The television is without a doubt one of the most important inventions of the last century. While the gadget has become a staple in homes all over the world, many facts about how the device came to be are largely unknown. In honor of World Television day, here are seven amazing facts about the television we bet you didn’t know.
1. Russian scientist coined the word television in the 1900s – The first person to use the word ‘television’, was Russian scientist, Constantin Perskyi in 1900.
2. High Definition TV is actually not a new invention- Prior to popular belief, HD TV is not a 21st century invention. While, HD TV started in 1936 in the United Kingdom, what we know as HD today is definitely light years better.
3. 3D TV did not come to stay – 3D television was firstly demonstrated in 1928 but never fully caught on. 3D movies, however, became a huge hit in the cinemas.
4. Canadians were the first to enjoy cable tv – Cable TV launched in Canada on September 6, 1952.
5. Search for Tomorrow was the first successful daytime show – American television soap opera, Search For Tomorrow, began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951 and wrapped up after 35 years on NBC on December 26, 1986.
6. Commercials were not as expensive as they are today- In 1941, the first official commercial was broadcast of 20 seconds and it was only three thousand Naira!
7. DStv stands for Digital Satellite TV – MultiChoice’s African digital satellite TV, popularly known as DStv, launched in 1993. While many are familiar with the brand, not many know that DStv stands for Digital Satellite TV.
