All 4th generation Axon cameras (Axon Body 2, Axon Flex 2, and Fleet system) and future cameras made by Axon Enterprise, Inc. have the ability to embed a visual watermark containing the date, time, model and serial number of the camera in the upper-right corner of captured videos.

The watermark date and time information uses the ISO 8601 international standard to indicate time in a 24-hour format and adds a Z zone designator directly after the time to denote zero offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) time. This is also know as Zulu time, since Zulu is the NATO phonetic alphabet word for Z.  

We believe that it is critical to maintain the UTC unified time standard for all videos, so there is no question as to when the recorded events occurred. Therefore we do not support customization of the watermark to match a particular customer's local time zone.

However, we understand this can be unclear when viewing videos. To help alleviate this, we have added the following: 

• When a video is uploaded, Evidence.com converts the time for each video to local time zone and shows that time in the metadata section adjacent to the video player. However, the watermark date and time in the video remain in UTC time, as shown in the image below. 

  Note: In cases where the camera internal clock is not set, the watermark will show that the time was not set when the video was recorded. If the camera internal clock is not set, the camera provides an audio prompt of five quick beeps every 20 seconds. To set the camera internal clock, place it in an Axon Dock or connect to the Evidence Sync application.

  
  
• Customers can disable the watermark for their cameras through the Device settings in Evidence.com. The watermark can be disabled separately for Body Worn Cameras (Axon Body 2 and Axon Flex 2) and Fleet system cameras, but disabling the watermark affects all cameras of that type at the agency. 

FAQs

What is the difference between GMT and UTC?

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is often interchanged or confused with Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). But GMT is a time zone, while UTC is a time standard.

Although GMT and UTC share the same current time in practice, there is a basic difference between the two:

• GMT is a time zone officially used in some European and African countries. The time can be displayed using both the 24-hour format (0 - 24) or the 12-hour format (1 - 12 am/pm).
• UTC is not a time zone, but a time standard that is the basis for civil time and time zones worldwide. This means that no country or territory officially uses UTC as a local time.

How does Daylight Saving Time affect UTC and GMT?

UTC and GMT do not change for Daylight Saving Time (DST).

However, some of the countries that use GMT switch to different time zones during their DST period. For example, during the summer months the United Kingdom uses British Summer Time (BST), which is one hour ahead of GMT.

How do I disable the watermark for my cameras? 

The watermark can only be disabled by Evidence.com users with Edit Device Settings permission. 

To disable the watermark for Axon Body 2 and Axon Flex 2 cameras: 

• On the menu bar, click Admin, and then under Devices, click Body Camera Settings. Under Axon Body 2 and Axon Flex 2 find the Watermark setting, select Disable Watermark on Videos, and then click Save Settings.  

To disable the watermark for Axon Fleet system cameras:

• On the menu bar, click Admin, and then under Devices, click Fleet Settings. find the Watermark setting, select Disable Watermark on Videos, and then click Save Settings.