Entertainment has never been the same since the introduction of the television. It was John Logie Baird who conducted the first demonstration of this technology in January 1926 to 50 scientists. But it wasn’t until 1946, after the war, that this tech was mass-produced for commercial use.

Since then, TV technology evolved in significant ways. In this post, you’ll discover the ways TV viewing has evolved in the last 2 decades based on the research done by Melita, a reputable provider of internet and TV service.

2000 – The Last Days of CRT TV

Who wouldn’t remember that television design with a retro wooden case? That design, the CRT TV, had been a common sight in many homes. It was designed with cathode ray tubes (CRT) that had red, blue, and green electrons projected to a phosphor screen to create images. This design used to be the mainstream TV tech for at least 70 years until the release of the slimmer LCD design in the early 2000s.

The Early 2000s – The Birth and Early Days of Plasma and LCD

The bulky and small design of CRT TV posed some limits to the viewing experience. But thanks to the release of LCD and Plasma TVs, the public finally had a space-efficient alternative to CRT sets. LCD and Plasma screens were wider, slimmer, and lighter. With its compact design, homeowners can easily move the TV around or mount it on the wall to maximise the interior area.

2008 – 2012 – The Gradual Switch from Analogue to Digital TV

Analogue TV relied heavily on the station’s aerial frequencies. Meanwhile, digital TV signals were transmitted in compressed data “packets,” which made the frequency more stable and less prone to signal loss. This was the reason many people were slowly ditching their analogue TVs in favour of digital TVs that can produce better images on a more stable frequency.

2006 – The Rise of HD TV

The HD TV design gave the public a richer, clearer, and more colourful viewing experience. This unit gave viewers up to five times better resolution than the standard 720 x 480p.

The Early 2010s – The Short-Lived Emergence of 3D TV

Even before 2010, 3D technology was a huge trend in cinemas as it gave viewers an almost real-life movie viewing time, such as in the movies Avatar (2009), Dial M for Murder (1954), and House of Wax (1953). One drawback to this innovation, though, was the need to wear glasses to fully enjoy the 3D show. This made 3D an awesome tech only for cinemas, not for daily TV viewing.

The Mid-2010s – The Growing Popularity of LED TV

Closely similar to LCD TV, LED units were well-loved for its energy-efficiency, slim design, and picture quality. Even until 2020, the sales of LED TV continue to increase and is expected to sell up to 250 million units by 2024, based on research done by (Melita) TV experts. There are also modular LED screens that could be used for advertisements and art exhibits.

Circa 2015 – The Rise of Smart TV

The prevalent use of internet technology also ushered innovations in TV design. Circa 2015, the public had witnessed an increasing demand for “smart” TVs with internet connectivity features. This design allowed users to watch online or offline multimedia materials, not just movies and shows from traditional channels. Yes, LED TV units were initially more expensive than other designs. But its cost is now slowly becoming more affordable as evident in the number of homes with this unit (12% of homes in 2014 to 21% in 2015).

The Late 2010s – 2020 – The Rising Demand for Videos-on-Demand (VOD)

The dynamic and hectic schedules of the people also contribute to recent developments in TV technology. VOD, for instance, started to become even more in-demand as it frees people from fixed show schedules. VODs could be watched offline or online and at the viewers’ most convenient time.

The evolution of TV viewing can easily be considered a reflection of the public’s changing demands for better shows, picture quality, and time flexibility. Based on the research done by (Melita) tech experts, TV manufacturers have made huge and significant leaps in innovation from the black-and-white pictures to videos-on-demand and everything in between.