Television

Quick facts

• A television (television receiver or set) is a human-made electronic device that receives video and audio signals and displays moving images with synchronized sound; it is commonly called a TV or television set. (Definition as a receiver/set).
• The television receiver (the physical device) is distinct from television broadcasting: the receiver converts transmitted signals into picture and sound, while broadcasting is the distribution medium or service controlled by stations and networks.
• Television was developed incrementally. Early mechanical systems were demonstrated in the 1920s (John Logie Baird and others); the first widely cited all‑electronic system was demonstrated by Philo Farnsworth in 1927 — many inventors and companies contributed to the technology over decades.
• Display and receiver technology evolved: early sets used cathode‑ray tubes (CRTs); later generations moved to flat‑panel technologies (LCD, LED variants, plasma, OLED) and digital processing. Broadcast systems also moved from analog standards to digital television formats.
• Television became a mass household technology after World War II. Ownership grew into the tens of millions by the 1950s–1970s and remains extremely widespread — recent U.S. data show TV ownership is still more common than owning a computer or smartphone.