There are a lot of things you can do to make your footage look better, but the video quality is still not as good as it could be. You want more information out of your CCTV footage and don’t know where to start. This guide will show you how easy it is to improve or enhance the quality of your CCTV clips without breaking any laws or infringing on privacy rights by enhancing just about anything with simple techniques like color correction and brightness adjustments using Adobe Premiere Pro.
Can I Enhance My CCTV Footage?
Yes, security camera clips can be enhanced using sophisticated AI video softwares. CCTV enhancement is a day to day practice performed by forensic experts on video recordings from both digital and analog surveillance systems. This means that if you have a security camera system and need footage enhanced for legal proceedings or some other reason, they can help you out.
There are times when the court needs to see CCTV footage but it is not clear enough. In these cases, the courts may ask security camera footage experts on how to enhance the video so that it is easier to see what happened.
Note: You cannot request CCTV footage of someone else, as it would infringe on their rights protected under the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. You have the right to request CCTV footage of yourself from someone else, like a supermarket or a neighbor. To request CCTV footage of yourself, you need to provide some helpful information like the time period you appear on the camera and your ID.
It would be much more complicated in practice to get the videos, as video file authentication/tampering detection is required along with resolution and clarity improvements, photogrammetry height and length measurement and analysis, videogrammetry speed measurement and analysis, image origin analysis (metadata/header analysis), identification of Subject /Vehicle /Object, and de-multiplexing (extracting single camera view from composite recordings).
What is CCTV Enhancement?
CCTV enhancement is the process of making video footage clearer and easier to see. This is done through a variety of methods, all of which are non-destructive so as not to damage or alter the original footage. By enhancing the footage, investigators and lawyers can get a better idea of what happened during an event or crime. This can be crucial in determining guilt or innocence.
Forensic video enhancement is the process of improving the quality of a digital video file. This is often done for law enforcement purposes, such as to read license plates in security footage. The enhancement process can make it easier to see details that were not originally clear in the footage.
How “Enhancing CCTV Footage” Actually Works
Forensic image analysis is the process of analyzing images to extract information that can be used in investigations. Forensic image analysts must adhere to the usual rules of engagement, including retaining original images and documenting their process. To be admissible as evidence, forensic image analysis must be proven competent and conducted within the bounds of an analyst’s expertise.
CCTV footage can be enhanced to make it more legible or clear. Enhancement techniques can include enhancing contrast, color saturation, sharpness, and noise reduction. CCTV footage may also be digitally reconstructed to create a higher quality image.
How to Enhance the Quality of Your CCTV Footage
Choose a camera with the ideal resolution
CCTV cameras come in different resolutions, with higher resolutions providing clearer footage. Choose a camera with the resolution you need for your needs. Drag and drop the icon to control playback progress and change the resolution of CCTV footage
Improve the lighting around the camera
Improving the lighting around a security camera can make it easier to see in low light situations. Cleaning the camera lens or glass dome regularly can help reduce reflections of light.
Camera selection is important for good night vision; choose one that will best suit the area being monitored. Installation should be done away from tall shrubs and close to lights that might glare in on the footage captured by the camera. Always make sure your security camera is in night mode when viewing footage and use external lighting if needed
Use infrared illuminators to improve the night vision capability of your CCTV Camera
Most security cameras need additional lighting to provide a clear image in the dark. Cameras with infrared light can see objects up to 50-65 feet away, while cameras without infrared light can only see objects 20-30 feet away. Use infrared illuminators to improve your CCTV night vision quality.
Use a CCTV Video quality enhancer software
CCTV video quality enhancers are software programs that you can use to improve the clarity of your CCTV footage. There’s a vast range of features and settings within these programs, so you’ll need to find the right one for your particular needs.
How to make CCTV images clearer in Your Digital Investigation
When it comes to evidence in criminal investigations, video footage is often one of the most important types of evidence. The quality of surveillance footage is essential. In order to ensure that this footage can be used in court, it is important to follow a set of scientific guidelines for recording and preserving the footage. This includes maintaining high image quality and establishing a chain of custody
Maintaining high-quality video is critical in order to establish a chain of custody and ensure that evidence can be effectively used in court proceedings. However, compressed video footage is often limited in terms of what types of enhancements can be made. In many cases, the analog or digital video file has undergone additional compression, which further reduces the quality of the image.
According to Video forensic Experts, here are some ways to enhance Security camera footage during investigations:
- Scaling/Pixel Interpolation: Increase the resolution of an image or video to aid in the identification of criminals.
- Sharpening: Increases the contrast between the edges of a picture or video.
- Warp Stabilization: This is a technique that is most frequently used nowadays with smartphone video evidence. Reduces the amount of movement by the user who filmed the proof.
- Shadow and Highlight Adjustments (Exposure): Brings out minor details in your photographs’ shadow and/or highlight areas.
- Increase the image’s quality by merging data from adjacent frames, resulting in a higher signal to noise ratio (SNR) in your photographs or movies.
- Reduce the speed at which video footage is initially played back to provide for a more detailed perspective of the events as they unfolded.
Also Read:
- Can You Split A CCTV Camera? (7.6)
- 5 Best 4k Color Night Vision Security Camera In 2022 (3.2)
- Why Does My Security Camera Say No Signal? (2.8)
- Is there a doorbell that works with Alexa and Google Home? (2.7)
- How Do Wireless Security Cameras Get Power? (2.7)
- 6 Best Portable Security Camera For Travel
5 Best CCTV Video Quality Enhancer Software
1. Topaz Video Enhance AI
Topaz Video Enhance AI is a video quality enhancer that enables you to increase the resolution of the video. It supports DVD, DSLR, Game, and HD stock footage. This application can quickly analyze numerous videos to improve their quality. It supports a 4K video. It can be used to improve the quality of videos shot on these platforms.
It can be used for commercials, movie content, YouTube videos, etc. Topaz Video Enhance AI is a video quality enhancer for Windows and Mac.
2. Adobe Premiere Pro CC
Adobe Premiere Pro is a video editing software that can be used to improve the quality of videos. It allows you to export videos in different formats, and it has a built-in video editor app on Windows 10. It has some basic video editing features, which can cover the needs of most basic users.
3. PowerDirector
PowerDirector is software that helps you to enhance video quality. It allows you to add customized shapes and objects in video. This app to improve video quality for Android supports motion graphics and animated titles.
Features:
- It imports 8K videos
- 1:1 output ratio
- Provides numerous ready-made templates
- Slow-motion and fast motion effects are available
- You can correct color distortion in a clip
- Stabilize shaky footage
- Import and edit videos shot on camera
PowerDirector is a video editor that has more than 400+ effects to choose from. It offers video tutorials to help you learn how to use the editor. It can be used on most computers and offers an unlimited number of tracks and transitions. However, some features are not free and it is not good for basic video editing as it is focused on effects-loaded videos.
4. Ashampoo Video Optimizer
Ashampoo Video Optimizer is a powerful movie editor that brings out the best in your shots. It helps you stabilize shaky videos, optimize colors and contrasts, and sharpen your footage at the click of a button.
It helps to Remove noise from videos and photos, which is caused by poor lighting high ISO settings. It can be used for CCTV videos and includes features like color correction, sound management, and music inclusion. The free version does not include noise reduction but has other limitations compared to the paid version. Ashampoo Video Optimizer is available for Windows 10 machines with high-end specifications.
5. Pinnacle Studio
Pinnacle Studio is a video quality improvement tool that has enhanced color grading features to improve video quality. It contains more than 2000 effects. This tool helps you to stabilize shaky videos. You can edit videos efficiently across tracks in 4K and HD format. It provides 360 video editing.
Pinnacle Studio is a video editing software that was designed exclusively for iOS and Mac devices. Pinnacle Studio offers support for 4K CCTV and other videos. Pinnacle Studio easily imports files from iTunes and other folders. It has some pro-level editing features, but lacks precision-level editing features. The interface does not look good on small screens.
Conclusion
CCTV cameras can capture footage at different resolutions – the lower the resolution, the lower the quality. If you can’t clearly identify people in your footage, then your CCTV system is likely to be of little use in prosecuting criminals. To improve video quality, move or upgrade your CCTV cameras and consider upgrading to HD or 4K cameras.
Poor video resolution can obscure individuals, even if they are within a clear line of sight. High definition or “HD” cameras offer better video resolution than legacy cameras. If you want to future-proof your CCTV for the next several years, then investing in 4K cameras is worth considering.
