1. A system for extracting fingerprint data from digitized video images, comprising a frame buffer for holding a plurality of digitized video images, which receives video images one image at a time by means of data transfers, and discards the oldest video image each time a new video image is added to the buffer, and a sub-sampler which selectively copies pixel values of the video images without any modification to the values, and a plurality of sub-sampler buffers which holds pixel values copied by sub-sampler, and each sub-sampler buffer holds the copied values from a single video image, and the number of sub-sampler buffers is the same as the number of video images in the frame buffer, and a formatter which combines auxiliary information with the data from a plurality of sub-sampler buffers to form a single data package which is called fingerprint data, and a transfer buffer which copies fingerprint data from the formatter to a database.