Home entertainment started from radio waves and evolved into flat screen TVs and 3D TV systems. Initially, home entertainment was restricted to radio, which was primarily an audio entertainment media. The commercial availability of televisions in the 1950's gradually changed the home entertainment landscape.

The Days of Radio

Scientific advancement during the 19th century led to the use of radio waves for navigation purposes. Later in the 20th century, radio waves were used by radio firms to broadcast music and live broadcasting. Radio offered a limited scope to people as the same songs were often repeated in the earlier days. When more artists recorded albums and songs, radio became the dominant home entertainment media for decades.

• History of Radio (PDF) ��� The FCC offers a brief account of the history of radio.
• Radio History ��� Bev Parker traces the history of radio from James Clerk Maxwell to Mr. J. Vincent Waine.

The Introduction of Television

The word "television" was first used in 1900 but it was only in 1940 that the era of television started. It began as a trend where the families enjoyed home entertainment together, mostly watching live shows. In the earlier days, people used to watch TV and eat together. It was a good source for information and entertainment. In 1928, the first TV broadcast was made at WRGB in Schenectady NY, it transmitted a 40 minute production of The Queen's Messenger to four television sets.

• Television History ��� A look at the history of television.
• History of Television ��� This article by Mitchell Stephens provides an overview of the history of television.

The Invention of Color TV

In 1951, the first all electronic color TV set was sold for $1000. In 1953, color broadcasting was made in the US. In 1987, the Japanese demonstrated the Analog high definition TV which was called MUSE. Color TVs in its fundamental form uses three monochrome images. They are red, green, and blue in color (RGB). These three colors blend to create color combinations viewers see in a color television monitor.

• Early Color TV ��� The website offers information and videos of the time when color TV was introduced to Americans.
• Early Color Television ��� The Early Television Museum presents information on the early history of color television.

Introduction of the First Home Video Game Systems

The video games were first used in 1940s for missile defense system. In 1972, the first video game console Magnavox Odyssey was developed. After the success of the PONG coin operated game, Atari developed a game console connected to the TV. Some other earlier video games which help build the genre included the OXO game developed in 1952, Tennis for Two developed in 1958, and a game designed by MIT students called Spacewar.

• Magnavox Odyssey ��� A history of the pioneer home video game console.
• The First Video Game? ��� This page explains that "Tennis for Two" was actually the first video game.

The Popularity of Video Game Systems

Ever since home video games were introduced, it has been gaining popularity. The first video game was developed by Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985 but the features did not have support for the color TV. It released two versions of home video games in 1990s but after 1995, the Sega Dreamcast and Sony Play Station also introduced their video games which raised the market competition. Sega Master System developed its own console system in 1986 and it was considered to be superior to NES. Sony Play Station was first released in 1996 and in 2000, an improved version was launched. The Microsoft X Box was introduced in 2001 and it was a sixth generation video game console. It provided online gaming service where subscribers could join in from across the world. Nintendo Wii was released in 2006. It had a one handed controller which used infrared detection to allow players to enjoy motion capture types of games. The current generation of video games is called next generation gaming consoles.

• History ��� A good place to learn about the history of home video games.
• Golden Age ��� A chronology of important video game events from 1971 to 1983.

Evolution of the Flat Screen TV

Philips was the company which first introduced the flat panel television in 1998. Flat screen TVs are available in several varieties. Some of them include Light-emitting diode displays (LED), Liquid crystal displays (LCDs), Plasma displays, and Organic light-emitting diode displays (OLEDs). In 2003, the first DVD camcorder was released and flat screen TVs were popular in 2005. The Blue Ray DVDs were released in 2006, and high definitions TVs, and monitors were designed shortly after.

• Flat Panel Displays (PDF) ��� Read about the invention of flat panel displays.
• Plasma Television vs. LCD TV Panels – This page provides a brief comparison of plasma vs. LCD television screens.

The Introduction of the 3D TV

A 3D TV incorporates 3D presentation techniques such as multi view capture, stereoscopic capture, 2D plus depth, and special viewing accessories and devices. In 2010, the 3D TV sets arrived. On January 1 2010, Korea Digital Satellite Broadcasting launched the world's first 3D channel called SKY 3D. Today, a number of cable operators and networks deliver programs in 3D.

• How 3D Works ��� Find out how 3D TVs work.
• 3D TV Technologies (PDF) ��� Here's an assessment of the different 3D TV technologies.