Closed circuit TV, CCTV, doesn't require an introduction at all. The purpose of installing wired or wireless CCTV is fundamentally the one of surveillance and vigilance. These are bigger in size than the wearable spy cameras or hidden cameras and so leave that for the detectives for the moment. (Also what we are not considering now is the Chinese TV channel: CCTV.)



It is thanks to IRA, the Irish Republican Army, for having paved the way for developing the concept of CCTV, albeit in a tragic way. The Royal British Army, in response to the IRA bombings has experimented using CCTV for years, including outdoors, since 1970s through to 1990s. Although exact numbers can not known, an estimate tells us that there are much more than 400,000 surveillance cameras on London streets alone.

Is It Just Military Surveillance With CCTV?

CCTV is extensively being used in security system of industries, banks, super markets homes and all such places which are perceived as strategically and financially important. Commercial establishments using CCTV have increased manifolds in UK although it is not so common in US as it is perceived as a privacy threat. New York City has about 4000 CCTV installations and most of which are in shopping malls and other public places such as Liberty Statue, Lincoln Express, British Parliament, and places of strategic importance. Traffic monitoring and prosecution & crime detection have leapfrogged with the advent of CCTV.

After All, Just What Is This CCTV

Well, CCTV is a closed network of small surveillance TV cameras which telecast and/or record anything in their field of view. CCTV networks are usually wired together and finally connected to one or more monitors. There will be more monitors depending on the importance of surveillance the cost factors. If you have lesser monitors than the number of cameras, they can be switched in a sequence onto monitor/s. CCTV cameras have capabilities to either record hours of footage they filmed or telecast in a short range at a particularly dedicated frequency which can't be intercepted by normal TVs.

After the tragic bombings in London Metro tubes last July, there has been an increased public demand for using DVR (digital video recording) cameras rather than traditional cameras with tapes. If you wonder how this would have helped the cause, take it here. Tapes were removed in the fortnight following the bombings for study, and follow-up attacks could not be recorded as a result.

Thinking of CCTV installation at your office? Take professional help and consult police if necessary. Some cameras can be hampered with or can be intercepted with cheap receivers. A complete installation won't cost more than $4000, which is nothing when security is uppermost.