dvr-scan-headless 1.8.2.1

Tool for finding and extracting motion events in video files (e.g. security camera footage).

:vhs: Find and extract motion events in videos.

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Latest Release: v1.8.2.1 (May 9, 2026)

Website: dvr-scan.com

User Guide: dvr-scan.com/guide

Documentation: dvr-scan.com/docs

Discord: discord.gg/69kf6f2Exb

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DVR-Scan is a command-line application that automatically detects motion events in video files (e.g. security camera footage). DVR-Scan looks for areas in footage containing motion, and saves each event to a separate video clip. DVR-Scan is free and open-source software, and works on Windows, Linux, and Mac.

Quick Install

pip install dvr-scan --upgrade

Windows builds (installer + portable) are also available on the Downloads page.

Quickstart (UI)

Start DVR-Scan (run dvr-scan-app or click the app shortcut), Add your input videos, and hit Start:

See the User Guide for a more comprehensive overview.

Quickstart (CLI)

Scan video.mp4 (separate clips for each event):

dvr-scan -i video.mp4

Select a region to scan using the region editor:

dvr-scan -i video.mp4 -r

Select a region to scan using command line (list of points as X Y):

dvr-scan -i video.mp4 -a 50 50 100 50 100 100 100 50

Draw boxes around motion:

dvr-scan -i video.mp4 -bb

Use ffmpeg to extract events:

dvr-scan -i video.mp4 -m ffmpeg

See the documentation for a complete list of all command-line and configuration file options which can be set. You can also type dvr-scan --help for an overview of command line options. Some program options can also be set using a config file.

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Copyright © 2016-2026 Brandon Castellano. All rights reserved. Licensed under BSD 2-Clause (see the LICENSE file for details).