The beginning of consumer electronics

Of the human senses, sight and sound, it could be argued, are the most relied upon by the majority of us. Certainly we get a lot of information using ours eyes and ears concerning our environment. We also can get pleasure from sound and visual input. We can learn, relax, get excited, be creative and reflect using our eyes and ears. Modern inventions such as radio and television send us sounds and sights which give us information, pleasure and entertainment. Before these electronic devices, people had  relatively limited experiences of sight and sound in the sense of what was available throughout the entire world.

In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell sent sound through telegraph wires, resulting in the telephone. A year after Bell invented the telephone, Thomas Edison invented the first sound reproduction device, the phonograph.
It wasn't until almost 20 years later that the phonograph made it into consumers' homes. A German-born telephone expert named Emile Berliner flattened out Edison's wax cylinder and created a disc. Eldridge Reeves Johnson created the first true consumer electronics company. In 1907, Johnson founded the Victor Talking Machine company, which marketed the Gramophone, the Victrola, which was the first record player. 


Audio Recording

The Gramophone brought music into the home, as did the radio, but the sound quality was poor.

Hi-fi was the convergence of several technologies. The first was the concept of stereo sound from multiple speakers. The transistor, which created more efficient signal amplification, was the second. Next was the refinement of the physical playback media – magnetic tape and vinyl records.

In 1935, the Germans developed the first magnetic tape recorder. A small company called Ampex Corp., introduced the Model 200, making high-fidelity stereo recording possible. The first magnetic recording tape media was made by 3M under the Scotch brand. Several companies began manufacturing tape recorders in the late 1940s. 

Home Stereo

Peter Goldmark developed the 33-rpm long-playing vinyl record. The new disc had much longer playing time and much higher fidelity than the 78-rpm discs.

To play the vinyl recordings, General Electric introduced a sapphire-tipped phono cartridge, which replaced the heavier, mostly steel or osmium needles.

RCA introduced the 45-rpm disc, the seven-inch "single" that would become the primary method for disseminating rock-and-roll music. In 1949, Magnecord introduced the first stereo tape recorder/player for consumers.

Despite the appearance of vinyl records, most early hi-fi recordings were limited to reel-to-reel tape. London Records brought practical high-fidelity stereo to vinyl records in 1958. Some of the developments in this period include the first high-fidelity speaker, Kloss' acoustic-suspension speaker; in 1956, the first transistorized amplifier from Fisher Electronics; the first audio receiver, developed by Harman-Kardon; and, the first commercial stereo headphones from John Koss in 1958.

In 1961, Zenith brought hi-fi stereo to FM, which the FCC mandated. The first transistorized tuners, amplifiers and receivers also made their debuts.

In 1963, Philips Electronics developed the audiocassette. A noise reduction scheme was developed in 1967 by Ray Dolby. Cassette decks first made it into cars, then pockets, with the introduction of the Sony Walkman in 1979. Audiocassettes quickly overtook vinyl as the leading prerecorded music format. By 1983, the audiocassette was the leading format for pre-recorded music. 

Digital Audio

The invention of the "laser" – Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, eventually made it possible for the next leap in technology for recorded music.

Sony, Philips and PolyGram, collaborated on a new technology that offered unparalleled sound reproduction – called the CD (Compact Disc). Instead of mechanical analog recording, the new discs were digital, the music was encoded in binary code onto a five-inch disc covered with a protective clear plastic coating and read by a laser.

Unlike vinyl records, the CD would not deteriorate with continued play, held twice as much music and didn't need to be flipped over. The CD was an immediate sensation when it was introduced to the public in 1982. In 1988, sales of CDs surpassed vinyl as the home playback medium of choice, and then passed the pre-recorded cassette in 1996.

But the CD could only play back digital music. Consumers demanded the ability to record digitally as well. In 1986, Sony introduced digital audio tape (DAT), followed by the play/record MiniDisc in 1992.

The recordable CD was unveiled in 1990, but the first consumer CD-R decks would not be introduced to the public until the mid-1990s.

In 1999, the multi-channel Super Audio CD and the DVD-Audio formats were introduced.

In 1998, music moved from disc to solid state media with the introduction of MP3. The  player used a small removable memory card to store compressed music files. MP3, an off-shoot of the MPEG digital video compression standard, has come to mean "compressed digital music files." MP3 is actually just one of a number of emerging digital music codecs, short for compression/decompression, an algorithm that reduces a large music file for storage then reconstitutes the file for playback.

Within two years, several companies began introducing so-called home audio servers, components equipped with a CD and/or DVD player and a large hard disk drive designed to store thousands of compressed digital music files. These home audio servers are designed to not only store entire collections of music, but to distribute the music through home networks, both wired and wireless, to multiple locations around a home and, via the Internet, to other locations.

Record companies have begun to produce CDs that cannot be "ripped" – the term used to describe the conversion of tracks on a CD into MP3 files.

The campaign of the record industry to stamp out music file sharing has not dampened consumer enthusiasm for small portable MP3 players, which allow music lovers to carry practically their entire music collection around with them. In October 2001, Apple introduced its stylish iPod MP3 player series, which included a model with a 20 GB hard drive – enough to hold nearly 5000 songs – in a player smaller than a deck of playing cards. MP3 players with 40 GB drives began appearing in 2003.

TV sets - conventional, flat, projection, High-Definition sets...more and more choices, it depends on what you want. Bigger and thinner TV sets are what most people want but prices are still slowing sales on these models. Conventional TV sets are cheaper than ever with prices still falling. Sizes range from 13 in. to 36 in. and screens are square in shape with a 4:3 aspect ratio. A 27 in. set is typical with a price tag of $250 or less. Projection TV can go upwards of 82 in. screen, cost thousands and take up a lot of space. You can get a wide-screen 16:9 aspect ratio set with High-Definition capability. Viewing angle can be a drawback as the image appears dimmer as you move from the optimal viewing angle. These sets are impressive however as the screen fills the room and contributes to a richer viewing experience. LCD and Plasma TV are the thin screen types you could hang on the wall. LCD is available in 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio and can be 15 in. to 40 in. screen size. Slow pixel response could make fast moving images appear fuzzy. High-Definition models can have a NTSC tuner built in, but may require a HD tuner to be purchased. Plasma is typically 16:9 aspect ratio, has screen sizes from 32 to 63 in. and may not include a tuner or speakers. Prices can be some of the highest for TV sets, several thousand or more. 

Satellite TV - There are only a few providers of this service but at least you have a choice, unlike cable. You have to be able to mount a 18 or 24 in. dish antenna and have a clear view of the satellite, then choose a service provider and hardware. Local channels are now available as well as several hundred channels. HDTV reception is available. Pricing is competitive with cable. 

VCR - These machines do not match DVD for picture quality but still are the least expensive way to record and play video. Prices have fallen so low everyone can afford a VCR. Tapes are also very inexpensive. VCR-DVD combo units are  available.

DVD recorders - Three competing and somewhat incompatible formats exist, namely DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW and DVD-RAM. Until the HD-DVD (blu-ray or Advanced optical disc) recorders are available you can record the following: analog over-the-air TV, camcorder video (analog or digital), analog cable or satellite TV or SDTV (480i). You would use the DV input or Firewire or iLink connection for stunning video copying from a digital camcorder. S-Video and composite video connections should be available. Prices are falling and seem to be around $500 or so for a good unit. Store over 100 hours of programming. Some units record on a hard disk drive (80GB or more) and then you can offload TV programs to a DVD-R/RW disc. 

DVD players - The most popular consumer electronics product can play movies on DVD Video and also play Audio CDs. Prices are so low everyone can afford a player. Home units and portable units are available. DVD players give you more control over your viewing experience than VCRs. Random access to any scene, no rewind and surround sound audio as well as no degradation each time you play the movie are just a few of the advantages. 

Digital Cameras - Last year's model is almost obsolete as improvements continue to appear on cameras. Ten megapixels are available but you don't need that much. A very popular product, digital cameras continue to become the mainstream camera for average consumers. With the capability to send images over the web and store hundreds, even thousands of pictures on one small media, digital cameras are now taking the place of traditional film cameras for all but the most demanding professionals. Instant viewing of your picture, copy capability and quite amazing picture quality invite many to go digital. 

CD players - Three kinds of units are available including the portable CD player, the home CD player and the SACD or Super Audio CD player. SACD players also play traditional CDs. Super Audio CDs have multi-channel sound and use superior techniques for recorded music, even better than CDs. Home units can be single disc or mega-changers sometimes called CD jukeboxes which hold 400 discs. The portable models can be attached to your car stereo thru an adapter. Portable models can play CD-R and CD-RW discs you record yourself.

MP3 players - Music on the go and more music than ever before in your pocket. Store thousands of songs, your entire music collection, copy from CDs or download from the web, you decide how to create your own digital files. MP3 is short for a variety of formats for encoded music. WMA, AAC, and ATRAC are other popular encoding schemes. Players cost from $75 up to $400 and more. Storage includes hard disk, with capacities of 60GB and more, and solid-state flash memory with capacities of 8MB to over 1GB. Software usually comes with the player to interface with a computer. Players can be extremely small to the size of a deck of cards or larger. Batteries are always a concern with portable devices. Some players use rechargeable batteries. Look for players with upgradeable firmware to take advantage of technological advances. Compatibility is a real concern with operating systems and connectors. Also make sure the player's display and controls are easy to use.

MiniDisc recorders - Portability and superior sound quality in your shirt pocket. Record your favorite CD tracks on the removable disc and link up to your computer to copy songs from the web. Record audio from VCR, TV or audio cassette and play back with direct access to any track. Discs cost from $2 each and lower. Players/recorders cost $99 and up. Home units are available. More popular in Europe than the U.S.

Home Theater - All in one "Theater in a box" or individual components, you can get amazingly good capability for a very reasonable price. You may sacrifice some quality with an all in one system but at least you won't have to match speakers and cables and receivers like a component system. The receiver is the brain of any home theater system as it is where all the action comes together. It provides a AM/FM tuner, amplifier, switching, connections, decoders, controls, jacks, and more. Costs should be $200 to $300 for an average receiver. Make sure you have all the connections you need for the other components and speakers.

Speakers - The widest range of price and quality occurs with speakers. Although no speaker can reproduce sound to its original form, many can come so close you can't tell the difference. The one place to spend a little more for quality is with speakers. Good speakers are a most important component if you want to really enjoy your listening experience.