History of Flat Screen TV
The history of flat screen tv is somewhat muddled given the fact that there are three different subjects at work here: the LCD television; the plasma television; and the thin television itself.
The very first thin television was invented in 1958 by a scientist named William Ross Aiken. Aiken created this first television using a cathode-ray tube. Even though this television was a mere three inches thick, it gained very little attention during that time. This, coupled with various licensing problems, lead to the disappearance of the invention altogether. The very first plasma television was invented in 1964, and this is where the history of flat screen tv really starts to develop.
In July of 1964 at the University of Illinois, professors Donald Blitzer and Gene Slottow (along with then graduate student Robert Willson) created the first plasma television. Drawing upon Aiken’s earlier invention, the three scientists wanted to create a television that did not use a cathode-ray, but used another type of technology instead. Eventually, the threesome put together a television that used one single cell, though today’s plasma screens use millions of cells. However, once the LCD television came along, plasma was largely pushed aside.
LCD (liquid crystal displays) televisions were clearer and sharper than the earlier plasma, which is why this type of technology was preferred over the plasma. Many believe that the first LCD screen was invented by the RCA company, though this is often disputed. However, the plasma rose to the attention of the general public once again when another University of Illinois professor, Larry Weber, further developed it. Weber was able to create a sixty inch television that was eventually perfected for Panasonic. At this point, the history of flat screen tv is pretty much as it stands today.
Soon after the first LCDs and plasmas were invented, nearly every television company on the planet wanted a piece of this new technology. So, scientists were hired, patents were created, and televisions were mass produced. Today, you can purchase either an LCD or plasma – something those earlier inventors would have found impossible.
As you can see, the history of flat screen tv is somewhat confusing, though it becomes clear once it has been broken down. Now that you know a bit about where they come from, you can begin to select the one that is right for you.