A system for correcting wide-angle image data, said system comprising: a first input buffer configured to store wide-angle image data; an image data processor operably coupled to said first input buffer and configured to transform wide angle image data stored in the first input buffer into corrected image data; wherein the wide-angle image data includes distortion and said image data processor transforms the wide-angle image data in the first input buffer into corrected image data that is substantially undistorted; a first source of wide-angle image data operably coupled to said first input buffer, wherein the first source of wide-angle image data is a video camera equipped with a wide-angle lens, whereby the wide-angle lens is aimed at an area to be monitored; an encoder operably coupled to said image data processor and configured to receive and encode the corrected image data in a format suitable for at least one of display and recording of corrected images; wherein said corrected image data is not stored in a buffer from the time of transformation by the image data processor until the time said undistorted image data is received by the encoder; and a monitor operably coupled to said encoder for displaying corrected images, wherein said monitor is a device configured to visually display images based on electronic video signals output from the encoder, wherein output from the encoder is sent to said monitor, said encoder is further configured to output signals for producing corrected images comprising a plurality of pixels; and said image data processor is configured to transform wide angle image data stored in said first input buffer into undistorted image data by determining, for each of said plurality of pixels, wide angle image data that corresponds to each of said plurality of pixels on a pixel by pixel basis, and providing said wide angle image data to said encoder, characterized in that the system further comprises auxiliary request I a second input buffer configured to store image data different from the wide-angle image data stored in said first input buffer, said second input buffer being operably connected to said image data processor, and at least one additional camera system comprising a second source of normal field of view image data operably coupled to said second input buffer; wherein the additional camera system includes an analog or digital camera with a normal lens aimed at a determined portion of the monitored area; wherein the image data processor is further configured to produce output image data from the additional camera system enabling displaying an undistorted image derived from transformed wide-angle image data and an image produced using the additional camera system concurrently on said monitor. a first input buffer configured to store wide-angle image data; an image data processor operably coupled to said first input buffer and configured to transform wide angle image data stored in the first input buffer into corrected image data; wherein the wide-angle image data includes distortion and said image data processor transforms the wide-angle image data in the first input buffer into corrected image data that is substantially undistorted; a first source of wide-angle image data operably coupled to said first input buffer, wherein the first source of wide-angle image data is a video camera equipped with a wide-angle lens, whereby the wide-angle lens is aimed at an area to be monitored; an encoder operably coupled to said image data processor and configured to receive and encode the corrected image data in a format suitable for at least one of display and recording of corrected images; wherein said corrected image data is not stored in a buffer from the time of transformation by the image data processor until the time said undistorted image data is received by the encoder; and a monitor operably coupled to said encoder for displaying corrected images, wherein said monitor is a device configured to visually display images based on electronic video signals output from the encoder, wherein output from the encoder is sent to said monitor, said encoder is further configured to output signals for producing corrected images comprising a plurality of pixels; and said image data processor is configured to transform wide angle image data stored in said first input buffer into undistorted image data by determining, for each of said plurality of pixels, wide angle image data that corresponds to each of said plurality of pixels on a pixel by pixel basis, and providing said wide angle image data to said encoder, characterized in that the system further comprises a second input buffer configured to store image data different from the wide-angle image data stored in said first input buffer, said second input buffer being operably connected to said image data processor, and at least one additional camera system comprising a second source of normal field of view image data operably coupled to said second input buffer; wherein the additional camera system includes an analog or digital camera with a normal lens aimed at a determined portion of the monitored area; wherein the image data processor is further configured to produce output image data from the additional camera system enabling displaying an undistorted image derived from transformed wide-angle image data and an image produced using the additional camera system concurrently on said monitor.