The Evolution of Display Technologies
CRT LCD Plasma DLP OLED FED

A Carbon NanoTube Monitor

Display technologies are one aspect where the consumers are seeing pretty rapid evolution. For instance, flat panel TVs and computer monitors now dominate despite being introduced to the mass market 10-15 years ago. Display technology is what every consumer has grown up with yet they know suprisingly little about how these devices actually work. So let's start from the very beginning:

The development of television (transmitted moving pictures) was happening in the 1920s- to 1930s with little success but some progress. Remember that we do have motion pictures but they are delivered to a captive audience and thus requires no transmission.

Radio was an example of a broadcast network and the early vision of TV was that it would be structured like radio with specific stations and broadcasters.

• When WWII broke out the FCC halted further development of TV and to redeploy that expertise in transmitting electrons which lead to the development of radar
  
  
• 1948: Just Three post wars later, the growth of potential broadcast TV caused the FCC to freeze most new station licenses and broadcast spectrum was limited to 12 channels that could be delievered through air (Very High Frequency channels or VHF). This limitation stood until about 1980.
  
  
• By 1960 network color broadcasts started to occur about 3 hours per day (most of these broadcasts were News based). By 1960 TV penetration reaches 95% of US homes. So we have a network situation somewhat similar to today's high penetration of the Internet in households This has very important cultural connotations, which, in fact, we will launch into shortly after this timeline:
  
  
• 1967: Public Broadcasting Act establishes PBS - perhaps an early example of a "neutral" network presence due to the lack of sponsored advertising.
  
  
• During the 1960s the cable industry was evolving but was not competitive with Network Broadcast TV - very little penetration into US households.
  
  
• In the early 1970s the Surgeon General issued a report on violent TV citing evidence of a modest connection between heavy viewing and violence committed by some children.
  
  
• Cable industry becomes more competitive in the 1970s that leads to the erosion of the big 3 Network channels and their audiences. For instance, while HBO started in late 1972, by 1980 it had reached significant penetration and in 1983 produced its first original premiere movie. Obviously the start of NetFlicks, etc.
  
  
• By the year 2000 cable has now reached 68% of the US population who is now, more or less exposed to 500 channels of mostly garbage.
  
  
• By 2000, 90% of US households also have a VCR which allows for more personal conveience.
  
  
• Starting around 2000, more advertising dollars are going to the Web than TV. Fox now has established itself (3 cheers for Fox "New") so that there are no2 the Big Four networks. TV is on an average of 8 hours per day in a typical American household.
  
  
• February 17, 2009 is the official transition from analog to digital TV broadcasting which ultimately allows for HDTV to exist. In addition, a broad cast channel can be subdivided (e.g. Channel 16 goes to 16.1, 16.2,etc) so that multiple programs can be sent at the same time.
  
  
• Another cultural change occurs around 2010 in which Broadcastes started to realize the potential of user-generated content (e.g. EPIC 2014) like America's Funniest Home Videos Obviously YouTube flourishes.
  
  

And now the example of Network based consumer brainwashing that totally happened