Closed Circuit TV

CCTV

WHAT IS CCTV?

A video monitoring system is more commonly known as Closed Circuit Television Systems (CCTV). A CCTV system is an on premises system consisting of a television camera, video monitor, and a transmission medium (Cable, fiber or wireless) connecting the two. It is used to monitor the premises.

WHAT ARE COMMON APPLICATIONS FOR CCTV?

Probably the most widely known use of CCTV is in security systems and such applications as retail shops, banks, government establishments, etc. The true scope for applications is almost unlimited. Some examples are listed below.

Observe and record theft, violence, or vandalism by overtly monitoring an area.
Monitor sensitive areas where infrequent activities occur (ie: confidential records, safes, etc…)
Monitor point-of sale exceptions (cash register voids, over-rings etc…) reducing cashier theft.
Observe and record shoplifting activities.
“Walk a beat” by programming a moving camera to pan, tilt, and zoom within a defined pattern.
Perform covert surveillance (where legally applicable).
Integrate with access control systems to provide video of persons entering and leaving the premises.
Monitor Financial Institutions.
Monitor Loved Ones.
Monitor Employees (where legally applicable).
Allow operators to see into areas where the environment is hazardous to life or health.
Monitor potential accident areas.
Monitor residence halls, common areas, or high-risk areas to ensure safety of an educational institution’s students and faculty.
Help reduce the severity of some incidents by the timely dispatch of police, fire, and emergency personnel.
Monitor traffic on a highway or bridge.

Video CCTV 1

ANALOG OR DIGITAL?

Video CCTV 2

In the past, all CCTV Cameras were attached to a Multiplexer (A device which can split multiple camera pictures onto1 CCTV Monitor). The Multiplexer then sends the camera images to a Time Lapse Video Player (A device which unlike a normal VCR, can prolong video recording for up to 960 hours on a 3 hour tape by missing out frames). This method is still used today for simple CCTV installations but the quality of recording is usually very low (ie: 1 Frame Per 12.8 Seconds).

Nowadays, most CCTV systems are Digital. Digital Surveillance uses current PC technology to digitize camera images, compress them into a PC friendly format and store them on a PC’s Hard Disk Drive. CCTV pictures are stored on a computer Hard Drive which means you can save lots of CCTV footage and access them very easily and quickly. By using a PC to store CCTV footage, you are able to take advantage of today’s powerful PC technology and capture CCTV images in High Resolution and Real Time.