Closed-circuit television (
CCTV), also known as
video surveillance, is the use of
video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from
broadcast television in that the signal is not openly transmitted, though it may employ point to point (P2P), point to multipoint, or mesh wireless links. Though almost all video cameras fit this definition, the term is most often applied to those used for
surveillance in areas that may need monitoring such as banks, casinos, airports, military installations, and convenience stores.
Videotelephony is seldom called "CCTV" but the use of video in
distance education, where it is an important tool, is often so called.