Free DME & DFIR Resources

The site search tool will now search our member forums as well.  Of course, you need to be a registered member to view the forums and posts, but at least now members will be able to search them conveniently.

On March 11th, 2009 the mixed martial arts community, and quite frankly the world, lost a great man. Charles "Mask" Lewis was a pioneer, and probably the best example in recent history of why you can't judge someone by the way they look on the outside; it's what is inside that counts. I'm still struggling with this tragedy and although this isn't typically the forum where I'd share MMA or fighting related posts or issues, this is much more than that. Below is the post I left for Punkass and Skrape on 3/12, as well as a tribute video put together by the TapouT Live radio crew. RIP MASK - Always Believe.

Members can now upload videos directly to our server via the Media-Geek.com Video Library! As you may know the video library supports over 30 of the most popular video sharing sites, and now also supports direct upload of FLV, MPG, WMV, AVI, MP3 and SWF files. At present uploaded files will be stored and played back in the format uploaded; however, at some point we intend to implement ffmpeg on our server and automatically convert all uploaded files to the FLV format.

Adding videos to the library via a free online video hosting/sharing site (e.g. Google video, YouTube, etc...) is still the preferred method of including your videos in our library, as there are some limitations with direct upload such as a maximum file size of 8MB. With that said, there are also limitations with all of the video hosting/sharing sites, so I'm sure the ability to upload short videos directly will prove beneficial. 😎

A producer for Discovery ID recently reached out to me looking for cases to research for the upcoming 4th season of Discovery ID's "See No Evil"program. They are looking for "cases whereby surveillance footage was key to cracking a mysterious homicide case."  This could be a case you recently worked on which has now been through the courts, or it might be a historical case from 10 or 15 years ago. At this stage, they are merely looking for interesting cases to research, and stated they'd of course go through proper channels to obtain media should the case pass their initial research stage.

For more information please log-in to the members area and see the related Forum post, which contains the producer's contact details.

An Adobe Systems tool that lets older software handle raw images from newer digital cameras is about to leave behind Apple's PowerPC-based Mac era.

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I've used everything from freeware tools to high-end encoders to accomplish various audio & video trans-coding tasks over the last 15 years or so, and when time permits, I love testing out new tools.  Recently, when installing software on to a new PC, I decided to try another low-cost solution that's been around for quite some time, but I've never used; AVS Video Converter.

Any member OR visitor can now leverage the new Bookmark feature incorporated into my Downloads & File Sharing area.  

Self-explanatory really, but just to clarify Bookmarks are essentially favorites. 

There is now a favorites/Bookmark feature in the Download & File Sharing area...and you don't need to be logged in to use it. 

Apple boasts that its just-released OS X 10.7 operating system (codenamed Lion) includes over 250 new features. While the marquee features make Mac desktops and notebooks a little more like the iPad, there's far more than that. Some of the improvements make QuickTime more usable.

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"Who, me?" Yes, especially you.

Upcoming training events from Ocean Systems. Hope to see you in class!

Forensic Video Analysis – FVA 101 (4-Day)
June 9 @ 9:00 am - June 12 @ 5:00 pm
Ocean Systems, 4016 Blackburn Lane, Burtonsville, MD 20866 United States
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Introduction to Forensic Video Analysis is 4 day course that provides a comprehensive approach to your casework for both digital and analog video evidence with a primary focus on our stream-lined workflows and digital media processing. It is intended for anyone who is new to the field of FVA or persons who have not been formally trained using these tools.
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DVR Assessment & Video Recovery (3-Day)
June 16 @ 9:00 am - June 18 @ 5:00 pm
Brighton Fire Department – Station 1,
3100 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618 United States
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This 3 day class will provide students with an overview of the multiple challenges and issues that may arise or should be considered when acquiring digital video evidence using multiple techniques. This course is recommended for anyone who will be responsible for the recovery of digital video evidence from CCTV systems, from Patrol Officers and Technicians to Forensic Video Analysts.
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Ocean Systems will be providing a free 3-hour seminar entitled "From Acquisition to Prosecution: Understanding the Value & Challenges of Digital Video Evidence" on December 8th in Miami, FL. This free seminar provides helpful information for all of those involved in the digital video evidence chain, too include prosecutors, law enforcement command staff, first responders, support staff, as well as technicians and analysts.

Improper cabling is the most common mistake made when setting up home theatre systems. Periodically I'll get a call or email from a friend or family member who just brought home their new HDTV, and the picture just doesn't seem right. More often than not, the obvious difference in picture quality from when you watched it in the store to when you set it up at home is the direct result of improper cabling. So here's the skinny, short and sweet.

ALWAYS USE COMPONENT VIDEO CONNECTIONS
Component video provides the best quality image, as it separates the video signal into three channels (red, green, blue), subsequently providing more bandwidth per channel. Audio is carried separately, usually via stereo RCA connections. For true HDTV you'll need to use the component connection, and its obviously ideal for other video sources as well (such as DVD players/recorders).

It's really fascinating to look back at how far our discipline has come in the last 20 years, and how many resources and solutions are out there these days for Forensic Digital & Multimedia Analysts. Even more exciting is knowing some of the new opportunities and solutions for DME professionals that will be coming in 2019, especially in regards to training!