ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Police in Rock Hill said new high-tech digital surveillance systems are not law-enforcement friendly.

Investigators often rely on surveillance video to help them solve crimes. Even though technology is making the pictures better and cleaner, it's frustrating for police. In fact, some officers say the old VHS tapes were better.

Lucy Taylor is still shaken up after, police said, a man pulled a gun on her at the convenience store where she works. It happened Wednesday at the Valero store on Celanese Road.

She says her life flashed before her.

"I could see my kids when they were little. I could see my grandkids. You know, it was real frightening," said Taylor.

Police said it's one of at least two stores robbed by a man captured on the store's high-tech digital surveillance equipment. They think he'll strike again.

Investigators said the problem is getting evidence from the surveillance equipment. Police can't slow it down, enhance it, or zoom in on any detail because many of the latest digital cameras come with software that doesn't allow it.

Could this make a difference between solving the case, and not solving the case?" asked reporter Greg Suskin.

"Absolutely, there's no doubt about that," said Detective David Hanoka.

He said his hands are tied on cases like this one. Hanoka said the camera won't cooperate.

"If we can't get a good image of somebody's face when it's available, how can you really show that to somebody and say, 'Hey, it's so-and-so,'" he said.

If police can't tweak the video, they can miss details like a gun or a logo on a shirt.

Taylor just wants the man caught and shivers at what he said when he walked out.

"As he leaves, he goes out the door looks back at me and says, 'You can call the cops now,'" she said.

With these newer cameras, police often contact the manufacturer to see if they can tell them how to use it. So far, that hasn't been successful.

Police said the surveillance camera companies will have to work with them if they want their camera systems to be useful at all.