Monday, August 31, 2009

CCTV Security: It's Everywhere

By Christopher Williams

Although we may not think about it very often, closed-circuit tv(cctv) is a definite part of our daily lives. Much like Orwell's "Big Brother," cctv security is all around us. Once found mostly in banks, convenience stores and airports, cctv has spread to almost all public places, even our highways and schools.

Despite the fact that it is everywhere, many people confuse cctv with broadcast tv. Part of this confusion may be due to the fact that cctv footage has made its way into broadcast tv through popular television shows and the Internet. Many traditional cctv cameras have been replaced with higher quality resolution IP (Internet Protocol) cameras so that people view the footage or still picture on a computer much like they can a tv show or an image.

Modern public uses of cctv are as varied as the types of equipment available. Surveillance is the one we are probably most familiar with. We've all seen the familiar cameras in shopping malls, banks and other public places. Maybe we've even seen them on highway toll roads, bridges and stoplights and in patrol cars as tools for law enforcement. But cctv cameras also appear in less obvious places such as in manufacturing, the space program and other situations that would be dangerous or impossible for people to perform.

Although large-scale cctv can be expensive, there are many individual uses of cctv security equipment that the average person can afford and use. With easy Internet access and widespread cctv security availability, homeowners can purchase a system appropriate for their budget and worried parents can check up on their in-home "nannies" if necessary. Quality varies with cost, but each year quality is becoming more affordable and the equipment is becoming less cumbersome.

The entertainment industry has also capitalized on cctv security equipment with a twist, using a closed-circuit type surveillance to produce a show that is broadcast to a wide audience. Productions such as "Big Brother" depend on security cameras to record the show's footage. Crime shows and "candid camera" shows also depend on cctv camera technology to provide entertainment for its viewers.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but is it the truth? With all the internet access and computer knowledge out there, how much can we trust the surveillance footage we get from cctv security. With the ease and prevalence of photo manipulation, we know we must always consider the reliability of the source when viewing a traditional image. The question of validity must be addressed as well when it comes to using cctv technology for its intended purposes, especially legal action.

In the world we find ourselves part of after 9/11, Americans must weigh the cost of security. Closed-circuit tv technology offers the possibility of all-encompassing surveillance and that possibility could go either way: smother our society or give us the peace of mind to simply live our lives.

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