The phrase CCTV is an acronym for Closed Circuit Television although the name is somewhat out of date. Today it is still used to describe a system where live images captured by a camera or group of cameras are viewed, monitor and or recorded but not broadcasted and is restricted to who has access to and or monitoring capabilities. That CCTV system was originally developed by Siemens in the 1940s during World War II to allow the monitoring of several locations within the military base. Some of these facilities included Test Stand VII in Peenemunde, Germany in 1942, for observing the launch of V2-rockets. CCTV systems became more mainstream and popular after the war as a means of security for banks, casinos and other high-security areas including jails.

What is CCTV Today?

Today CCTV systems are very common and are used in everything from police cars (where they are referred to as Dash-Cam) and traffic lights in highways to small businesses and many homes throughout the world. As previously stated the terminology and definition don’t quite hold with today’s CCTV systems since most modern CCTV systems and or cameras are able to broadcast via the Internet or RF systems. The systems that broadcast via the Internet are usually referred to as an IP camera or an IP DVR and are utilized in the same manner for the purpose of monitoring multiple rooms or locations from a central point via high-quality video feeds. The CCTV system continues to bridge new technological frontiers. With the development MPG4, (decompress video format) CCTV systems can now be monitored via basic DSL Internet connection and even mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets at full motion video, meaning 24 to 30 frames per second.