How to play back and export video in Milestone XProtect Smart Client
Step-by-step help for XProtect Smart Client, for property managers, building operators and security staff.
The quick answer
In XProtect Smart Client, switch your view to playback and go to the time of the incident. Select Set start and end time on timeline, drag the brackets around the incident, tick the cameras you need, then select Export > Export. On the Exports tab, choose XProtect format (it includes a player and keeps the original video), select Create export, check the name and folder, and select Export.
We’ll do it for you
Need footage for police or insurance and short on time? We’ll find and export it for you, remotely where your system allows it, or on site.
Before you start
Works with: XProtect Smart Client 2023 R1 and later. Older versions have separate Live and Playback tabs and an Export button at the bottom right, but the steps are similar.
Who it’s for: Property managers, building operators and security staff
You need: a Smart Client login whose role allows playback and export, plus the camera, the date and the time of the incident.
Good to know: For security, only XProtect format is turned on by default. If you need MP4 or AVI files, your system administrator (or we) can turn on more formats.
Last updated: October 19, 2026
Find the video
Open XProtect Smart Client and log in.
On the Views tab, open the view with the cameras you need and switch it from Live to Playback.
Move along the timeline at the bottom to the date and time of the incident, or pick a date and time to jump straight to it.
Play the video to make sure you’ve found the right moment and the right cameras.
Add clips to the export list
On the timeline, select Set start and end time on timeline, then drag the brackets to the start and end of the incident.
Tick the check box on each camera you want to include. To include every camera in the view, select Select all.
On the workspace toolbar (top right), select Export > Export. The clips go to the export list and the Exports tab opens.
Need clips from other times or cameras too? Select Export > Add to export list for each one, then open the Exports tab when you’re done.
Create the export
On the Exports tab, check the start and end time of each clip and adjust them if needed.
Choose at least one format: XProtect format, Media player format (as individual files or one combined file) or Still images.
For police or insurance, open Export settings, select XProtect format and turn on Include digital signature.
Optional: add privacy masks to cover areas that shouldn’t be shared.
Select Create export. Keep or change the Export name, add a comment if you like, and check the Export destination folder.
Select Export. Exports from several cameras or long clips take longer.
Which format to use
- XProtect format: the strongest copy for police and insurance. It keeps the original video, can carry a digital signature, and includes XProtect Smart Client – Player, which is the only player that opens it. The player runs on Windows.
- Media player format: standard video files that play in normal media players. Easiest for sharing, but only available if your administrator has turned it on.
- Still images: single frames, useful for a report.
Open the export
By default, exports are saved in Documents\Milestone\Video Export on the computer you used. The Export destination field shows the exact folder.
To open an XProtect format export, open the export folder and double-click the Smart Client – Player program (the file ending in .exe). It plays the video and lets the person receiving it verify the digital signature.
Copy the whole export folder, not just one file, to a USB drive or a secure file share.
Tips for police and insurance
- Note the camera name, the date and the exact time of the incident.
- Keep the original export unedited, and keep a copy.
- Check the recorder’s date and time are correct before you export (see wrong date or time).
- Include the player if the file won’t open on a normal computer.
- Ask your local police service which format they want.
If it didn’t work
Export is greyed out
Your role doesn’t allow exports. Ask your system administrator, or call us.
Only XProtect format is offered
That’s the default setting. Your administrator can turn on media player formats.
The file won’t open
XProtect format opens only in Smart Client – Player, on a Windows computer. Copy the whole folder and run the player.
No video at that time
The camera wasn’t recording, or the recorder’s clock is wrong. See camera offline or not recording and wrong date or time.
Need footage for police or insurance?
We’ll help you export it, remotely where your system allows it, or on site.
Stuck with a system nobody will fix?
We repair and take over cameras, access control, intercoms and alarms installed by other companies, when your current provider has fallen short.
Questions
Why can I only choose XProtect format?
For security, it’s the only format turned on by default. Your system administrator can turn on media player formats, or we can.
How does someone open an XProtect export?
With XProtect Smart Client – Player, which is included in the export folder. It runs on Windows.
What does the digital signature do?
It lets whoever receives the export check that the video hasn’t been changed since it was exported.
Where did my export go?
By default, Documents\Milestone\Video Export on the computer you used, unless a different Export destination was chosen.
Can you help us export it?
Yes. We’ll find and export the footage for you, remotely where your system allows it, or on site.
More answers: Security camera questionsGlossary: NVRvideo analytics
Need footage exported?
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