1. Turn video frames into a local visual index
After you add a folder, MediaDNA Library samples frames and uses an AI visual model to extract features that describe their visual patterns. It combines those signals with frame structure to build a content fingerprint for comparing videos.
Indexing and content search run on your computer, while original files stay in their folders. The index helps find footage; it is not a backup. Keep the relevant drive connected when you need to open a result.
2. Find footage in your own video library with a screenshot or clip
A screenshot search compares the image with indexed frames and returns candidate videos and time ranges. It is a same-source search within your library, not a general search for videos with a similar theme. Check the preview around the suggested time before using the result.
A short clip can be matched against a continuous section of a longer video. Start a video-file search, then continue with section search to inspect the overlapping time range. A clip found inside a longer file is a useful source lead, not proof that the two whole files are duplicates.
3. Verify complete copies, even with different filenames
For duplicate discovery, AI visual features help retrieve candidate files even if names differ or a video was re-encoded at another resolution or bitrate. MediaDNA Library then checks the full visual content before listing a full-video match. Duplicate checks compare the full visual content; audio tracks, subtitle tracks, encoding or picture quality may still differ. Confirm the version you want to keep before removing a file.
Two videos can share an opening, a scene or a short excerpt without being complete copies. MediaDNA Library keeps section overlap separate from full-content duplicate results. Review previews and file locations before deciding what to keep; file removal is optional and requires your confirmation.
4. Understand the boundaries of a match
Only footage that has been saved and indexed can appear. A missing result may mean the source folder was never added, indexing is still running, or a drive is disconnected. Try a clearer frame or a clip with continuous visible footage before concluding there is no match.
Visual changes such as extensive cropping, overlays or edits can make a source harder to locate. A candidate is a lead for review, not a guarantee of identity or usage rights. Normal media indexing and search are local; sign-in and licensing still need online services.
5. Compare three relationships using your own footage
Start with a recording you own. A renamed file copy can have identical bytes; a re-encoded export can preserve the complete picture sequence while changing file data; an excerpt contains only part of the recording. These are three different comparison questions.
Use full-file results to review complete visual matches and section search to inspect partial overlap. Check audio and subtitle tracks separately when choosing a version. This exercise explains what to inspect; it is not a speed or accuracy benchmark, and it does not promise that every edited export will match.