Introduction

As the name implies, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) is a system in which the circuit is closed and all the elements are directly connected. This is unlike broadcast television where any receiver that is correctly tuned can pick up the signal from the airwaves.

The Applications for CCTV

Probably the most widely known use of CCTV is in security systems and such applications as retail shops, banks, government establishments, etc. The true scope for applications is almost unlimited. Some examples are listed below.

• Monitoring traffic on a bridge.
• Recording the inside of a baking oven to find the cause of problems.
• A temporary system to carry out a traffic survey in a town centre.
• Time lapse recording for the animation of plasticine puppets.
• Used by the stage manager of a show to see obscured parts of a set.
• The well-publicised use at football stadiums.
• Hidden in buses to control vandalism.
• Recording the birth of a gorilla at a zoo.
• Making a wildlife program using a large model helicopter.
• Reproducing the infrared vision of a goldfish!
• Aerial photography from a hot air balloon.
• Production control in a factory.
The list is almost endless and only limited by the imagination.