DigitalCCTVGuide1907HCFINAL.

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Fujifilms Digital CCTV and Security Guide

1. What digital media should I use?
2. How much footage can I store on the media I use?
3. How do I calculate how much data can fit onto my media?
4. How do I deal with using digital images as evidence?
5. Do I need to meet the Data Protection Act requirements?
6. How do I ensure I am compliant with the Data Protection Act?
7. The Fujifilm Digital Evidence Kit- The solution in the bag.

1. What digital media should I use?

CTV systems have evolved in recent years
with digital technology establishing itself as
an emerging part of future surveillance solutions.
With digital technology, the very way in which it
stores data allows a wider variety of recording
media to be employed, so which one should be
used? The real deciding factor is not so much
what you want to do with the recordings but how
much footage you need to store and what you
intend to do with any footage which may need to
be transferred to another party.

DVD capacities currently dwarf those achievable

with CDs, and future developments will see these
figures rise dramatically. Indeed, the next
proposed generation of DVDs will far exceed the
current capacities! There are other digital storage
formats including various digital tapes, which offer
fault-free operation and high
speed data transfers, and data
storage technology such as 4mm,
DLT, and LTO Ultrium data tapes,
offering higher storage capacities
and faster data transfer speeds.

Based predominantly around hard drive integral

storage, digital solutions will usually store their
data in a buffer. This data, including video, audio
and other information, will then either be overwritten when the hard disk is filled, or removed to
another storage media and securely archived.

2. How much footage can I store on the

media I use?

Digital archiving is constantly increasing in

capacity, predominantly due to archiving media
being used and supported by the IT industry.
The most basic digital archiving media is the
Compact Disc. The CD has become well known
and widely used over the years, and is useful for
storing data capacities of up to 700MB. CDs come
in two variants, the CD-R which is a WORM type
media, (Write Once, Read Many) and the CD-RW
which can be rewritten. Where
capacities in excess of 700MB are
common, users and installers are
likely to make use of the constantly
developing DVD capacities.

www.fujifilm.co.uk/cctv

hilst it is fairly straightforward how much

footage can be stored on analogue media,
digital media is more complex. Digital image sizes
are governed by how much data they are made up
of. One image captured off a specific camera
could vary in size when compared to another
according to a number of criteria. There are no
hard and fast rules when it comes to file sizes
and here we will explain why size, whilst being
important, is unlikely to be constant!
Digital image file sizes can vary according to the
information contained. This differs from analogue
where a VHS cassette will store 25 frames per
second for the entire 180 minutes it is recording.
It matters not if the video is of a busy street, an
empty car park or a white wall.

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The image quality can be pin-sharp or so low that

it is unusable, but you still will record 25 frames
per second for 180 minutes in real-time mode.
Digital images however are databased in that each
pixel in the image contains colour information. It
might initially seem that as all images captured by
a system are the same resolution, they will be the
same size, but they are not. This is because
image compression algorithms will convert the
data in order to eliminate as much redundant
information as possible. Where there are large
areas of continual tone, some image compression
algorithms will calculate the number and positions
of the pixels and store that data rather than from
each individual pixel. Others will take an average
value from a group of pixels, and will rebuild the
image using grouped averages. Subsequently, an
image of an empty car park with a white wall on
one side might take up little space, because image
compression can use a small amount of data to
create certain areas of the image. However when
the same car park is filled with cars of different
shapes and colours, and with a certain amount of
activity, the size of each image, in relation to the
data it contains will rise significantly, and less
footage can be archived in any given memory.
Environmental factors can also affect image file
sizes. For example, a frame of video showing an
external scene on a clear sunny day will be
smaller than the same scene on a rainy day.
This is simply because the rain will be constantly
changing, and will break up any continuous areas
of tone, with the result that compression will be
less effective.
The size of files is affected by the quality of the
video (lower resolutions use bigger pixels,
equating to less data), the image compression
algorithm and ratio used, the image contents,
noise in the picture and environmental conditions.
So how much data can you fit on digital media
such as a CD? There is no definitive answer.
Despite some manufacturers quoting how many
hours will fit on a drive, there are too many
variables to provide an accurate answer.

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We understand this is not very useful for users

and installers alike trying to decide which media to
use. By understanding image file sizes from some
market-leading DVR recorders and considering
how much footage specific media are able to
contain, we hope to give you a greater
understanding.
Issues affecting file sizes and how much
footage you can store
Busy scenes take up more space
Colourful scenes take up more space
A lot of movement such as rain or
other activity takes up more space
Redundant or repeated data take up
less space as they can be compressed
A low resolution and a low compression
ratio can make an image much smaller

3. How do I calculate how much

data can fit on my media?

efore we look at image file sizes, we need to

understand how files are measured. This
information is necessary to carry out any accurate
calculations. Digital files are made up of bytes of
information. Where bytes are being specified the
abbreviation is B. Where you see a b being
used it is referring to bits, often used when
measuring data transfer speeds.
A byte is one piece of data, and inevitably will be
too small to be of any interest with relation to
calculations of video sizes. Most image file sizes
will be quoted in kilobytes (KB) which is equal to
1000 bytes. A megabyte (MB) is 1000 kilobytes, or
1,000,000 bytes, and a gigabyte (GB) is 1000 MB.
It will not be long before DVRs appear offering
terabytes (TB) of storage, a TB being 1000 GB.
The common factor here is that the multiple is
1000*
*The above numbers are shown in decimal (Base 10). In Binary (Base
2), one kilobyte (1KB) is equal to 1,024 bytes and that number should
also be used when performing binary calculations.

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Currently most archiving of footage for generalpurpose CCTV solutions will be CD-Rs. There are
two main reasons for this. Firstly the drives and
media costs are low. Secondly, there is a
requirement for evidential video to be written to
WORM (Write Once, Read Many) media.
Therefore it is worth considering how much video
can be archived onto CD.
Remember that evidential footage will need to be
accompanied by replay software, plus other
documentation, so this will use up some capacity!
Calculating how much footage a CD-R (or any
digital media) can contain is a simple task.
You need to know:
The capacity of the media
The average image file size of the
recorded footage
The frame rate at which it is recorded.
Fujifilm CD-Rs have a current capacity of 700MB.
To make things simpler, convert this figure to KB,
as the image file sizes are quoted as such.
Therefore 700MB is equivalent to 700,000 KB.
To calculate this figure, simply multiply the size in
MB by 1000. To calculate from GB, multiply the
size in GB by 1000 to achieve MB then again by
1000 to achieve the figure in kilobytes (KB).
The following example shows how we calculated
a 700MB CD-R would contain just over 1 hour 4
minutes of footage. In this example, with image
quality equivalent to S-VHS performance, average
image file sizes are 18KB. For the purposes of this
explanation it can be assumed that the recording
rate is 10 pictures per second (PPS).
Divide the capacity in KB by the average image
size, and this will give the number of images that
can be supported. In this case a CD will hold
38,888 pictures. If this figure is divided by 10 (the
record rate of 10pps), it gives the number of
seconds that can be stored. Simply divide by 60
again to get the number of minutes that can be
stored.

www.fujifilm.co.uk/cctv

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JPEG COMPRESSION, 10pps, STANDARD RESOLUTION

700MB x 1000 = 700,000KB 18KB (file size) = 38,888
(images) 10 (pps) 60 (seconds) =64.8 minutes.

However taking an average of 40KB as the file

size, perhaps a recording in the highest resolution
mode, and recording in real-time (25 pictures per
second) a CD would contain only 11.6 minutes.
JPEG COMPRESSION, 25pps, HIGH RESOLUTION
700MB x 1000 = 700,000KB 40KB (file size) =
175,00 (images) 25 (pps) 60 (seconds) =
11.6 minutes

The following calculation can be used

to ascertain how much footage can be
stored on any media:
Media Capacity in MB x 1000 (or Media Capacity in
GB x 1000 x 1000) File Size in KB = image
capacity PPS rate 60 (to calculate minutes 60
again to calculate hours)

It is vital that installers and users understand the

potential of archiving media when specifying a
solution. It is also useful to note there is an
element of specmanship, with some providers
quoting figures for the lowest possible resolutions
at very slow frame rates. However most users and
installers prefer standard or high resolution images
and should calculate accordingly.

4 . I have chosen the media I wish to use,

now how do I deal with using digital
images as evidence?

hen it comes to the criteria of using video

images as evidence, the requirements can
appear to be something of a minefield. Add the
use of digital images to the equation, and question
marks start to appear with regularity. Quite often,
depending upon whom you are talking to, you will
hear a different version of the so-called digital
dilemma when it comes to using CCTV footage
for evidential purposes.

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However the police and courts are aware of the

potential offered by digital surveillance solutions,
and do not want to curtail the use of a credible
and efficient tool in the fight against crime.
The Police and Scientific Development Branch
have published guidelines for the use of digital
images as evidence. The guidelines do not
specify which compression algorithm or archiving
media should be used instead taking the view
that final quality and a credible audit trail are
more important.

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STEP 3
Create a Working Copy
A Working Copy, again on WORM media, can be
produced simultaneously with the Master Copy or
subsequent to the Master Copy from the original
footage, or can be produced directly from the
Master Copy.
STEP 4
Make sure your Master and Working
copies are clearly labelled and include;

An audit trial for digital CCTV is very much the

same as one for an analogue system. However,
with digital systems the audit trail must also keep
records of which copy is designated as a Master
Copy and which is a Working Copy.

The relevant image sequences

A text file stating any hardware or software
requirements for replay
Metadata such as time and date information
bound to the footage

Here we outline the steps to ensuring your

evidence is admissible:

License-free software to view and make

copies of the footage, including editable
sequences

STEP 1
Obtain the relevant authority to capture images
CCTV systems must obtain, where necessary, the
relevant authority to capture images.
They should be regularly maintained and an audit
trail commenced at the earliest opportunity.
STEP 2:
Create a Master Copy
Because digital images can be replicated without
degradation, and due to the fact that the first
storage medium is usually an integral part of the
DVR, a Master Copy needs to be created.
It needs to be stored securely and kept in
accordance with evidential procedures. It should
be taken directly from the original recording
medium and stored onto a removable medium.
This removable medium must be a WORM type
device. WORM (Write Once, Read Many) devices
such as CD-R, DVD-R and DVD+R media add a
level of credibility to digital images as once the
Master Copy is written the data cannot be affected
and changes cannot be made.

www.fujifilm.co.uk/cctv

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Instructions on how to copy the footage to

VHS cassette plus details of any changes
that may occur if the cassette is then played
alongside the digital footage.
You may also include (though this is not a
requirement) a copy of the audit trail, a test
sequence to ensure replay is correct, and
authentication or verification software*.
*The DVR manufacturer should supply this.

5. Now I know how to deal with digital

evidence, do I also need to ensure that
I comply with the Data Protection Act?

he Data Protection Act came into force on 1

March 2000. While this legislation has in no
way prevented the use of CCTV in a security
context, it has placed certain restrictions on its use
and the way in which the evidence gathered by
this method is handled. Not all CCTV systems are
covered by the Data Protection Act. Whether your
system is covered by the Data Protection Act
depends upon how the system is used.

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By way of an example, small retailers would not

be covered by the Act if their store contained a
couple of cameras which could not be remotely
controlled to allow individuals to be tracked around
the premises, and if the only data stored were the
images picked up by the cameras. Furthermore,
the footage should only be used for evidential
purposes, to be passed to the police if
investigating an incident in the shop.
If additional data such as Point of Sale information
including operator details, method of payment etc.
were included, the Act may well apply.
If a retailer uses the system to view members of
staff to appraise their level of work, the situation
changes. In such a case the individual worker
becomes the focus of the information gathering,
and the video footage gives the management
significant information about that individual. In
such a case the system will be covered by the Act.
There are three main considerations when
assessing whether a system will need to be
compliant with the Data Protection Act.
Are the cameras operated remotely to pan,
tilt or zoom in and out to track or look at
specific individuals?
Are the CCTV images ever used to observe
someones behaviour for the users own
business purposes, such as assessing
the performance of staff members?
Are CCTV images ever passed to a third
party other than a law enforcement agency
such as the police?

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However, if the cameras are used to generally

offer security in the environment and subsequently
catch a crime in progress, this is not for the users
own business purposes- although stopping theft is
obviously in their own interest!
When CCTV systems are more complex, the
chances of a system being covered by the Act
increase, as such systems will usually have the
ability to focus on individuals or examine, in detail,
scenes, which identify individuals by behavioural
activity. However, where general surveillance is
captured by such systems, that footage will not be
covered by the Act.
If a system is not covered by the Data Protection
Act, it is sill vital that correct evidential
procedures are followed to ensure captured
footage is admissible.

Should the system be covered by the Act, system

owners are required to formally notify the Office of
the Information Commissioner that they are
processing data.

6. What are the Data Protection Act rules?

he processing of that data must comply

with the eight fundamental and enforceable
principles of good practice, which state that
data must be:

Fairly and lawfully processed

Processed for limited purposes
Adequate, relevant and not excessive

If the answer to all three of these points is

NO then the system may not fall within the
scope of the Data Protection Act.
When considering the second point, you must be
careful to fully understand what is meant by the
users own business purposes. For example, if a
retailer uses a system to watch staff behaviour to
assess whether they are doing a good job, it is for
their own business purposes.

www.fujifilm.co.uk/cctv

Accurate
Not kept longer than necessary
Processed in accordance with the data
subjects rights
Secure and confidential
Not transferred to countries without
adequate protection.

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So how do these principles relate to the way in

which CCTV systems are used day-to-day and
what should operators do..
Well, the first step is that those operating a CCTV
system that falls under the Act must provide a
clearly-stated document of the objectives for using
it and a statement of the responsibilities of those
involved in operating and managing the system.
Those who are being filmed must also be made
aware that they are entering an area where CCTV
is active. This warning is usually achieved by
signage, which should also include details of the
purpose of the scheme, the operators and their
contact details. If correct signage is not in place,
then the scheme will be considered covert. Covert
recording may only take place if: informing people
that recording is taking place will compromise your
objectives; you have reasonable cause to suspect
specific criminal activity and the covert processing
is only carried out for a limited and reasonable
period of time.
Under the Data Protection Act, individuals who
have been recorded can request a copy of any
recording that has been made of them. Access
may only be denied where such an action would
compromise the detection or prevention of crime,
or where it may impede the apprehension or
prosecution of offenders. If the operator cannot
comply with such a request without disclosing
identifiable images of third parties, they must
determine whether the images of these parties
are held under a duty of confidence, in which
case the images should be edited to disguise
these identities.
Privacy is also a major issue to consider.
Cameras should only be set to view images that
were intended for the objectives of the scheme.
If this is not possible without viewing domestic
or other areas, which would reasonably be
considered private, the owners of these areas
must be consulted. If there are any doubts in this
respect, it would be prudent to obscure the view
such cameras have of private areas.

www.fujifilm.co.uk/cctv

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Confidentiality is also a major issue as far as the

DPA is concerned, indeed it is one of the most
important, having far-reaching effects on areas
such as traceability, security and accountability.
All images recorded are considered confidential
and, to ensure this confidentiality, the Act requires
that it should be possible to trace any recorded
image to a specific date, time, recording device,
recording medium and individual. Copies of
evidential images are only admissible provided
that there is a clear audit trail to the original.
On removing the medium for use in legal
proceedings, the operator should ensure
that they have documented:
The date on which the images were
removed from the general system for
use in legal proceedings
The reason why they were removed
from the system
Any crime incident number to which
the images may be relevant
The location of the images e.g. If they were
handed to a police officer, the name and
station of that police officer;
The signature of the collecting police officer

The DPA requires that information not be kept any

longer than necessary. When using digital based
systems, the DVR can often be set to record over
images after a certain period of time.
The fact that the Act insists on the confidentiality
of recorded images means that the recording
equipment and the images themselves must be
kept secure. One of the best ways of ensuring
this is by using secure cabinets. Should the
images on the recording medium be retained for
evidential purposes, they should be kept in a place
in which access is controlled. As far as possible, it
should not be possible to interfere with the
recording equipment and access should be
restricted to maintenance staff and operators.

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Also crucial to the use of data as evidence is the

quality of the CCTV images themselves.
To ensure that this is the case, initial checks
should take place to ensure the equipment
performs properly and the media produces good
quality images.
Cameras should be properly maintained and
serviced. Also, if the system records features such
as date, time or location, this information needs to
be accurate.
7. The Fujifilm Digital Evidence Kit
The solution in the bag

here is a lot to consider with regards to using

digital evidence and complying with the Data
Protection Act but help is at hand, via Fujifilms
Digital Evidence Kit.
The Digital Evidence Kit was designed to bring
total peace of mind to users of CCTV and
Security recording devices by helping them with
their responsibilities in correctly auditing all
recordings, and presenting digital material in a form
that is admissible as evidence in a court of law.
The Digital Evidence Kit contains everything you
need to present digital evidence to the authorities.
The number of CD Master Copies and Working
Copies or DVD format options included depends
on requirements but the Standard Kit contains:
50 Fujifilm CD-Rs (two spindles)
25 standard jewel cases
25 slimline jewel cases
Logbook to keep audit trails in check with
uniquely numbered sheets
CPS-approved Tamper Evident evidence bags
Procedural Guide
CD friendly marker pen (for labelling)

www.fujifilm.co.uk/cctv

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The Fujifilm Digital Evidence Kit comes in a

two-disc CD set allowing for creation of a Master
Copy and a Working Copy; and a three-disc
Kit that allows the creation of two Working Copies
alongside an original Master Copy. A further set is
available for those requiring DVD-R or DVD+R
media.
Fujifilm media has been designed for a longarchival life, ensuring that your evidence stands
the test of time.
The 25 standard jewel cases and 25 slimline jewel
cases have been developed so that the user can
decide which type of cases to standardise upon,
passing the other - containing a Working Copy to the relevant authorities. Where a three-spindle
kit is used, the cases are supplemented with 25
plastic sleeves. The benefit of slimline cases is
that the space required for CD storage is
dramatically reduced.
Probably the two most important additions are the
Digital Evidence Logbook, and the CPS approved
Evidence Bags. Fujifilms CPS approved Evidence
Bags feature an easy to use closure seal that
provides tamper-evident security against all known
methods of attack. Once sealed, any attempts to
open the bag will result in the word STOP
appearing in white on the orange background.
Whilst this clearly identifies tamper attempts,
independent testing showed users could not start
opening the sealed bag without making it obvious
that an attempt had been made.
Once evidence is placed in the bag, any
attempts to remove it are going to be detected!

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Each bag is marked with a unique number,

ensuring traceability and enabling accurate
pinpointing of breaches in security.
Each evidence bag includes a tear-off receipt at
the bottom, which has the unique number of the
bag printed onto it and sufficient space to allow for
the recipients details to be recorded. The bag is
over-printed with a log of all activity from when a
CD-R is sealed in until such a time as a copy is
called for evidence.

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A permanent marker pen is included so CDs

can be marked with a unique number from the
evidence logbook. This is important as labels
can affect the balance of CDs during writing
and reading, adversely affecting performance
and reliability.
Following research which highlighted the fact
that many users are unaware of how to present
digital footage as evidence, a leaflet has been
enclosed explaining the basic requirements of
how to present digital CCTV footage as evidence
along with a handy guide to CCTV.

The Evidence Bags allow CDs to be tracked and

audited throughout the entire storage and handling
process ensuring the admissibility of the footage in
court. Each kit contains 25 Evidence Bags
providing an audit trail (and proof no tampering
has occurred) for each Master Copy.
As mentioned earlier, the Data Protection Act
requires that it be possible to trace any recorded
images to a specific date, time, recording device,
recording medium and operator. The Digital
Evidence Logbook was developed to enable users
to comply with this requirement by creating an
audit trail, with its pages designed to fit inside a
standard CD case, which are easily detachable
for when copies of footage are made.
A copy of each Logbook sheet can be inserted in
the case. One with the Master Copy, one with the
Working Copy and one retained in the book for
management purposes. Each logbook sheet is
colour-coded and designed to ensure that a record
of the CD-Rdetails; audit information and the
evidence bag number are all logged. The evidence
log sheets each contain a unique number, which
removes the need for users to manage their own
numbering systems.

www.fujifilm.co.uk/cctv

The complete audit trail in a box, the kit makes

life a whole lot easier for installers and users alike
offering all the tools necessary to ensure that
every stage of the evidence gathering process is
accurately performed in the eyes of the Law.