The image is sharp. The sound is rich, the high definition TVs, the decors in the shape of cinema screens are now in stores *** near you. I have, you know, a projection TV, and it makes it look sick. But the $5,500 price tag can cause a feeling of nausea: You have to get the box, and that’s an extra $1,500. So, would you pay $5,500 for a ***TV? Down payment for a *** car or *** house? The FCC says Sacramento-area stations must begin broadcasting in high definition by November 1999. That doesn’t mean we’re throwing out our old TVs. If 85% of the public does not have HD television or is not able to receive the HD TV signal, then they will continue to broadcast analog. They’re not going to take away people’s ability to see it. Broadcasters will begin a gradual conversion, like television, with history repeating itself as when color first appeared. So they broadcast color TV for a few hours at night, and then as more and more programs became available, there were more and more color shows, the high definition revolution forced another change. On local TV, the Fixers need to go back to school. Everything is digital, so we need to upgrade everything. Now, when computers, VCRs, and games first came out, they were also quite expensive. But retailers who sell HDTVs say those prices will have to come down, too. Dealers insist it’s only a matter of time before we start watching TV. Differently in Sacramento, Tim Herrera channels three reports.
Do you remember these technological advances in the field of television? This is how much they would cost you today
In less than a century, televisions have evolved impressively, as have their prices. Learn about the history of TV innovation and how much consumers actually spent to keep up with the latest technology, from the 1930s to the 2010s.
Updated: 3:11 p.m. EST, December 6, 2024
From massive screens to ultra-thin bezels and stunning resolutions, TVs have come a long way. For many Americans, changing channels or using streaming apps seems like second nature, as many don’t remember a time when televisions weren’t a staple in homes. Archive video above: The high cost of high-definition televisions Before 1947, only a few thousand Americans were lucky enough to own a television. After World War II, as wages rose and televisions became more accessible, the number of television owners in the United States increased to 12 million, according to the Digital Public Library of America. Today, there are approximately 125 million TV households in the United States, according to the Nielsen TV Universe estimate. Television has come a long way since the square black and white models of the 1930s, but when revolutionary new changes, like the remote control, were first introduced, how much did they cost and how did it compare? at current prices after adjusting for inflation? “To create an accurate timeline, Hearst Television consulted the National Capital Radio and Television Museum, the Early Television Foundation and Museum, and the National News Archives. Experts from these institutions, as well as news archives, have confirmed the first retail prices of these TV models. Prices were then adjusted to today’s dollars using the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation calculator. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI inflation calculator is an index used to adjust an amount of money from one period to another, providing the inflation-adjusted cost of these television models from the 1930s until to the 2010s. Don’t see the graphs? Click here. Note: “Today’s adjusted price” is based on what the toy would have cost in today’s dollars, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Consumer Price Index inflation calculator . Graphics created by Susie Webb.
From massive screens to ultra-thin bezels and stunning resolutions, TVs have come a long way. For many Americans, changing channels or using streaming apps seems like second nature, as many can’t remember a time when televisions weren’t a household staple.
Archive video above: The high cost of high-definition TVs
Before 1947, only a few thousand Americans were lucky enough to own a television. After World War II, as wages rose and televisions became more accessible, the number of television owners in the United States increased to 12 million, according to the Digital Public Library of America. Today, there are approximately 125 million households with televisions in the United States, according to the Nielsen TV Universe estimate.
Television has come a long way since the square black and white models of the 1930s, but when revolutionary new changes, like the remote control, were first introduced, how much did they cost and how did it compare? at current prices after adjusting for inflation? ?
To create an accurate timeline, Hearst Television consulted the National Capital Radio and Television Museum, the Early Television Foundation and Museum and the National Information Archives. Experts from these institutions, as well as news archives, have confirmed the first retail prices of these TV models. Prices were then adjusted to today’s dollars using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator is an index used to adjust an amount of money from one period to another, providing the inflation-adjusted cost of these television models from the 1930s to the 2010s.
Don’t see the graphs? Click here.
Note: “Today’s adjusted price” is based on what the toy would have cost in today’s dollars, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Consumer Price Index inflation calculator .
Graphics created by Susie Webb.