Have You Taken Control Of Your TV?

The concept of television has greatly altered since the word was first coined by Constantin Perskyi at the opening of the International Congress of Electricity, held in Paris in 1900. Indeed, what was originally capable of transmitting a mere four black and white analog channels – only in cities; rural areas were not yet reachable – has evolved to encompass the very latest in digital technology: the result is a powerful, multi-channel, interactive entertainment system, which can be specifically tailored to the individual.

Resulting from the combined efforts of a number of inventors, working in collaboration and alone, the television began life as a simple broadcast medium, restricted by its scope, the content it could transmit and the quality of both image and sound. It wasn’t until 1948, and the introduction of cable, that its reach began to spread to areas outwith the cities.

By 1950, the first colour television was available; just 20 years later, the first television transmission from the moon occurred, with 600 million people watching worldwide. Since then, its growth has rapidly expanded and with the help of digital technology, the entertainment on offer has increased exponentially.

Arguably, it was the introduction of satellite broadcasting and the recent switch from analog to digital that changed the face of television irrevocably. Not only can broadcasters increase the size, and therefore range, of the content they transmit – digital channels take up much less bandwidth than traditional transmissions – but they’ve also taken advantage of converging media to increasingly personalise the television experience.

Consequently, your television is not just there to act as a viewing device. It has become interactive, meaning it’s now possible control the way you watch programmes. Take the Sky Plus Box, as a prime example. Employing a number of the most up-to-date technological applications and features, it has worked to revolutionise the relationship people have with their televisions.

As a result, you can now record programmes without the need for videos or DVDs, simply by choosing from the options on the on-screen TV guide. In addition to reducing the amount of equipment you need, it’s also much easier to find your recorded programmes quickly.

Watching live television has also fundamentally changed. Indeed, as well as being able to pause a live programme - helpful if you’re interrupted halfway through - you can even rewind any parts that you missed or would like to see again.

Products like the Sky Plus Box, therefore, are a great illustration of what you can do with your television, in addition to helping to define how it has changed since its modest beginnings. So, if you’re still stuck in the dark ages when it comes to how you use your picture box, it’s time to join the digital revolution!