What popular addition was added to television in the 1950's?

stuthehistoryguy

Laugh track http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laugh_track Dec 02 07, 1:29 PM

Baloo55th

I thought the question asked for something popular, not something idiotic and irritating.... Dec 02 07, 2:01 PM

robboy

Well, even to the crankiest souls it can't be hard to understand that popular doesn't always mean pleasing. I was thinking it was probably color transmissions, as color TVs were available prior to 1950 but legal issues prevented the sale of color receivers for home use. It's buried in this bit of info. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blcolortelevision.htm Dec 02 07, 2:49 PM

zbeckabee

1950 -- The FCC approves the first color television standard which is replaced by a second in 1953. 1956 -- Robert Adler invents the first practical remote control called the Zenith Space Commander. It was proceeded by wired remotes and units that failed in sunlight. http://inventors.about.com/od/tstartinventions/a/Television_Time_4.htm Dec 02 07, 4:09 PM

author

The TV remote control mentioned here was produced by Zenith Electronics. Quote: Zenith is, perhaps, best known for the first practical wireless TV remote control, the 'Space Command', developed in 1956. The original TV remote control was a wired version, released in 1950, that soon attracted complaints about an unsightly length of cable from the viewer's chair to the TV set. Cmdr. Eugene F. McDonald, Zenith President and Founder, ordered his engineers to develop a wireless version, but the use of radio waves was soon discounted due to poor interference rejection inherent in 1950s radio receivers. The 1955 'Flash-Matic' remote system used a highly directional photo flash tube in the hand held unit that was aimed at sensitive photoreceivers in the four front corners of the TV cabinet. However, bright sunlight falling on the TV was found to activate the controls. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenith_Electronics_Corporation Dec 02 07, 5:06 PM

author

The answer might also be the first network color broadcast. Quote: An unsuccessful lawsuit by RCA delayed the world's first network color broadcast until June 25, 1951, when a musical variety special titled simply Premiere was shown over a network of five east coast CBS affiliates. Viewership was again extremely limited: the program could not be seen on black and white sets, and Variety estimated that only thirty prototype color receivers were available in the New York area. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_television Dec 02 07, 5:17 PM

MonkeyOnALeash

The Today Show is a possibility. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Today_Show Dec 02 07, 6:01 PM