Magnet Witness 1.8: Wyze support, multi-stream file formats, and improving review 

As Magnet Witness continues to evolve as a leading digital forensics video tool, we’ve introduced new functionality to improve the video review experience. Version 1.8 introduces layouts, single tab preview, and autoplay functionality. We’ve also added support for additional file formats, including some multi-stream formats, new filesystems, and a cloud-based camera system.  

Wyze camera support 

We’re excited to introduce acquisition support for Wyze cloud-based cameras. Wyze is the fourth cloud-based brand—behind Ring, Arlo, and Blink—to be supported in Magnet Witness, and simplifies the process for downloading video clips from a user account.  Instead of painstakingly downloading videos from an app or website, connect Magnet Witness to the user account, view available clips in the clip list, and export them with ease. 

Please note: Wyze support does not currently include audio  

Tips for cloud-based camera systems 

Below are some helpful tips to remember when working with cloud-based camera systems like Wyze in Magnet Witness: 

• Available video is limited to that which is available in the user’s account. If the account is not an active trial or paid account, there may not be any video clips available for download. 
• You may wish to limit your scan results by camera or date/time of interest. Setting filter parameters before scanning can help examiners access video more quickly. If you need access to all available video, do not apply any filters. 
• The oldest available clips are downloaded first in an effort to retain as much evidence as possible. 
• Clips are represented in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and can be corrected to the appropriate time zone, if required, by managing the date/time offset for each camera source. 
• A single user account may contain camera sources from different physical locations, and therefore different time zones. 

Multi-stream video formats 

As Magnet Witness continues to support video file formats, we’d like to quickly explain how multi-stream video formats are displayed within the program. A multi-stream file format is a single video file which contains more than one video stream. When this happens, examiners may need to separate the available video streams for easy review, analysis, or export. 

When a supported multi-stream file format is opened in Witness, the “Source details” panel will indicate the number of clips associated with the file and any related date, time, and channel information. In the example below, the video file is shown to contain four different clips or streams.

This same video file is represented as four unique clips in the clip list. Note how each clip contains its own date/time metadata, channel information, and duration. Each now performs as any other clip, and can be easily previewed and exported.

For additional information about video file formats, and to locate a list of supported video file formats (listed by file extension), please visit the “Supported video file formats” section of the Magnet Witness User Manual.

Layouts

There’s a lot of functionality packed into Magnet Witness and we’ve heard plenty of requests to organize how panes are laid out in the program. The new layouts feature allows users to organize the program panes as they see fit, or make use of one of the three default settings found under the Window > Layouts menu:

• Clip list
• Preview – single display
• Preview – multiple display

Clip list

Like an old friend, the clip list layout brings Magnet Witness back to its DVR acquisition roots. This layout prominently displays the clip list and allows users to easily review clip information, apply filters as needed, and select clips for export. Use the clip list menu—at the top of the clip list—to action items within the clip list.

Preview – single display or multiple display

The Preview – single display, or Preview – multiple display options offer a clean layout for reviewing video evidence. Both Preview layouts will align the clip list pane to the left and open the preview pane(s) to the right. If no clip has been previewed, the space at centre will be empty. Double-click any clip to open the preview window. To utilize multiple display monitors, select the “Preview – multiple display” option.  

Manage Layouts

To create your own custom layouts, set up Magnet Witness as you wish and navigate to the Window > Manage Layouts menu option. Once there, save your current layout by selecting “Add,” filling out the Layout name and Description, then pressing the save button. Saved layouts will be accessible via the Window > Layouts menu.

To make changes to custom layouts, simply navigate back to the Manage Layouts menu. From here you can add more layouts, update a layout with the current view, or delete a layout you no longer need. Don’t forget to save your changes!

Preview settings

The review process can bog down any seasoned investigator, and previewing video can be a bore.  We have many features to minimize preview difficulties, and the latest release of Magnet Witness is no different. We have packed several major feature improvements into this release that you’re sure to find helpful when reviewing video evidence.

Single tab preview

This small but mighty improvement is sure to change the way many folks review video with Magnet Witness. In the latest version, enable single tab preview by navigating to Tools > Settings > Preview and selecting the “Enable single tab preview” checkbox. Doing so means a single preview tab will be reused each time a clip is opened. Of course, if you want to keep the more traditional approach, where each clip continues to open in its own tab, simply leave the box unchecked.

Autoplay

Capitalizing on single tab preview, the new autoplay feature allows numerous clips to be reviewed in succession without intervention. Once enabled via Tools > Settings > Preview, autoplay will automatically advance to, and preview, the next clip in your clip list or playlist.

Autoplay is a fantastic way to review multiple clips with fewer clicks. To improve control, we’ve introduced two new buttons to the preview control panel to easily skip to the next or previous clip.

Get started with Magnet Witness 1.8 today

Magnet Witness 1.8 expands acquisition support for cloud-based camera systems, improves review and introduces support for several new video file formats and filesystems. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us directly. With plenty of new features to explore, be sure to upgrade or request a free trial of Magnet Witness 1.8 today.