The evolution of CCTV or video surveillance systems has been long and complicated. When the very first moving-picture cameras were introduced by American inventors William Dickson and Thomas Alva Edison in the 1880’s, neither they nor the public could have envisioned the high-tech video security cameras that are available in the 21st century.
The first motion pictures were novelty films less than a minute long. They were made on degradable film stock and had no sound. Still, these seminal films are to be appreciated as the beginning of the lengthy journey to video surveillance systems as we know it today.
The earliest use of covert cameras may have been during World War II, when some American soldiers carried palm-sized devices such as the Univex 8-millimeter camera with which they filmed enemy operations in secret. The video surveillance cameras were hand-wound and were a very a useful tool in the Allied war effort. By 1942, Germany was using closed-circuit television (CCTV) to monitor rocket launches. A few short years later, the United States military used similar technology to monitor atomic testing in Nevada and the South Pacific.
In 1951, video tape appeared and changed everything about the way places, people and events can be watched. Video tape recording (VTR) merged with CCTV to enable video surveillance systems in a whole new fashion. By the mid-1960s, security cameras were being used in some public places. By the end of the decade, CCTV video surveillance cameras were being used in banks and government offices. Nowadays, video cameras are virtually everywhere.
The first CCTV video surveillance cameras were bulky with obvious wires and hefty price tags. The evolution of video surveillance systems now includes digital technology. Cameras have become more discreet and affordable. Today, any business owner who desires the security of video surveillance can obtain a proactive monitored system. With cameras changing from analog to IP, the industry is now supported by IT professionals who can fix a significant portion of problems remotely. The high resolution IP megapixel cameras from Stealth Monitoring can pick up important details of crimes in progress.
Stealth Monitoring is your business consultant in the video surveillance evolution. Cameras are just the beginning. We work with you to understand your business goals, security concerns and problems, and property. We specialize in turnkey solutions, including the design, installation and support of video surveillance systems and services.
Stealth Monitoring is a leader in proactive live video surveillance systems with over 9,000 video cameras watched nationwide. Real-time video monitoring can detect and deter crime while reducing security guard and other expenses. A Stealth operator can see unusual activity like theft, activate a speaker warning to deter the thieves, and call the local police. Clients include shopping centers, warehouses, office buildings, industrial facilities, apartments, car dealerships, schools and other businesses with outdoor assets.
Please contact Stealth to learn more about video surveillance systems. Visit our web site to see actual videos of criminals being apprehended.
