In this blog post, we’ll explore the evolution of TV and its impact on modern society and our daily lives. Explore the role of the TV as it has evolved from a simple imaging device to a center of communication and information.
In the Joseon Dynasty, there is a king and his brother. A woman they were in love with dies and comes back to life as a shaman. The brothers become enemies, and the situation becomes increasingly tense. This is the story of Moon embracing the Sun, a fictionalized drama about the love between three men and women during the Joseon Dynasty. The show’s ratings are said to be over 40%, thanks to the appearance of Korean handsome and beautiful actors. This means that 4 out of 10 Koreans are watching the so-called “Moon embracing the Sun” drama on TV. But what are the other 6 people watching on TV?
Fathers watch political, economic, and sports news. The mother checks the weather and enjoys a drama or movie. While the kids are playing on the playground, the aunt is watching the CCTV inside the house to make sure her nieces and nephews are playing well. My relative’s sister shops on TV and sometimes sings karaoke. She also makes video calls to her girlfriends abroad and her grandmother who lives far away. My music-loving brother listens to music on the radio or watches music videos. Your younger brother is always curious, and if he has a question while watching TV, he has to look it up before he can figure it out, and he always sticks to educational programs. Your younger sister is obsessed with her peer group, and she can’t stop using social media while watching TV. This isn’t about the future. These are all things we can do today with TV.
When TVs were first created, they were simply devices that delivered images instantly. But since then, it’s added so many different functions. Today, they can do everything you can do with a video device in your home, as shown in the previous example. It took a lot of time and effort to develop the technology to capture the image, convert it to an electrical signal, transmit it over a distance, and play it back as a video. Mechanical TVs first appeared with the invention of the planchette, which converted electrical signals into moving images. Many technologists have contributed to the evolution of TV, including electronic TV, color TV, and flat-panel display TV, following the invention of the brown tube. For the past 50 years, the ability to capture, deliver, and play a large, clear picture in a variety of colors instantly and without distortion has been at the heart of TV manufacturing and service. But times have changed. Significant advances in signal transmission and image processing have meant that while the technical issues of the past are still important, the market wants something more. TV is in a period of transformation.
Etymologically, TV is short for “Television,” which means “to watch from a distance.” The dictionary definition is “to mediate radio waves. The dictionary definition describes it as “an instrument for transmitting images by means of radio waves”. Apple’s Apple TV, however, is a small box that doesn’t even have a display device; it’s just a set-top box, a device that displays signals from the outside world on your TV. Google has launched Google TV, which displays a simultaneous search bar when you turn on the TV. Samsung and LG’s TVs are smart TVs that can run various programs, and they are also called 3D TVs to reflect the issue of next-generation image implementation. However, aside from the next level of visualization, there is not much difference in terms of features and functionality from the services previously offered under the name IPTV, which can be confusing.
IPTV is a service provided by a company with a telecommunications network that partners with content providers to offer a variety of features. The only difference is that it’s a set-top box rather than an integrated TV. To understand this confusing situation, it’s worth briefly reviewing the history of the term smart TV. The term smart TV didn’t emerge naturally as a result of a functional transformation, but rather for marketing reasons. After Apple introduced the iPhone and redefined the smartphone paradigm, the term smart TV was introduced to the TV market.
There’s another important difference between the traditional definition and the new generation of TV products. Apple TV, Google TV, Samsung’s Smart TV, LG’s 3D TV, and IPTV all receive information over the internet rather than through radio waves via an antenna. Aside from the difference in input devices (keypads and remotes), the line with computers is also blurring. So maybe it’s time to readjust our definition of a TV. An inclusive and broad definition of a TV as “a device that transmits and processes various information, including images, using electrical signals” will do for now.
So there you have it, the functions and definitions of a TV, and we’ve adjusted them. I’ve written this article to help you understand the many different functions TVs perform today. Now let’s broaden our understanding of TV by briefly examining its social role.
At one time, and still today, some people refer to TVs as “idiot boxes”. The implication is that it makes people stupid. This is because it forces people to sit in a room all day and watch TV to the exclusion of other social activities. This can be a problem for some students, as they become disconnected from society and struggle. CCTV, on the other hand, is a device that performs a positive function that was introduced to prevent crime. It’s an invasion of privacy, but as long as it doesn’t cross the line, it’s fulfilling its role in making society safer. In this way, TVs have both negative and positive social functions.
On the other hand, in science fiction movies such as The Fifth Element, aliens study human culture and history through TV, just as they absorb all of Earth’s memories. This is in line with the fact that today’s drama content is bringing cultures closer to each other and deepening understanding. As such, TV plays a huge role as a communication channel in society, and sometimes it is the cause of disconnection. It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s essential to our social survival, but it’s also clear that its use requires self-controlled attention.
At the beginning of the 20th century, we had to rely on one-way visual information through television. Today, however, TV is increasingly used as a means of two-way communication. As a result, its influence and impact is growing. Therefore, understanding next-generation TVs goes beyond the simple delivery of video information to provide an integrated and condensed understanding of our use of digital devices today.
The functions currently performed by TVs are being consolidated and their roles are being expanded. As we’ve seen with other electronic devices, it’s not unlikely that at some critical mass, we’ll see a shift back to focusing on a specific role. It’s interesting to spend a weekend evening imagining the future roles of TVs, which have become so deeply embedded in modern life, and how they will change.
