A digital video system comprising: a plurality of recorders configured to store digital video from a common source; and a client device having a screen, an input device, and a processor configured to run a graphical user interface, the GUI comprising: a timeline adjustable by user input via the input device allowing a user to alter the time range displayed on the timeline; a selection indicator movable on the timeline by user input via the input device, to thereby designate a time of interest; availability indicators indicating an aggregate availability status of video at each time on the timeline from the plurality of recorders; and event tags indicating types and times or time ranges of events on the timeline; characterized in that, for a given setting of the timeline and the selection indicator, the client device is configured to receive video availability information about a time period close to the time of interest as designated by the selection indicator from the plurality of recorders in a first step, to iteratively receive video availability information about time periods successively further forward and backward along the timeline from the plurality of recorders in following steps until a specified time range of interest has been covered; and the processor is configured to periodically update the GUI as the aggregate availability status of video changes based on the respectively received video availability information; wherein each availability indicator designates a single recorder from a subset of the plurality of recorders possessing video at a corresponding time, the single recorder being selected from the subset of the plurality of recorders according to criteria including resolution and frame rate of available video, recorder traffic, and recorder proximity to the client device. a plurality of recorders configured to store digital video from a common source; and a client device having a screen, an input device, and a processor configured to run a graphical user interface, the GUI comprising: a timeline adjustable by user input via the input device allowing a user to alter the time range displayed on the timeline; a selection indicator movable on the timeline by user input via the input device, to thereby designate a time of interest; availability indicators indicating an aggregate availability status of video at each time on the timeline from the plurality of recorders; and event tags indicating types and times or time ranges of events on the timeline; a timeline adjustable by user input via the input device allowing a user to alter the time range displayed on the timeline; a selection indicator movable on the timeline by user input via the input device, to thereby designate a time of interest; availability indicators indicating an aggregate availability status of video at each time on the timeline from the plurality of recorders; and event tags indicating types and times or time ranges of events on the timeline; characterized in that, for a given setting of the timeline and the selection indicator, the client device is configured to receive video availability information about a time period close to the time of interest as designated by the selection indicator from the plurality of recorders in a first step, to iteratively receive video availability information about time periods successively further forward and backward along the timeline from the plurality of recorders in following steps until a specified time range of interest has been covered; and the processor is configured to periodically update the GUI as the aggregate availability status of video changes based on the respectively received video availability information; wherein each availability indicator designates a single recorder from a subset of the plurality of recorders possessing video at a corresponding time, the single recorder being selected from the subset of the plurality of recorders according to criteria including resolution and frame rate of available video, recorder traffic, and recorder proximity to the client device.