Dahua Video (DAV / DHAV)
| Format | Dahua Video (DAV / DHAV) |
|---|---|
| Short name | DAV |
| Category | media |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, QNX |
| Crush support | Not yet supported |
| Status | Reviewed |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-05 |
Forensic relevance
Proprietary recording and export format of Dahua video surveillance recorders and cameras (and OEM devices). The stream consists of frames that each start with a 'DHAV' header (frame type, channel, frame number, length and a packed recording date/time) and end with a 'dhav' trailer; files may start with an additional 'DAHUA' header. Video is usually H.264 or H.265. The per-frame date/time reflects the recorder's clock, so the clock offset of the device must be verified before relying on it; the channel number links footage to a specific camera.
Signatures
| Offset | Hex | ASCII (non-printable as .) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| offset 0 (0x0) | 44 48 41 56 | DHAV | Frame header 'DHAV' |
| offset 0 (0x0) | 44 41 48 55 41 | DAHUA | File header 'DAHUA' |
Known extensions
.dav
References
- DHAV demuxer (FFmpeg source) https://github.com/FFmpeg/FFmpeg/blob/master/libavformat/dhav.c
Cite this entry
Crush Format Reference, “Dahua Video (DAV / DHAV)”. https://kalink0.github.io/crush-forensics/formats/dav/ — source: crush/data/build_formats_db.py at commit 640a2a9928f4e36a976b89901512a8dce824d093, built 2026-10-21 06:46:19 UTC.
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