The latest Amped Replay update comes with a redesigned report layout, smarter video bookmark presentation, and support for formats with different video and audio lengths. Export video and audio safely, and enjoy the improvements to Annotate and presentation tools.
Hello friends and colleagues and welcome back to another vibrant release of Amped Replay, the forensic video player of choice for law enforcement officers and investigators! In this release, we have re-designed the layout and style of Replay’s forensic report to make it fit for purpose for various report writing regulations. We have also added the ability to feather edges and invert hide selections in the Annotate panel. We have improved the handling of audio/video loading and updated the current functions and tools. Read on to find out more!
See the New Features in Action
Report Style and Layout Improvements
Paperwork associated with video evidence is very important for legal proceedings. So much so that many a time, it can be an appropriate supplement to the actual playback of video in the courtroom, to speed up proceedings or to prevent upset or distress. It can also be the presentation method of choice for courthouses with no AV and/or multi-screen support.
For this release, we have re-designed the output of the generated report, with data presented in a neater tabular form and content better fitting the space available. The new layout also facilitates the use of the report as a viewing log. It illustrates multiple bookmarks in chronological order along with their associated frame numbers and descriptions to portray a sequence of events.
Feather Edges and Invert Hide Selections
We continue to make improvements to the Annotate panel, one of the strongest features of Amped Replay. With this release, we have added the ability to feather out the edges of Hide selections to better blend with their surroundings. We have also added the ability to invert a selection, to hide everything but what is inside it. This will be invaluable to those of you processing video to comply with data protection and freedom of information acts.
To try out these new features, simply click on the Annotate panel and then the Hide button. Draw your selection on the viewer and tick the “Edge Feathering” and/or the “Inverted” tick box from the filter parameters.
Audio/Video Loading Improvements
We have now improved the process of loading videos in Amped Replay. We added black frames at the beginning or at the end of the clip when the audio track extends over the video track. This will help in ensuring that no audio is ever discarded or omitted. This feature, however, can be toggled off via the Program options if audio retention is not necessary in your workflow.
Changing this option will only apply when creating new projects. It will not apply to the currently active or saved projects when you reload them.
As this process now alters frame numbering, we have also added a textual annotation macro to match the original video frame numbers.
Motion Plot
When performing a motion detection analysis (available from the Play tab), it is always advisable to also monitor the motion plot to better evaluate activity and to set the most appropriate thresholds. For this reason, when you now click on the “Run/Hide Motion Analysis” button, the motion plot will be automatically activated and displayed at the bottom of the viewer to facilitate the process.
Swap Compare Sources
To satisfy personal or organizational preferences and ensure the evidence is presented in the best possible way, we are now giving users the ability to choose the order of sources in the View feature of the Enhance panel. When using the Compare function, you can now position the processed output on the left or the right side.
Formats
In this update, we have added support for an unprecedented number of new formats and variants! More specifically:
- 9 new supported formats
- 2 new variations of already-supported formats
- 1 new variation of an already-supported timestamp format
Remember: if you find a video file we don’t fully support, then there is a good chance we have never seen it before! Hop over to the Amped Support Portal, upload it, and we will get on it. While doing that, make sure to provide as much information as possible about the DVR’s brand and model, and possibly provide the proprietary player if available. Submitting new formats not only helps you out but the entire Amped community. The best part? This is all included in an active Software and Maintenance Support plan. Learn here why it is important to keep your SMS up to date.
Other Improvements
We continue to improve performance and background functionality in every new release of Amped Replay. This is what we have in store for you this time around:
- Improved the translation of the software for several languages.
- Changed the macro label in the Video Annotations panel to “Add Dynamic Text”.
- Changed the pixel format of processed videos to yuv420p.
- When working with multiplexed videos, a message now appears warning that only one camera at a time will be exported in the report.
- When using the compare function in the Enhance panel, the user will be prompted to enable or disable the feature when exporting bookmarks.
Bugs
In this release, we have fixed a number of minor issues reported by our trusted users.
- Fixed a bug causing a video with missing timestamps to shift up and down repeatedly in the viewer.
- Fixed an issue with first and last frames exported as report illustrations when the option is disabled and the report is automatically exported with media.
- Fixed an issue causing subtitle streams to ignore output times.
- Fixed a bug causing frozen playback and playhead anomalies for interlaced videos.
The Final Word
Replay overcomes the challenges of a limited toolset often encountered by police officers and detectives worldwide. It protects them with the forensic rigor required in today’s legal environment and speeds up investigations. Forensic video analysts and technicians have benefited from Amped FIVE for many years. It is now possible to perform the most basic enhancement tasks and annotate images and videos with Amped Replay, too. If you are lucky enough to have Replay on your desktop, then update today or email us at info@ampedsoftware.com.
Don’t Delay – Update Today
If you have an active support plan, you can update straight away by going into the menu About > Check for Updates within Amped Replay. If you need to renew your SMS plan, please contact us or one of our authorized distributors. And remember that you can always manage your license and requests from the Amped Support Portal.
