History of Television

 One of the topics in historical science is the so-called scientific and technological progress. In all eras, researchers identify in the studied countries, civilizations the dominant tools of labor, technologies in production, construction. All this is usually also called the material and technical base. According to scientists, it has a noticeable impact on different aspects of the historical process.

One of the modern technologies, which is widespread and already quite familiar, is television broadcasting, that is, the transmission of images with the help of scientific discoveries in the field of electronics, mechanics over a long distance. The history of television is generally considered to be quite short-lived compared to the history of other technologies, but has a rich content.

Inventors who contributed to the development of TV

In the usual form for modern times, television did not develop immediately. This was preceded by decades of research, experiments, experiments. The very idea of transmitting an image over a distance arose as a result of certain discoveries in the field of physics, electronics, and mechanics. This idea was put forward and worked on by several scientists in different countries around the end of the XIX - the beginning of the XX century. Research and experiments were conducted in the field of electronics and mechanics. 

The main technique by which the image was supposed to be transmitted over a distance was the decomposition of the picture into its constituent elements, their transmission through a certain communication system, and then their reception and connection by the device that received the signals.

In 1880, the Russian researcher Porfiry Ivanovich Bakhmetyev put forward the idea of transmitting a picture through its decomposition into parts and connection in the receiving device. In 1900, another Russian explorer, Alexander Apollonovich Polumordvinov, invented a system combining the principles of optics and mechanics to convey a color picture. In 1907, the Russian scientist Boris Lvovich Rosing invented a system for transmitting a picture through a electron beam, thereby inventing an electronic way of television broadcasting. His pupil Vladimir Kozmich Zworykin then continued rosing's development.

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German researcher Paul Nipkov at the end of the XIX century came up with a way of broadcasting based on mechanics. He proposed to divide the image using a rotating disk with holes. This technique then formed the basis of television broadcasting for decades to decompose the image. However, to connect it, a device was needed to receive light energy and convert it into electrical energy. Such a system was invented in 1888 by the Russian researcher Alexander Grigoryevich Stoletov. Rosing later used it in his research and experiments. 

As a result, when answering the question of who invented television, it should be emphasized that there was no one inventor, and several scientists made different discoveries and devices for television broadcasting. 

The first experienced television broadcasting

The beginning of television broadcasts dates back to about the same time in 1929-1931 in several leading countries in relation to these developments. By that time, a standard system of mechanical broadcasting through 30 lines of image scanning using the Nipkow device had been developed. 

In Russia, these works were carried out at the Electrotechnical Institute. The date of the first experience of transmitting a television signal is march 1, 1931. This was reported to the inhabitants of the Soviet Union by an advertisement in the newspaper "Pravda" of April 30, 1931. In this experiment, the image on the screen transmitted the employees of the institute themselves and photographs. Then these works were repeated several more times, after which it was decided to proceed to the beginning of the broadcast of the first programs on television.

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The first domestic TV show 

The date of the beginning of the first television programs in Russia is October 1, 1931. Then, at night, a broadcast of the program was carried out from the radio communication point in Moscow, where the necessary equipment was carried out and where the studio room was equipped. The number of TVs receiving the signal is usually estimated at a number of at least 10.

 Programs began to be broadcast regularly on a certain program. They are not believed to have been prepared in advance, it was usually improvisation. The size of the receiving TVs at the time was about the size of a box of matches. In the preparation of equipment for all these broadcasts, the scientist Pavel Vasilyevich Shmakov took a great part. It was he who designed the device for signal transmission. 

It is noted that television then became quite widespread due to the mechanical principle of broadcasting, which was carried out at medium and long frequencies of waves. These frequencies are received over long distances, so the first programs were adopted in various cities of the country. 

If the programs were broadcast on the electronic principle, the signal would be received only at a close distance from the source, since electronic broadcasting is conducted on short waves, the reception of which requires the absence of barrier objects between the signal source and the receiver. It is believed that in the history of the creation of television, this played a role, since it quickly and widely introduced it to viewers.

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Formation of domestic TV 

In subsequent years, centers for the supply of this signal were built at different points to distribute a television signal to the territory of the entire Soviet Union. It is believed that there was a second option - to connect settlements with a network of special cables. 

In the next decade, there was competition between the mechanical and electronic principles of signaling. The first was simpler, but the quality of the image it transmitted was not considered very high. This was largely due to the small size of the screen. To increase its size, a sufficiently large Nipkow disc was required. It seemed cumbersome and uncomfortable. 

Soon, mechanical signal transmission was replaced by electronic. In the so-called scientifically and technologically developed countries, the first regular experiments on the transition to electronic television broadcasting began in the period 1936-1940. It is believed that in the Soviet Union, mechanical broadcasting ceased in 1938, when an electronic broadcasting center was equipped on Shabolovka. In the history of the development of television, scientists usually distinguish several stages. 

Pilot phase 

During this period, the first experiments were carried out on the transmission of images through a television signal. It also includes the time of experiments and inventions of various devices, apparatuses. Usually it for the Soviet Union is attributed to about the beginning of the 30s. At that time, it was only about working out the very principle of transmission, definition and production of the devices necessary for this. After that, they have already moved to the introduction of television on a large scale throughout the country.

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Regular broadcasting 

This stage stretched for decades. It usually begins in the 30s or already from the late 30s until the 60s of the XX century. During this period, technical conditions for television broadcasting were being established in the country. On the one hand, signal points and television centers were built. For a long time, they were generally separated from each other, were not connected by communication lines into one network. For them, appropriate devices were produced in industry.

 On the other hand, receiving devices were produced - TVs. Their characteristics developers gradually improved, one of them was the diagonal of the screen. Over time, it increased more and more. This, as it is believed, changed the nature of the programs, which began to apply more and more different techniques and means of visual presentation of the picture. 

Common brands of televisions were "Start", "Ruby", "Amber". During this period, the political authorities began to pay attention to television and take it under their control, using it as an agitation and propaganda tool. 

TV as a mass media 

By this stage, a network of television broadcasting centers had already been formed in general. Now they began to be connected by communication lines into one television system of the country. This period covers the time from the late 60s to the 90s. Central Moscow television could now be heard in almost all regions of the country. 

In the late 60s, the Ostankino television center was put into operation, which at that time had significant technical capacities. About 4 programs have already been regularly transmitted. The picture became colored.

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It is believed that even powerful ground transmitting stations did not cover villages, all settlements. In 1965, signal transmission through an artificial satellite began. The introduction of the satellite signal was the next significant technological step in the development of television. Now the construction of receiving stations for the signal from the satellite has begun. 

The legal status of television is also changing. In 1970, a special separate state committee on television and radio broadcasting was formed. 

The current stage of development 

The beginning of this period is attributed to the 90s. For it, as for previous periods, it is characterized by a close connection with socio-political, economic processes in the country. If earlier under the Communist Party, which sought to control the mass media, television was state-owned, its programs and channels were controlled in terms of their content, then in the 90s after the collapse of the USSR, the situation changed.

Market relations began to be introduced in Russia. Therefore, private commercial channels appeared on television. They competed with the state. Foreign channels also began broadcasting. A feature of the period is the widespread introduction of new technological inventions, for example, digital technologies.