The History of Video Surveillance - from VCRs to Eyes in the Sky
Mention video surveillance and most people think of video cameras mounted in the corners of train stations and banks or private detectives video taping an erring spouse for a messy divorce case. The truth is that the history of video surveillance is much more complex and goes back much farther than most people realize.
If you consider video in the simplest of terms, video surveillance began with
simple closed circuit television monitoring. As early as 1965, there were press
reports in the United States suggesting police use of surveillance cameras in
public places. In 1969, police cameras were installed in the New York City
Municipal Building near City Hall. The practice soon spread to other cities,
with closed circuit television (CCTV) systems watched by officers at all times.
Analog beginnings spur video surveillance
When video cassette recorders hit the market, video surveillance really hit
its stride. Analog technology using taped video cassette recordings meant
surveillance could be preserved on tape as evidence. The seventies saw an
explosion around the world in the use of video surveillance in everything from
law enforcement to traffic control and divorce proceedings.
England installed video surveillance systems in four major Underground Train
Stations in 1975 and began monitoring traffic flow on major highway arteries
about the same time. In the United States, the use of video surveillance wasnt
quite as prevalent until the 1980s for public areas, but store owners and banks
quickly understood the value of it.
Businesses that were prone to theft, including banks, mini-marts and gas
stations, began mounting video surveillance systems as a deterrent and in hopes
of apprehending thieves, particularly in high crime areas.
The insurance industry also found video surveillance compelling workers
compensation fraud, bogus accident claims and a variety of other cases began to
turn in the industrys favor when they could provide tapes of supposedly
disabled workers doing the limbo at a family reunion.
For the private citizen, analog technology was primarily used in the 1970s
and 1980s for capturing the worst side of human nature cheating spouses and
poor parenting. Private detectives were able to provide more graphic and
compelling evidence of affairs and parental stupidity with film than with still
shots, and video tapes became frequent evidence in family court.
The drawback in many cases was that after a while, owners and employees would
become complacent and not change the tapes daily or the tapes would wear out
after months of being re-used. There was also the problem of recording at night
or in low light. While the concept was good, the technology hadnt yet peaked.
The next step was the Charged Coupled Device camera (CCD), which used microchip
computer technology. These new cameras broadened the practical applications of
video surveillance by allowing low light and night recording possible.
In the 1990s another advancement in the history of video surveillance made
great strides in practicality Digital Multiplexing. When digital multiplexer
units became affordable it revolutionized the surveillance industry by enabling
recording on several cameras at once (more than a dozen at time in most cases).
Digital multiplex also added features like time-lapse and motion-only recording,
which saved a great deal of wasted videotape.
By the mid-1990s, ATMs across the United States and in most parts of the
world had video cameras installed to record all transactions. After the first
attack on the World Trade Center in February of 1993, the New York Police
Department, FBI and CIA all install surveillance cameras throughout the area.
Soon many countries are also using either CCTV or video taped surveillance to
cover major sporting events that could be potential hot spots, including the
World Cup Soccer games at Giants Stadium in 1994.
Digital makes video surveillance faster, clearer, more efficient
Digital video surveillance made complete sense as the price of digital
recording dropped with the computer revolution. Rather than changing tapes
daily, the user could reliably record a months worth of surveillance on hard
drive because of compression capability and low cost.
The images recorded digitally were so much clearer than the often grainy
images recorded with analog that recognition was immediately improved for
police, private investigators and others utilizing video surveillance for
identification purposes. With digital technology you could also manipulate the
images to improve clarity even further by adding light, enhancing the image,
zooming in on frames, etc.
The second wave of increased video surveillance corresponded with the
emergence of digital in the United States. From 1997 on, police departments
across the country installed more and more video surveillance cameras in public
buildings, housing projects and areas like New Yorks Washington Square Park.
The NYPD also began using mobile surveillance vans at political rallies and
other large gatherings (including festivals and parades) under the auspices of
the Technical Assistance Response Unit (TARU).
In-home use soars with advent of nanny cams
As more women went back to full-time careers in the 90s, digital video
surveillance manufacturers found a niche market that hadnt previously been
tapped monitoring what was going on at home when parents were gone. The nanny
cam was a huge success, providing a way for parents to observe what nannies and
housekeepers were really doing while at home with the kids.
The popularity of these cameras pushed the industry to develop ever-smaller,
higher resolution cameras that could be hidden almost anywhere. The result was a
boon to industry development, with new versions of digital video surveillance
cameras coming out nearly every month.
9/11 redefines video surveillance for the future
Nothing changed the concept of or the publics awareness of video
surveillance as much as the tragic events of September 11, 2001 when the World
Trade Center was attacked by terrorists. Where once people saw video
surveillance as an issue that might never affect them, it was now an issue of
immediate and lasting importance.
Software developers began refining programs that would enhance video
surveillance, including facial recognition programs that could compare various
key facial feature points in order to match recorded faces to known mug shots or
photographs of terrorists or criminals. While the earlier versions werent
always reliable, the later versions became more refined and were phased into use
by law enforcement in some areas. In May of 2002, the United States Parks
Service installed face recognition software on the computer video surveillance
cameras at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
That same year, the Sydney International Airport in Australia installed
SmartGate, an automated border crossing system used for all airline crew
members. Using photo biometrics, the video surveillance systems scans the crew
members face and compares it to the passport photo and confirms the match in
less than ten seconds, speeding the border process markedly.
In December of 2003, Royal Palm Middle School in Phoenix, Arizona installed
face recognition video surveillance as a pilot program for tracking missing
children and registered sex offenders. It has split the community, but is
supported by many in favor of it as a potential way to track abductors and child
molesters.
The Internet revolution in video surveillance
The internet has enabled video surveillance to be instituted virtually
anywhere and be watched from anywhere in the world. With satellites bouncing
signals around the globe, you can now watch anyone anywhere from your laptop.
The eye in the sky is a reality with digital streaming video.
Sadly, the least common denominator in streaming video is the peek-a-boo
industry of amateur porn sites that have proliferated on the web, but these
real-time streaming videos use the same technology as many genuine surveillance
operations.
Streaming video is set up as a remote system so that you can monitor your
site from anywhere in the world with Internet access because the images are
video archived on a remote web server. The quality is outstanding, with high
compression (1800:1 in some cases) for storage and features like
motion-activation and email alerting when there is activity if you wish. The
Internet has truly revolutionized video surveillance by removing all boundaries
for viewing anywhere in the world.
What does the future hold for video surveillance?
The newest trendy, must-have fun gadget for consumers these days is the
picture phone that can instantly send snapshots and streaming video to family
and friends with just a click. What those fun television ads dont say is that
those telephones can just as easily be used for video surveillance. Nearly
everyone has a cell phone in their hands these days, so someone standing on a
street corner is so unremarkable that virtually anyone could be filming you
without your knowledge.
Rather than mounting obtrusive cameras, future law enforcement agencies may
begin using these phones as integrated devices, combining video surveillance
with public phones in one package for 24/7 public watch dogging. Police officers
and federal agents may eventually be issued phones with streaming video so that
they can immediately send pics of suspects they are tailing back to a database
for matching against a face recognition program. When new Amber alerts are
issued, video clips could be sent to all law officers quickly and efficiently.
Its clear that with digital technology and streaming video weve moved into
the era of being able to conduct comprehensive video surveillance and store the
resulting evidence indefinitely. We can reach around the world or across the
street with surveillance equipment, but we are still making advances, as the new
video cell phones clearly illustrate. The future is sure to see even greater
strides that will eventually become part of the history of video surveillance.
This article on the "The History of Video Surveillance" reprinted with
permission.
Copyright 2004-2005 Evaluseek Publishing.
About the Author
Lucy P. Roberts is a successful freelance writer providing practical information and advice about everything related to video surveillance and related topics. Her numerous articles include tips for saving both time and money when shopping for video security products; equipment reviews and reports; and other valuable insights. Find important information about deploying surveillance cameras and wireless security cameras when you visit Video-Surveillance-Guide.com today!
