Undoubtedly one of the most important inventions of the modern age, the television has improved in leaps and bounds since its initial inception almost 75 years ago. The TVs we have today are a far cry from their original predecessors, featuring 3D technology as well as high powered internet capabilities. The first commercially available televisions were introduced in the late 1930s and had screens no larger than 12 inches. At the time, televisions were only for the wealthy middle classes, seeing that a set cost around a third of the average household income.
Early days
It wasn’t until the 1940s that colour television was first introduced. The post war economy boom meant that televisions were becoming more and more common in households, with the early 1950s marking the point where television started to take over the world. Screen sizes became larger, prices began to drop and by the late 1960s, there were over 200 million television sets worldwide.
The 1980s saw little in the way of massive technological developments, however a number of peripherals were introduced. These included the computer game console and the VCR which added new functionality to the much loved TV.
The 90s
It wasn’t until the 1990s that things really began to change for the TV. LCD and plasma technology was in its infancy and televisions were found in almost every home in the developed world. With the massive technological boom and the ever increasing popularity of the internet, technology prices became incredibly affordable.
Early 2000s
Television screen quality skyrocketed in the early 2000s, with plasma technology and LCD screens becoming the norm. The depth of colour and sharpness of image was incomparable to models found 10 years earlier. While the first plasma and LCD televisions were quite expensive, prices quickly dropped as new models were rapidly introduced to the market. This saw many people upgrading their bulky old sets to streamlined new plasma and LCD screens.
With the development of TiVo, people could now watch TV on demand, record all their favourite programs and pause live TV. This was a revolution mostly felt in the United States and it wasn’t until later that TiVo really made it to Europe. Today, TiVo is a normality enjoyed by the majority of TV owners around.
2010-present day
The technology found in modern televisions has increased at a shocking rate over the past four years. Huge screen televisions are very affordable and the image quality has never been better. With the introduction of smart TVs such as the Toshiba L7 series and Sony W800B series, internet functionality and the ability to run apps and play games without additional hardware has become standard. This has completely revolutionised the way in which people use their televisions.
The image quality has also become considerably more complex, with super HD screens that offer four times the resolution of standard high definition televisions. New models are also equipped with the ability to offer an eye-popping three dimensional viewing experience.
Needless to say that the televisions of today barely resemble their predecessors!
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
