Evolution of Television 1920-2020

In 100 years the TV has taken many 

shapes and sizes 

here's the evolution of the television from the 1920s to today.     The 1920s gave us the mechanical television the first model had a small display on the right and a huge cabinet these first TVs were very simple in comparison to our technology today they implemented peculiar shapes such as the Octagon television although the technology was impressive the video quality was not facial features were not recognizable 

unless makeup was worn in a specific way 

in the 1930s we saw more refined televisions with better designs and resolution this decade saw a giant leap in video quality from 100 scan lines at the start of the decade to 405 the 1940s brought us even higher resolutions including the NTSC standard of 480 lines of resolution and better audio in the 1940s it was difficult to produce CRT screens larger than 12 inches so big screen TVs implemented projection techniques the 1950s brought us the short-lived porthole televisions but most importantly it brought us the NTSC color standard but not many color televisions 

were sold until the following decade 

the sales of color TVs boomed in the 60s 

they were now more affordable and the colors more vivid 1970s brought TV designs for every taste indeed there was the upgradable television with easily accessible circuit boards the futuristic televisions which implemented curvy design patterns the colorful TVs that looked more like toys and the portable combos which normally included radios and cassette decks the 1980s was the end of the TV as furniture era these were replaced with color projection TVs with larger screens and minimalist cabinets the space command was one of those color projection TVs the 1980s gave way to the first LCD TVs they were tiny and pixelated but it was a huge step forward these portable TVs were a lot more affordable and included additional functions this decade was all about Sony's Trinitron technology as Sony's patent had run out all competitors were free to use the technology combos such as this became really popular in the 1990s they included FM radio and VCR in the 1990s Casio continued to improve their portable LCD TVs a preview of one of the biggest tech of the following decade was introduced at the end of the 1990s the flat HD TV priced around $7,000 throughout the 2000s CRT TVs were still very popular as they were inexpensive and could access HD channels using a converter box during this decade LCD tech was finally able to compete with plasma giving us LCD HD TVs then LED TVs arrived which were superior to both a few brands experimented with ambient lighting to make the TVs more immersive through the decade HDTVs became pretty smart they were able to display content from your computer as well as connect to different services on the Internet we started the 2010s with the best combination of tech money combined 4k LED and 3d which all had just been introduced curved screens became the premium feature for a few years it was meant to reduce glare and improve immersion by taking advantage of our peripheral vision this works well for computer monitors but it is barely noticeable on TVs something truly impressive was the introduction of wallpaper TVs these are almost as thin as a credit card the latest feature is ambient mode which 

lets you match your TV to your decor it 

allows you to display your TV as art or to match your wallpaper 2020 promises many new technologies such as the roll-able TV it is completely hidden when it's off and when it's on it grows to the size of the content or application this is great for calendar and music apps and avoids the black bars in extra-wide movies this is another discreet TV technology but it will likely be used more for 

decoration and art than for 

entertainment 

the double-sided TV will be great for 

gaming and for commercial applications Tech is changing really fast and so are our TVs what do you think is next for the evolution of television.