Crime and terrorism are scary facts of life today. CCTV security systems have proliferated rapidly, both because of a desire to respond to these problems, and because of improving technology. Following is a short summary of what they are and how they work, and some issues they cause to be raised.
The first CCTV (closed circuit television) system was developed in Germany in 1942 to observe the test firing of V-2 rockets. Security applications were first implemented in the 1960s. Large monitoring facilities have been installed in some urban areas recently, leading to questions about their impact on privacy.
Calling them closed circuit is meant to differentiate CCTVs from broadcast television. They can be assembled in many ways. A video camera is required, and many installations have more than one. Video needs to be recorded or immediately viewable on a monitor. Most modern setups support both. The components must have a connection that can transfer video from the source to its destinations.
It is desirable to be able to monitor areas of interest without delay. It is also advantageous to have recordings either as backup or to investigate incidents after the fact. Ideally, a CCTV setup would be able to do both, which is true of more and more installations.
Recordings historically were done to video tape, but hard drive recorders like the ones used in DVRs are becoming more common because of their flexibility. The retention period for recordings is an issue. With tapes, this was just a matter of how many tapes the operation wanted to keep around. DVRs often have the ability to create video archives on DVDs, which do not require much storage space, so retentions tend to be growing longer over time.
It used to be necessary to run wires between the monitors, cameras, and recorders. Newer installations have them all interfaced to the Internet. With this approach it doesn't matter where they are actually located. Wireless interfaces are growing in use. They are relatively inexpensive, particularly when equipment needs to be moved.
Some people are concerned that ever more pervasive security video cameras are leading to a loss of privacy. This is true to some extent, but the cameras are normally installed in public areas where there is no expectation of privacy. Many people are undecided on this issue, as the rapid growth of video monitoring of public areas seems to create a subtle change in the environment that is difficult to define.
Most people perceive CCT security systems as being a positive force in society. They seem to have some value in fighting crime, though it is not yet clear how extensive this is. As the technology improves and monitoring become more automated, they may be able to provide more value at less cost.
The first CCTV (closed circuit television) system was developed in Germany in 1942 to observe the test firing of V-2 rockets. Security applications were first implemented in the 1960s. Large monitoring facilities have been installed in some urban areas recently, leading to questions about their impact on privacy.
Calling them closed circuit is meant to differentiate CCTVs from broadcast television. They can be assembled in many ways. A video camera is required, and many installations have more than one. Video needs to be recorded or immediately viewable on a monitor. Most modern setups support both. The components must have a connection that can transfer video from the source to its destinations.
It is desirable to be able to monitor areas of interest without delay. It is also advantageous to have recordings either as backup or to investigate incidents after the fact. Ideally, a CCTV setup would be able to do both, which is true of more and more installations.
Recordings historically were done to video tape, but hard drive recorders like the ones used in DVRs are becoming more common because of their flexibility. The retention period for recordings is an issue. With tapes, this was just a matter of how many tapes the operation wanted to keep around. DVRs often have the ability to create video archives on DVDs, which do not require much storage space, so retentions tend to be growing longer over time.
It used to be necessary to run wires between the monitors, cameras, and recorders. Newer installations have them all interfaced to the Internet. With this approach it doesn't matter where they are actually located. Wireless interfaces are growing in use. They are relatively inexpensive, particularly when equipment needs to be moved.
Some people are concerned that ever more pervasive security video cameras are leading to a loss of privacy. This is true to some extent, but the cameras are normally installed in public areas where there is no expectation of privacy. Many people are undecided on this issue, as the rapid growth of video monitoring of public areas seems to create a subtle change in the environment that is difficult to define.
Most people perceive CCT security systems as being a positive force in society. They seem to have some value in fighting crime, though it is not yet clear how extensive this is. As the technology improves and monitoring become more automated, they may be able to provide more value at less cost.
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CCTV security systems offer peace of mind for your home or business security. You can implement CCTV or closed circuit television to keep watch over your possessions.