Forensic search is a way of querying recorded video by attributes instead of scrubbing a timeline: a person in a red jacket, a vehicle, a direction of travel or a time window. It shortens evidence review, but results depend on the analytic that indexed the footage and should be confirmed by watching the clip.
Reviewing hours of footage at speed is slow and error-prone. Forensic search narrows the field, and an operator still has to confirm what the search found.
How the search works
The recorder or its software analyzes recorded frames, indexes objects and attributes, and lets a query filter on them. Some systems need the analytics enabled at recording time, and most need compatible cameras. The index is only as good as the image quality it was built from.
Keeping results defensible
Treat a search as a way to find candidates, not as evidence in itself. Watch the returned clips in full, export the original files with their timestamps, and record who conducted the search and when. A chain of custody note takes a minute and answers a lot of questions later.
Related:Glossary: VMSGlossary: NVR