In reality, most of us have always lived with security cameras watching over us in stores and public places, but these gadgets are still pretty new. About one hundred years ago, security cameras were big, bulky devices that didn’t work well with other electronics. Now, they’re slim, smart, and stylish.
The Early History of Security Cameras: 1927–1942
There was a need for surveillance tools to be built in those places and at those times. It is known that the first time a security camera was used in Russia during the Stalin era. A scientist named Léon Theremin came up with a way to connect a video camera and a computer wirelessly. This was the start of the first security camera. His idea was first used to watch people walking through the Kremlin, but it soon became more popular.
Security cameras became popular in other totalitarian countries as well. It was about 15 years after the Soviets built their system that the Nazis built theirs. Scientists could watch the launches of V-2 rockets from the airfields at Peenemunde thanks to this system, which was made by the German expert Walter Bruch.
It could be a better beginning for security cams, but things get better from here on out.
Germany and Russia: 1949 to 1971
The basic systems in Germany and Russia were far from being what we would call current security camera systems. The quality could have been better, and they couldn’t record, so they had to be watched all the time. However, an American company called Vericon saw potential in this new technology and started making them for business and industrial use.
On top of that, these systems couldn’t record. But in 1951, two years later, the videotape player was created. The VTR could record and play back a live picture with its reel-to-reel magnetic tape. This was pretty cool for its time. This huge piece of machinery was first used by the public in 1956. It cost $50,000, about $500,000 in today’s money.
It was clear that this was too expensive for most people to buy. In other words, the security business has only grown around big companies and states that could afford the gear and had specific needs. We all know that tech tends to get smaller, faster, and cheaper. That’s exactly what took place here.
Olean, New York, was the first town in the U.S. to put a security camera on its main street in 1968. The feed was sent straight to the local police station, but these systems still needed to be watched constantly or a VTR to work until the videocassette came along.
Evolution of Security Cameras in 1969
Videos changed the game for security cameras when they came out. These plastic-cased recording tapes were smaller and less expensive than regular VTR reels. They could be changed out quickly and listened to right away.
Right away, it led to more people using video monitoring. No longer were these pieces of equipment only for big businesses and states with lots of money; regular people could also use them to protect their homes.
And that brings us to the modern security camera for the home. It’s not as modern as “modern in 2023,” but it is still modern.
The Modern Era of Home Security Cameras: 1969 to 1980
Marie Van Brittan Brown made the first home security system that worked with everything else. This was also in 1969. Four peepholes, a sliding surveillance camera, a monitor, and two-way audio were all parts of the system. These are all features that many current security cameras have.
Using CCTV networks and VCRs that were getting smarter helped get security cameras into the hands of regular people who saw how useful they were as crime deterrents. The cameras themselves were still big and ugly, though. Technicians still had to keep an eye out for strange behavior and switch and store tapes.
The Digital Security Cameras: 1987 To 1996
When digital video capture came out, it changed everything about security cameras, just like when the VCR came out. In 1987, Kodak was the first company to make digital cameras. In 1993, digital video compression was created. In 1994, Apple also tried digital photography with the QuickTake 100.
Digital video is better than old video in many ways. One reason is that the video quality doesn’t get worse over time and only takes up as much room to store. The cams can be smaller, and they can keep recording for months. In the mid-1990s, digital multiplexers were invented so that a single DVR could record and store video from multiple cameras. This made it possible for modern networks like the ones we use today.
We’re still going, though. The Axis NetEye 200 was the first IP camera out there. It came out in 1996. It didn’t need a closed-circuit system because it used internet protocol. Instead, it sent video over a computer network remotely. These were the first Wi-Fi cams, which many of us probably have in our homes today.
Conclusion
The security cameras of today are very similar to those used a hundred years ago. People can now get very high video resolutions, smart notifications, color night vision, two-way audio, and many other features that can help them keep their families and things safe.
These days’ cameras are easy to set up and use. With a smartphone, you can watch video from almost anywhere. They can even be added to a smart home to make it more automated.