensics, with additional supported formats becoming available to all VideoFOCUS users having current software maintenance as new builds are released.

A complete list of the DVR file formats that are currently supported in VideoFOCUS by DVRConverter can be found here. For any questions related to importing and exporting specific file formats in VideoFOCUS, please contact technical support by e-mail at support@salientsciences.com, or by phone at +1 (919) 572-6767, option 2.

vfprodvr
Typical retrieval of multiple proprietary DVR files, as imported and synchronized by VFPro 6.0

DVR Examiner Now Supports VideoFOCUS!

Posted on by donald_tunstall

With DVR Examiner Version 1.26.0, DME Forensics has added VideoFOCUS to its “Preview With” menu, allowing any video from DVR Examiner to be opened directly into any installed VideoFOCUS software version 6.0.5 or higher.

All VideoFOCUS users on current software maintenance may download and install the latest software at any time from our VideoFOCUS Downloads site.

For further details on this new feature in DVR Examiner, please visit the DME Forensics blog.

videofocus-pos

Join us at LEVA 2016

Posted on by donald_tunstall

On 15-16 November 2016, Salient Sciences will be exhibiting and training at the 27th annual LEVA Digital Multimedia Evidence Training Symposium in Scottsdale, AZ. The exhibit day is Tuesday, 15 November, and we will be in Booth #17. The entire event runs from 14-18 November, with numerous training sessions available throughout the week. Please see the LEVA website for official membership and other information; we hope to see you there!

 

CARDINAL MiniLab Suite Version 2.5

Posted on by donald_tunstall

CARDINAL MiniLab Suite Version 2.5 incorporates several important improvements including:

  • Filter Chains can now be “nested”, allowing multiple presets to be previewed and applied in a single pass, and;
  • Filter Chain now produces a comprehensive laboratory report describing all plug-ins used and their parameter settings, complete with screen shots, either as a Word document or an HTML webpage.

All current MiniLab license holders, including those who have previously purchased either the Advanced Suite or Forensic Suite, are entitled to this update, which can be downloaded at:

CARDINAL MiniLab Suite Downloads

Upon installation, a valid ID issued by Salient Sciences must already be present or provided when prompted for the software to operate. If you were originally issued a 37-character Serial Key for your MiniLab Advanced Suite or Forensic Suite, please enter your Serial Key at this page to receive your new installation ID, which will be needed to activate all new versions from 2.5 onward.

If you would like to receive a 30-day trial to the CARDINAL MiniLab Suite, or receive a quotation, please send an e-mail with your contact details to sales@salientsciences.com.

VideoFOCUS 6.0 Released

Posted on by donald_tunstall

VideoFOCUS Version 6.0 is now in general release, and incorporates numerous improvements including:

  • Improved Combine and Track Timing functionality in VideoFOCUS Pro, allowing synchronization of multiple videos to a time-coherent MultiView session to review, process, and export as a group;
  • The CARDINAL MiniLab audio filters in VideoFOCUS Pro have been updated to the version 2.5 standard, allowing multiple preset combinations (e.g. Reverberation Reduction, Muffling Correction, Hiss Reduction, etc.) to be previewed and applied at once;
  • Most video filters plus the QuickEnhance audio filter, which were previously available only in VFPro, are now included with the VFSource product, and;
  • Demultiplex function now included with the VFCapture product.

All VideoFOCUS users who were current on maintenance or subscription as of 1 July 2016 are entitled to this update; latest versions for all products can be downloaded at:

VideoFOCUS Downloads

Upon installation, a valid ID issued by Salient Sciences must already be present or provided when prompted for the software to operate. If you would like to receive a 30-day trial to any VideoFOCUS product, or receive a quotation, please send an e-mail with your contact details to sales@salientsciences.com.