Digital video camera with strong encryption. When confiscated, can't be viewed.

I'm watching a documentary about a man that buys guns in the US and smuggles them into Kosovo, past UN security. The film carried would certainly land those in the documentary in jail, and in some countries would put the filmmaker in jail as well or worse. If there was a camera that recorded encrypted video, this would be less of a risk.

Decrypt using an encryption key on a memory card, which is left at home.
-- Worldgineer, Aug 19 2005

Inspired by http://www.pbs.org/...nnection/index.html
[Worldgineer, Aug 19 2005]

Steganography http://en.wikipedia.../wiki/Steganography
The art and science of writing hidden messages [Aq_Bi, Aug 22 2005]

US patent application 20040247289 http://appft1.uspto...9&RS=DN/20040247289
digital video recorder for modulating image data using encrypting algorithm to protect privacy of an individual [xaviergisz, Aug 22 2005]

US patent 5,862,217 http://patft.uspto....62217&RS=PN/5862217
A digital camera providing encryption of an image [xaviergisz, Aug 22 2005]

I'm worried about what happens when you're only recording your family vacation (to Unfreeistan) and are jailed by the Unfreeistanis for posessing potentially subversive content. "It's just our vacation! Honestly!"
-- joeforker, Aug 20 2005


This would be useful for still cameras, too.

In addition to the crypt feature, there should be an easy way of toggling which datastream images get sent to - the harmless, searchable, visible one or the inaccessible crypto one. (For stills, maybe one could just push them to crypto storage after reviewing them as normal; an alternative to "delete".)
-- ping, Aug 20 2005


It would be a nice touch if the video encryption were performed in such a manner as to cause playback of the non-decrypted video to display as the random "snow" of a television that is receiving no signal. "Hey, I wasn't really taping anything. Look for yourself."
-- half, Aug 20 2005


I think it likely that that is exactly as it would look.

The encryption should happen right at the sensor so that the entire path is encrypted.
-- bristolz, Aug 20 2005


Method, opportunity, motive - mark me, [world], this one *will* happen.

What I'm trying to decide is whether or not you'll want your name on it when it does.
-- lurch, Aug 20 2005


Really clever encryption would render the result looking something like a normal video, but buried inside is the real video.
-- Ling, Aug 20 2005


You mean steganography.
-- Aq_Bi, Aug 22 2005


Yes, that's what I had in mind. Except, so far, I believe it is hasn't been applied to video.
-- Ling, Aug 22 2005


Did you see the low-grade footage from the Iraq war using satellite technology? It would take weeks at that data rate to upload film quality media.
-- Worldgineer, Aug 22 2005



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