Television

Television, often called TV, is a way to send moving pictures and sound from one place to many others. It can mean both the system that sends these pictures and the actual screen people watch at home. TV is very important for sharing news, sports, shows, and ads with lots of people.

TV started in the 1920s, but it didn’t become common until after World War II. At first, it was only in black and white, but color TV came in the 1960s. Over time, people found new ways to watch TV, like using special tapes, DVDs, and now the Internet.

Today, most homes have TVs, and the screens have changed a lot. Big, thin screens have replaced the old, bulky ones. TVs can also connect to the Internet, letting people watch shows and movies on services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, iPlayer, and Hulu. This makes watching TV more flexible than ever.

Etymology

The word television comes from the Ancient Greek word τῆλε (tele) meaning 'far' and the Latin word visio meaning 'sight'. It was first used in 1900 by a scientist named Constantin Perskyi during a big meeting in Paris.

Over time, new slang words for television appeared, like "telly" in the UK and "the tube," which comes from the old TV screens that looked like tubes. The short form TV started being used in 1948.

History

Main article: History of television

The history of television began with mechanical systems that used spinning disks to scan and display images. Early inventors like Paul Julius Gottlieb Nipkow and John Logie Baird demonstrated the first mechanical televisions. Baird's public demonstration in 1926 is often considered the first true television broadcast.

As technology advanced, electronic television emerged. The cathode-ray tube (CRT) became a key component, allowing for better image quality. Inventors like Philo Farnsworth and Vladimir Zworykin played important roles in developing electronic television systems. By the 1930s, electronic television began to replace mechanical systems, leading to clearer and more reliable broadcasts.

Television evolved from black-and-white to color, with the first color broadcasts happening in the 1950s. The development of digital television in the 1990s marked another major step, allowing for higher quality images and more programming options. Today, televisions are often "smart," connecting to the internet for additional content and features.

Broadcast systems

Main article: Terrestrial television

See also: Timeline of the introduction of television in countries

Television can be broadcast in several ways. One way is through terrestrial television, where TV stations, also called channels, are licensed by governments to broadcast on specific frequencies. Originally, this was the main way to get TV because there were only a few channels available. In the U.S., stations could show ads starting in 1941 but had to promise to provide public service content. The U.K. used a different system, charging a fee to fund public broadcasting.

Cable television delivers TV programs to subscribers through wires, unlike traditional TV that uses radio waves. This allows many more channels and can also carry internet and phone services.

Satellite television sends TV signals from space using special dishes and receivers. This is useful in places without regular TV service and offers many channels. Over time, satellite TV has changed from older, big dishes to smaller, digital systems.

Internet television delivers TV shows and movies over the internet using streaming services. Companies like Netflix and services from cable and satellite providers let people watch TV on many devices. This became especially popular during the COVID-19 pandemic when many people stayed at home.

Sets

A television set, also called a television receiver, is a device that combines a tuner, display, amplifier, and speakers for viewing television and hearing its audio. Introduced in the late 1920s, television sets became popular after World War II, especially with the addition of color in the 1950s. Over the years, TVs have evolved from large, heavy cathode-ray tubes to thinner, lighter options like LCDs and LEDs.

Different display technologies have been used in TVs. Early TVs used a spinning disk, while cathode-ray tubes were common for many years. Later, digital light processing (DLP), plasma, and liquid-crystal displays (LCD) became popular. Today, most TVs use LED technology, with OLEDs expected to become more common in the future. These changes have made TVs smaller, lighter, and capable of showing clearer and more vibrant pictures.

Content

Television shows can be delivered to viewers in different ways. One way is through original or first-run programming, where a producer creates new episodes and sells them to a TV station or network. Another way is through broadcast syndication, where shows are sold to other stations or countries after their initial run.

Television has many genres, including dramas, comedies, science fiction, and reality shows. Some genres, like dramas, cost more to produce, while others, like game shows, are cheaper. Funding for television comes from various sources such as advertising, subscriptions, government support, or a combination of these. Advertising is a major funding source, with companies paying to air commercials during popular shows. Different countries have different rules about advertising on TV.

Social aspects

Television has been very important in how people interact and learn, especially in the last hundred years. It can help children learn when used in smart ways. Some religious groups choose not to watch TV because they believe it can lead to bad behavior. However, many people find that watching shows can help them feel less lonely by connecting with characters they like.

Negative impacts

Children, especially those aged five or younger, can be hurt if a television falls on them. Older CRT-style TVs are very heavy, and newer flat-screen TVs can easily tip over if a child pulls on them. These accidents can cause many injuries each year.

Some studies show that watching too much TV might affect school performance, especially for boys. Also, old TVs contain materials like lead and mercury that can harm the environment when they are thrown away. This creates challenges for recycling and disposing of old electronics.