CCTV - Closed Circuit Television

What is CCTV?

CCTV stands for Closed Circuit Television and is designed for a limited number of viewers (in a controlled manner) as opposed to broadcast TV, which is designed for mass viewing.

It differs from broadcast TV because all the components are linked together (generally by cables) to create a `closed' group of viewers.

CCTV is often used in areas where there is an increased need for security, such as banks, casinos, airports, motorways and increasingly in public areas such as train stations and central business districts in most cities.

Initially developed as a means of increasing security in banks and other high risk businesses, CCTV is increasingly finding its way into small business and homes due to its ease of installation and operation and the continued reduction in pricing thanks to many domestic style products introduced in recent years.

It should be noted that CCTV is not exclusively the domain of security surveillance, but is regularly used in manufacturing process monitoring for QA purposes, for inspecting pipes, chimneys or even the underside of a ships hull.