When Were Security Cameras Invented – CCTV History [2023]

Security cameras or CCTV cameras have made our lives somewhat safe in a sense that they can monitor activities around us. If we look around us, there is at least one camera that is looking around us.

Now security cameras are more advanced than ever, but do you even know about their earliest invention?

Invention Of Security Cameras

A Russian physicist by name of Léon Theremin created first security camera in 1927. They were initially ordered by the Soviet of Labor and Defense, they were manually controlled and comprised of a wireless shortwave transmitter and a receiver system. They were there to keep an eye on visitors to Moscow Kremlin.

After that, Siemens AG built a different kind of CCTV in Nazi Germany in 1942 so that spectators could observe rocket launches in safety. With recent technological advancements, video surveillance market is projected to be worth 62.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

What Is CCTV?

Closed-circuit television, or CCTV as it is more widely known, is used for video surveillance. “Closed-circuit” refers to transmissions that are often sent to a small (closed) group of monitors, as opposed to “normal” TV, which is sent out to whole public. Although CCTV networks are frequently employed to identify and discourage criminal activity, as well as to record traffic violations, they have further applications.

In addition to cameras and monitors, video surveillance systems frequently contain servers, disc storage, and client computers that can store and process video data. Additionally, security systems and other information systems can be connected with video surveillance systems.

The purpose of video surveillance systems is to maintain safety in restricted areas, watch over employee behavior, track work in progress, etc.

When Were Security Cameras Invented In America   

Many countries tried to follow footsteps of Nazi Germany when it first used a kind of CCTV in 1942. Therefore, after trying and testing several times, America was finally successful in introducing Security cameras in 1949.

An American company named by Vericon introduced first CCTV system that was commercially available. After this, security cameras were more accessible to many organizations like banks, private residences, etc

When Was CCTV Introduced In the UK

As a temporary measure to manage crowds at Trafalgar Square during a visit by Thai Royal family, CCTV was first installed in Britain Streets in 1960. The first permanent CCTV cameras were installed at London’s train stations in  following year to increase security.

Picture quality was still subpar by late 1970s, and CCTV systems were mostly utilized for high-risk security targets like banks. However, with advent of VCRs, footage could be recorded and CCTV systems could operate independently.

The first outdoor CCTV system was eventually deployed in Bournemouth in 1985 after numerous unsuccessful experiments with equipment.

When Were Security Cameras First Used In Schools

Since the middle of 1990s, police agencies all around nation have increased number of cameras they have put in a variety of public locations, such as housing projects, schools, and government parks departments.

Due to its effectiveness in avoiding bullying, and vandalism, monitoring visitors, and retaining a record of proof of a crime, CCTV is commonly utilized at schools in the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. There are some limitations, such as avoiding installing cameras in places where there is a “legitimate expectation of privacy,” such as bathrooms, locker rooms at the gym, and private offices occupant gives permission. In general, cameras are permitted in classrooms, cafeterias, gyms, supply rooms, front offices where students, staff, and parents arrive and go, parking lots, and hallways.

Were There Security Cameras In the 1980s      

There was an increase in bank robberies in the 1970s and 1980s, which heightened the demand for a remedy. CCTV usage increased as a result of efforts to address the bank robbery problem.

Over the course of these 20 years, CCTV’s potential was further explored and it was increasingly employed for everything from protest security to protest monitoring.

By late 1980s, street-based CCTV was widely used, and cameras were installed all over council estates.

Today’s CCTV cameras have greatly improved, and they now assist in keeping an eye on our streets and public spaces as well as defending homes and businesses from theft, vandalism, and other threats.

History Of Surveillance Cameras

We’ll go right back to the beginning to get a good picture of how CCTV surveillance systems first started.

Engineers introduced reel-to-reel recording systems after early Bruch-designed systems. These could record video, but they still needed constant manual control. An operator was needed to insert cassettes into recorder and be prepared to swap them out.

When VCR recording was introduced in the 1970s, this method quickly became obsolete since it was too difficult to operate. VCRs became widely available, were inexpensive to buy and operate, and offered a far more practical alternative.

The advantages included being able to record with VCR operating independently and then reviewing the tape later.

However, several problems persisted:

VCR cassettes had a limited storage capacity and required regular replacement.

Storage space was needed in plenty for tape libraries.

To prevent having an infinite collection of material, majority of CCTV users would need to film over previous recordings, and with time videos would deteriorate.

Then, around 20 years later, in 1990s, came multiplexing.

Multiple signals from many CCTV cameras can be sent together into one monitor thanks to multiplexing technology.

We are all familiar with sight of a security officer at a large property with several feeds showing all of the entrance points, public spaces, or stairwells. This concept was great for larger organizations or corporations that were required to protect various areas at once.

Although we continued to rely on VCR recording, this discovery significantly decreased the need for physical storage. For instance, you would need a fourth of storage space if four CCTV cameras were streaming to a single display.

Advent Of Digital CCTV

Today, digital technology greatly facilitates our daily activities. Concepts like smartphones, Wi-Fi, and even broadband weren’t even a thought in the 1990s!

CCTV underwent a permanent transformation when digital technology gained popularity in early 2000s.

Digital video recorders (DVRs) have largely supplanted VCRs because of their superior image quality, speed, and storage capacity.

Multiplexers are still in use and are integrated into CCTV systems, so they are considerably easier to set up and maintain.

Since there is no need for physical tapes to store video, CCTV security is much more easily available.

Pricing is another important consideration. Modern technology is pricey. Although CCTV has been around for a while, when digital systems initially became accessible, only high-value organizations with funds to invest in this security would have been able to afford them.

Digital technology is now widely available and reasonably priced, whether for smaller businesses, individual residences, or major commercial spaces.

We’re still inventing in 2021, so there are new horizons that could make security quicker, simpler, more practical, and even less expensive!

NVRs (network video recorders), which include video processing and encoding capability within  camera itself, are among best solutions for contemporary CCTV systems.

The video is then sent to the NVR for remote viewing or recording. For businesses with several locations or spread out over a large area, every camera can stream concurrently to same remote device.

It’s fascinating to look back on development of CCTV and observe how such a simple idea has developed into a responsive, digital system that fights crime and ensures our safety in all aspects of our life.

Security Cameras in 1969

The year 1969 also marks an important year in history of surveillance cameras because videocassettes were introduced back then. They transformed process of surveillance immensely. Compared to traditional reels, they were more affordable and smaller.

Because of their plastic case protecting the tape, they made switching very rapid. Due to this, .security and surveillance cameras were able to go mainstream.