The evolution of video surveillance systems has revolutionized forensic investigations by introducing advanced search capabilities, metadata utilization and AI-driven analytics. Milestone Systems' XProtect® video management software (VMS) exemplifies this progression, offering a comprehensive ecosystem for evidence discovery that combines native tools, partner integrations, forensic search and cutting-edge video analytics technology.
Traditional video forensics often require operators to manually review extensive footage, relying on limited contextual clues such as approximate timestamps or camera angles. This process can be time-consuming and overwhelming, especially when dealing with multiple video sources. Older security systems may restrict searches to predefined alarms or motion-triggered events, even though modern cameras can generate metadata using video analytics. This limitation can lead to incomplete information and missed critical evidence.
The cognitive demands of forensic video analysis, including sustained attention during live monitoring and complex evidence retrieval from archived footage, create inherent limitations in human performance. Operators reviewing video evidence face rapid declines in detection accuracy due to vigilance decrement, a phenomenon where sustained attention erodes within 20–30 minutes of continuous monitoring or review of previously recorded video. The rate at which security operators miss events increases by 45% after 12 minutes of uninterrupted screen viewing, and this rate further increases when operators are multitasking.
XProtect mitigates cognitive workload through its intuitive platform interface. The forensic search tools available in XProtect significantly speed up investigations by reducing search time exponentially. Simple search tools are highly effective, while complex search tools in higher-tier variants of XProtect can substantially minimize the time needed to investigate and find evidence.
Centralized Search in XProtect allows security operators to quickly locate and export relevant videos based on motion, event alarms, bookmarks, video analytics and other metadata. Users can swiftly review incidents, suspicious activities or potential threats without manually reviewing extensive video content. The search tool provides thumbnails displaying a preview of video activity, enabling users to play video clips and access additional details such as camera location on a map. Operators can bookmark clips, export sequences from one or more cameras, play videos from multiple cameras simultaneously or create video snapshots.
Advanced search categories are available in some variants of XProtect VMS. These categories enable investigators to find people or vehicles based on criteria such as color, clothing type, vehicle type and more. When enabled, XProtect may allow searches for camera-based video analytics, including license plate numbers or facial features. These search categories can be combined into a single search query and filtered to display the desired results.
XProtect’s advanced search categories also allow investigators to find motion in selected areas of interest. By drawing a search area on a video thumbnail, users can quickly query the selected video to find motion activity, making it easier to locate relevant incidents.
Milestone’s technology partners provide security operators with access to searchable metadata in XProtect, enhancing forensic efficiency through an ecosystem approach. This integration combines XProtect’s native tools, third-party integrations and video analytics, transforming investigators from passive reviewers to active analysts. Edge-based camera analytics enable complex searching capabilities, including:
- People Search: Find attributes such as age, gender, height, etc.
- Vehicle Search: Search for vehicle type, color, direction, speed, etc.
- LPR Search: Find license plate details.
- Facial Recognition: Compare facial features with registered users in a database.
Investigators can accelerate their searches by combining multiple search categories simultaneously.
BriefCam, a video analytics suite by Milestone, leverages AI and deep learning to make video evidence searchable. This technology enhances situational awareness, accelerates response times and drives more insightful business decisions. BriefCam offers three modules. The review module is the one used for finding evidence. BriefCam Review accelerates investigations by reviewing hours of video in minutes. Rapidly pinpoint objects of interest based on an expanding set of search filters.
Milestone Systems is committed to open platform software and a strong network of technology partners. While BriefCam is a powerful tool, other manufacturers also offer video analytics products compatible with XProtect VMS. For more information on these products, visit our technology partner finder website.
XProtect Search provides efficient and easy-to-use tools, making it an indispensable asset for video management. To experience XProtect in action, visit our website to book a one-on-one demo.
