Looking around, CCTV has become a very popular choice for home and business owners looking to protect their properties. Being surrounded by CCTV cameras every day, you would be forgiven for taking them for granted. In this article, we will be providing a brief history of CCTV systems so that you may come away with a renewed sense of appreciation for this incredibly useful piece of technology.
History of CCTV Systems
The first CCTV cameras were originally used in Nazi Germany in 1942 in order to observe the launch of V-2 rockets whereas the first commercially installed CCTV system was installed in the US in 1949. What you may not realise is that the technology used in CCTV cameras has come an incredibly long way from their initial implementation. In fact, the first CCTV systems had to be continuously monitored because there was no way of actually recording any of the footage for viewing afterwards. It is easy to see why this would make CCTV a completely unviable option for homeowners as there would be no need to monitor your home while you are at home yourself. Today we have the luxury of even being able to monitor your CCTV camera from a remote location, using the handheld device of your choice.
Soon came the arrival of reel to reel tapes which finally allowed the recording of CCTV footage, however, this was very tedious and time-consuming, so it wasn’t until VCR was invented in the 1970s that CCTV became widespread. Following on from this, further advancements which allowed the use of motion sensors and multiple cameras being connected to one system soon caused CCTV systems to become much more popular.
The Various Uses for CCTV Cameras
Today, CCTV systems are often used to protect your property from criminal activity, there has been a lot of research to show that CCTV cameras are an effective way to deter burglars from targeting your property. After all, why would you risk being caught on camera whilst in the midst of criminal activity when you can simply choose a different house? CCTV systems were also installed in public areas in order to reduce crime as a cheaper alternative to increasing the size of police departments.
This was not always the case though, in fact, CCTV cameras we once used to broadcast various sporting events. For example, many boxing matches including “Rumble In The Jungle” were broadcast from a live CCTV stream where viewers could pay to access these streams. This means of broadcasting was then replaced with cable tv.
Nowadays CCTV cameras are used for a variety of applications. The police force will generally implement body cameras for officers in order to use as evidence while on duty. On top of this, many transport services will also use CCTV footage to monitor passengers while travelling. This is a useful way to check whether there are passengers obstructing doors on the train for example. In the US, CCTV systems are also used in schools to prevent vandalism and bullying.
Final Thoughts
So as we can see, CCTV systems have come a long way over the years. Today, they are used for many purposes that they were originally not intended for. In years to come, we may also begin to see CCTV even widespread once drones become more popular. The fact that cameras are often used for commercial businesses and have now become even more popular for domestic properties goes to show the extent of their effectiveness of deterring crime as well as catching any criminals that still continue to break the law. If you are interested in a high-quality CCTV system for your home or business then DCUK Ltd has been installing security systems for many years. If you wish to find out more then call us today on 0208 298 1111