CCTV (closed-circuit television) is a TV system in which signals are not publicly distributed but are monitored, primarily for surveillance and security purposes. CCTV relies on strategic placement of cameras, and observation of the camera's input on monitors somewhere.

 

The applications of electronic systems for security purposes have changed dramatically over the years. Unlike CCTV cameras with television lines, digital IP cameras are the next generation of surveillance system developed for a CCTV environment, but with better image quality, better resolution, and more everything. They generate an image directly from digital data with no continuous stream of analog video being broadcasted

​