This article outlines how the television receiver evolved from a mechanical rotating disk to a connected TV.
Television was not invented by a single inventor. Instead, many people working together and alone over the years contributed to the evolution of the device capable of reproducing a sequence of pictures.
The early televisions were based on electro-mechanical systems. The process called scanning, which is even active today, was implemented using a rotating disk in which holes are made in a spiral path. It was known as the Nipkow disc which was invented by a Russian scientist Nipkow.
In 1884, Paul Nipkow made a significant stride in the development of television technology by successfully sending images over wires. Employing a pioneering rotating metal disk technology, Nipkow named his creation the electric telescope. However, this remarkable invention had only 18 lines of resolution, marking a notable advancement in the continuous search for transmitting visual information electronically. Nipkow’s work laid the foundation for subsequent innovations in television systems. Nipkow disk was patented in 1884 in Berlin also known as a scanning disk because it is a mechanical, rotating, geometrically operating image scanning device. This scanning disk was a fundamental component in mechanical television, and thus the first televisions, through the 1920s and 1930s. Then, the mechanism was improved by John Logie Baird. A picture of John Logie Baird standing next to the television at the Science Museum in London, circa August 1926 is shown here.
During the early 1830s, Joseph Henry’s and Michael Faraday’s work with electromagnetism initiated the era of electronic communication that brought the next evolution in television. Three decades ago, i.e. around the 1990s, almost all the television receivers were based on Cathode Ray Tube (CRT). The idea of CRT relates to history where Eugen Goldstein coined the term “cathode rays” to describe the light emitted when an electric current was forced through a vacuum tube.
Television receivers have two major stages, viz., signal-receiving circuits and picture display. Today, we identify television receivers by their display type and television receiver capability to receive and process signals. CRT displays are no longer manufactured due to various reasons including its bulkiness, not environment friendly, and poor picture quality. Today most of the displays are LCD and LED. LED technology is advancing to provide high-quality pictures while operating energy efficiently. The research is being done to develop foldable displays.
Another aspect that determines the type of television receiver is the receive circuits. From the late 1930s to date, the most dominant form of television signal distribution is over-the-air (OTA) using radio frequencies (RF). Increasing broadband penetration and Internet access have created an alternative mechanism to receive television or video signals via the Internet. However, nearly one-third of the world’s population does not have access to the Internet in any form.
The television model, invented by the Scottish television pioneer John Logie Baird, (1888 – 1946)
TV viewing habits of New Zealand and global audiences have changed significantly in recent years. People increasingly watch TV content online, enabled by broadband, connected devices and new platforms and services that offer both vast on-demand catalogues of programming and linear channels delivered over the Internet.
New Zealand Broadcasters such as TVNZ, Three and Maori Television can reach audiences through connected television platforms on smart televisions and other streaming devices, while audiences have adopted these platforms to access and discover television content.
In 2024, as I reported in the previous article TVNZ looked at changes in the distribution and consumption of content and their implications for audiences and networks. Various research has discovered that watching content over the Internet, through connected television and IP platforms, is likely to become the main viewing method for long-form television viewing in the next few years.
This image is the first recorded picture taken from a TV screen. Science & Society (Picture Library- Getty Images)
In recent times, we have seen rapid advancements in television receivers. It is not only the television that transitioned from analogue to digital in its processing and transmission but also LCD and LED displays are dominant (in some markets, only) display components in modern television receivers.
The most recent developments include increased processing capabilities and storage facilities. They are like a computer and they have their own operating systems.
The content distributors are collaborating with television receiver manufacturers to provide the audience with easy ways to find their content. As we know “Apps” or software applications that will provide a user interface (UI) to access various services. There are positive as well as negative impacts on audiences.
In the next article, I will explain to you more about connected television, its advantages and some features that the audience should be cautious of.
Dr Amal Punchihewa – Palmerston North
