The Surveillance Video Is a .dav File. Here's How to Play It
Security camera footage in discovery loves to arrive as .dav, .264, or a folder with its own crusty player from 2009. Windows won't play it, VLC might not either, and your hearing isn't moving.
Why it won't play
DVR makers wrap ordinary video in their own container formats so footage plays in THEIR software. A .dav file is usually Dahua's wrapper, .264 is a raw stream from any of a dozen brands, and the bundled player .exe is often the only thing that officially opens them, if it runs at all on a modern machine.
Worth trying yourself
Some players support these formats, but compatibility depends on the source and export. Obtain the appropriate player from the manufacturer or producing office. If security software blocks it, have IT investigate before running it.
If audio matters, listen closely: many DVR exports carry audio tracks that only the original player will decode.
The reliable path
These wrappers can be converted into standard .mp4 files that play anywhere, keep the original timestamps, and scrub properly. We do this routinely, including the stubborn ones that need the vendor codec. Originals are hashed at intake and never touched; you get back watchable video plus the documentation that ties it to the file the State produced.