As long as we can live Television has evolved a lot in recent years. Smart TVs, especially the highest-end models on the market, have given us a very convenient and effective way to enjoy our favorite content in incredible quality. All these “conveniences” have been incorporated very gradually since the appearance of the first televisions in the 1930s.
As you know, the first televisions did not have a remote control, so every time we wanted to turn on the television, change the channel or turn the volume on or off, I had to get up from the couch. Some families took turns standing up, typical of those who were the first to use television in their homes. In fact, it took a long time for the first remote control to appear, and in this article we tell you what happened to it and its features.
Remote control but not that far
‘Lazy Bones’, produced by the American company ‘Zenith Radio Corporation’, was considered the first remote control for televisions. This was developed in 1950, a few years after the first televisions began to appear in stores. It wasn’t wirelessSo if we wanted to change the channel or the volume, we had to have a very thick cable in the middle connecting it to the television.
Image: Esferize
Even though it seems, His operation was quite mechanical instead of electronics. And when this control was activated, a small motor moved that adjusted the television dial. With the advent of Lazy Bones (a rather apt name, it must be said), users could now turn the television on and off or change channels and volume without leaving the couch.
Although it was effective to use, the presence of cables limited its comfort and practicality. Therefore, barely five years later, in 1955, the same company developed the ‘Flashmatic’, which is considered today’s Flashmatic. first wireless remote control for televisions. This control used photosensitive cells located in the four corners of the television. In this way, the user can turn on the TV, change the channel or turn the sound on or off by marking exactly one of these cells.
Image: Neoteo
Zenith continued to develop the remote control concept and released the Zenith Space Command a year later, in 1956. This wireless remote control used another method to change the parameters of the television remotely. for him used ultrasound instead of light to communicate with the television.
This device was also highly mechanical and operated when a button was pressed. produced a sound of a specific frequency that the television detects the desired parameter and changes it. Although this final product was quite strange, it marked a before and after in the development of remote controls, until manufacturers finally opted to use infrared technology for many years.
Nowadays, technology has advanced at such a rapid pace that it does not matter if we lose control of the television, because in most cases our mobile phone is also enough for us to control it and many other smart devices.
Cover image | Jonathan Cosens Photography
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Ben Stock is a hardware enthusiast and author at Div Bracket. He provides comprehensive coverage of the latest hardware advancements, offering readers a technical and in-depth look at the newest products and trends.