Television Facts

• Television is a popular technology that allows us to watch our favorite TV shows on screen.
• Television sets receive and display broadcasts of moving images.
• Televisions also produce sound through speakers.
• The images on a TV screen refresh fast enough to appear as smooth motion to the human eye.
• Televisions first went on sale in the late 1920’s.
• Early television was displayed in black and white.
• Although the technology was developed earlier, color television sets didn’t become widespread until the 1970’s.
• The 1980’s saw the arrival of remote controls.
• Television sets are also used to watch DVD’s and Blu-ray discs, as well as play video games through the use of a console.
• Video cassettes were used before DVD’s and Blu-ray discs but have been phased out in favor of new technology since the late 1990’s.
• Early monitors used cathode ray tubes (CRT) but they have since been replaced by thinner screens that use liquid crystal display (LCD) and plasma.
• Similar to radio, television broadcasts are transmitted at specific frequencies.
• More recently there has been a change from analog transmissions to digital. The 0’s and 1’s of a digital transmission are like the information stored in a computer, making them more reliable than traditional analog broadcasts.
• Television broadcasts feature a wide range of programming, everything from news to sports, documentaries, sitcoms, reality TV, drama, movies and commercials.
• The most watched TV broadcasts are typically global events such as the Olympics and Football World Cup.
• Broadcasting companies use commercials and subscriptions to earn revenue and pay for the costs of production.