Recorders write in loops; therefore the primary concern is when the footage that is being sought is going to be overwritten. This is simply an arithmetic calculation which should be done prior to taking the hard drive out of service since each additional hour of operation decreases the amount of historical data stored.
Both DVRs and NVRs operate as looped recorders. Once the hard drive has been filled with video data, the device begins to overwrite the oldest video data on the unit. Each hour that the system remains operational results in another hour of previously recorded data being lost. Therefore if the video data that was captured is important, remove the hard drive from the system immediately.
There is only one thing to consider in the first hour – and that can be calculated easily enough by anyone.
The recorder uses a finite amount of storage space for video data, and writes video data onto it continuously. To determine your retention window, divide the size of the storage space by how quickly it is being used. For example, four cameras operating in 1080p continuous recording mode will typically fill a 2TB storage device within one to three weeks. Increasing either the number of cameras or the quality of the images will significantly decrease that window — eight cameras, higher resolution or increased frame rates may reduce that timeframe down to just several days.
If you are using motion-based video capture the retention window is extended, but how much depends on the amount of activity during each week. A very quiet week can extend the retention window to a month while a week with a lot of activity may leave you just five days. Therefore, when an incident occurs three weeks prior and the equipment has been continuously operational since then, the footage from three weeks prior may already be gone, whatever anyone does. On the other hand, if the incident occurred last night, you still have some time to retrieve the evidence before it goes away. However, you do not have much time.
This is the most frequent way that CCTV footage is erased or deleted after an incident.
Recorders use large disks and generally fill them up with unimportant stuff, thus targeting matters greatly.
As close as you possibly can to the requested date/time; plus some leeway on both sides. The exact moment of an incident is rarely where people first think it is; so we provide more than is asked.
What is the channel number for your camera? If not available then describe what your camera records. This makes separating a single channel from the remaining seven easier once identified.
The format is manufacturer-specific, so this will determine the methodology to follow prior to receiving your disk. A photo of the label is sufficient.
Were the cameras running continuously post incident? The system may have continued to record after the incident occurred. Therefore, by stating whether they did, this can assist in establishing realistic expectations early in the process.
Only three services are different from all other services and therefore this service requires an explanation as to why it is different.
Our CCTV/DVR/NVR recovery service is provided as a flat fee of £400 +VAT, with a 50% deposit, confirmed after our free 48-hour diagnostic.
Nearly all other services that are offered on this website incur zero cost should they fail. We cannot say the same about recorder work; there is still the exact same amount of work required to extract and decode the footage, whether or not it survived. Regardless of whether your footage has been lost through overwrite or not, reverse engineering of an undocumented video format, separating the channels and rebuilding the frame order requires the same number of days. If we were to charge per successful recovery then we could effectively be charging those clients who have had their footage recovered successfully for the work performed on those clients whose footage has not.
We take a different approach by providing honest feedback based upon our diagnostic results regarding the expected retention and thus allowing you to make an informed decision prior to commencing work. Your recovered footage will be returned in the form of MP4 files with clearly displayed timestamped data that can be played independently of the manufacturer's specific software.
Please send us your device along with a brief description of what happened. This diagnostic process has no cost and the price for the next phase of service will be fixed in writing prior to commencing work.
This is the only step that requires input from you and nothing else can happen until the device is on our bench. Package your item properly and include all the information we require about you and your item(s), then ship them to us. Then comes a no-cost diagnostic, followed by a written quote.
Posting it? Use a tracked and insured service. The value of what is on the drive far exceeds the cost of postage. Bringing it in? Weekdays from 9am to 5:30pm, and it still needs packing as described above for the journey.
Tell us about the item in question, tell us how it has been behaving lately, and let us know if there is anything you have done as far as troubleshooting goes so that our engineers may provide a realistic estimate of success and a probable cost range prior to sending your items off.
We’ll be in touch shortly. If it’s urgent, call 0161 871 0788.
These are some of the most common questions asked by individuals wishing to send one of their recorders or cards into us.
You divide the size of your hard drive by how quickly your system is writing. For example four cameras running continuously at 1080p will usually fill 2TB in one to three weeks. Eight cameras or even higher resolutions may reduce that time frame down to a few days. Once motion triggered recording has been enabled the retention window is extended, but unpredictably.
Usually, yes. DVR systems use proprietary and undocumented formats when they write to an ordinary hard disk. The disk is imaged read only and the video is then pulled out of the image based on the disk's structure versus being able to read it as if it was a collection of files. If the recorder itself failed however, the disk itself and therefore all of the footage on the disk should still exist.
You don't. Most DVR systems use proprietary formats that Windows doesn't recognise as a valid file system so Windows assumes the disk is empty and thus asks to format it. So many of the disks we receive have already been initialised. Therefore just decline and remove the connection.
Yes, but it really helps us to know ahead of time. Time stamps are actually written into the structure of the video instead of as metadata in a file. Thus a particular window of time can be extracted and one camera isolated from all other cameras that were captured during that same time frame.
Recovered footage comes back in MP4, so you can play it on a normal computer. It keeps the same timestamps as the original recording, visible on screen. If it ends up at an insurer's office, a solicitor's office, or the police then all these things matter.
It costs £400 + VAT flat. After the initial free 48-hour diagnostic you pay a 50% deposit. The reason you have to pay for it regardless of whether you end up getting any data back is because the process of reverse engineering how the data was written to the disk is the same whether or not the footage survives the overwriting cycle.
Free diagnostic, footage recovered by time and camera from a DVR, NVR, or SD card — even a failed recorder. Exported footage is always in a standard file type which is suitable for handing over to either your insurance company or the police. Contact us.