As Jameson began to investigate, he discovered that Marcus had been receiving threatening messages online. They were all cryptographically signed with variations of the strange code found on the DVD. The messages seemed to hint at a dark secret from Marcus's past, something he had covered up in his earlier work.

The peculiar code, Jameson learned, was related to video encoding formats. "2720p" referred to a specific, though not standard, video resolution. "Vega" could refer to a graphics processing unit (GPU) made by AMD, known as Radeon Vega. The seemingly nonsensical string was actually a clue left by the killer, hinting at the involvement of a former special effects expert who had worked with Marcus.

The DVD, when played, revealed a 1080p video titled "The Art of Deception." It was a documentary-style film showcasing various techniques of deception and misdirection used in the film industry. However, there was a chapter titled "Murder 2720p - The Art of Perfect Crime," which seemed to explore the idea of creating a flawless murder scene, akin to a movie.