Evolution of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV)

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras can produce images or recordings for surveillance purposes, and can be either video cameras, or digital stills cameras. Marie Van Brittan Brown was the inventor of the CCTV camera.

Video cameras
Video cameras are either analogue or digital, which means that they work on the basis of sending analogue or digital signals to a storage device such as a video tape recorder or desktop computer or laptop computer.

Analogue
Can record straight to a video tape recorder which

Building A Video Surveillance Network

Introduction

The shift from analog to Internet Protocol (IP) surveillance cameras has changed the way that video surveillance systems are built. Instead of running lengths of coax cable from multiplexers out to cameras, an IP-based surveillance system involves plugging the cameras into an Ethernet Local Area Network (LAN).

There are numerous benefits to using an IP-based system, including simplified cabling, power reticulation over the cabling, native digital video, and greater camera control. Taking full advantage of these benefits requires making the right choices in the configuration of the underlying Ethernet LAN. In addition, using an Ethernet LAN presents its own challenges, as it is a significantly more intelligent and dynamic environment than a collection of coax cables.