We're all glued to the screen: From 'boob tube' to YouTube, to Netflix, to AppleTV

Dubai: There's a confusing permutations of display technology — OLED, QLED, AMOLED, 4K, 5K and 8K resolutions. Whatever the variant, they have become all the rage of our age.

And they're getting cheaper, thanks for economies of scale, the "Asianisation" of manufacturing.

And we all want it: Crisp, lifelike, moving images on our walls, in our hands. Up next: Flexible screens that would also deliver 3D movies.

Not so long ago, in the 1990s, it was plasma TVs and LCDs. Before that, it was just cathode-ray tube — when television was called the “boob-tube”. And that’s where “Youtube” got its name.

Over the last 170+ years or so, a string of inventors and corporations competed to deliver a display device around the world. Many capitalised on their inventions and make a profit. 

And here we are, a generation at the receiving end of that lengthy evolution. Getting to this point was not really a straight line. In fact, there were so many lines involved, literally and figuratively, in this story:

Who invented the television (TV)?

It’s a combination of innovations that piled up over the course of nearly 180 years, from about 1843 to the present. The more appropriate question is:

How was the TV invented?

Quick answer: Over a long period of time. The TV, as we know today, is the outcome of the work of many individuals in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Here's a quick timeline of TV technology development:

In sum, the development of TV technology was more of an evolution, rather than a revolution — it took more than 176 years, from the time of Scottish inventor Alexander Bain's 'facsimile machine' in 1843 to the present system of 4K and 8K displays.

What was the first televised show?

The ‘Queen's Messenger’ was aired on September 11, 1928. It was a 40-minute long program, the first drama to ever be broadcast on TV, thanks to WGY Television, General Electric's experimental station based in Schenectady, New York.

When was the first TV programme in the Arab World?

In the 1960s, the Arab TV landscape consisted of terrestrial channels. Most were established as government channels, mostly localized to their country of origin, and covering official inaugurations, ceremonial events and reporting on the whereabouts of heads of states.

This format changed, thanks to an array of non-controversial entertainment programs, Arab films and locally-produced soaps (dramas bankrolled by soap and shampoo companies), as well as shows imported from abroad, broadcast in their post-censorship variations and largely adapted to local laws, customs, and traditions.

When was satellite TV first introduced in the Middle East?

In the early 1990s, satellite TV was introduced in the Middle East. This technology has completely transformed the region's media landscape. Satellite channels set in motion the emergence of modern TV journalism, live debate and reality TV.

The year 1991 saw the strongest catalyst for radical change in the Arab media landscape, with CNN’s live coverage of the Gulf War. Until then, Arab audiences had virtually no access to international news coverage.

What was the first Arab satellite TV channel?

The emergence of a global telecommunications revolution in the 1980s, particularly in satellite television, brought dramatic changes to the Middle East, perhaps more than to any other region on Earth.

The first satellite broadcaster in the region started in Egypt. The Egyptian Satellite Channel began transmitting in December 1990, followed a year later by the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC).

In September 1991, prominent Saudi businessman Sheikh Walid al-Ibrahim founded the first privately owned station, the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC).

In 1996, the Emir of Qatar funded the launch of Al Jazeera, the first 24-hour news service in the region. The new proliferation of satellite dishes throughout the Middle East gave Al Jazeera a chance at a quickly-growing audience.

The number of Arabic-language satellite channels has tripled since 2004, according to PBS. Today, the majority of households in the region have satellite TV links.

How many Arabic-language channels are there in the world?

There are more than 300 satellite stations now on the air in the Middle East. And there’s is room for any more, as new stations keep on popping up on audiences' satellite menus. Number of channels reached 400 by the end of 2007.

The number of Arabic-language satellite channels has tripled since 2004, according to PBS. The majority of households in the region have satellite TV links today.

It was estimated that by the year 2007, there were 400+ Arabic channels.

When was the first TV station established in the UAE?

1969. The United Arab Emirates' first television channel, Abu Dhabi Television, was launched that year.

In the years that followed, many more stations and channels went live — including Channel 33, launched in 1997, and targeted expatriates.

When was the first TV commercial (advertisement) aired?

The first TV commercial was aired 78 years ago, on July 1, 1941.

The ad was inserted during a televised baseball game in the US, between Brooklyn Dodgers who were facing off against the Philadelphia Phillies at Ebbets Field in New York.

Before the first pitch was broadcast on NBC-owned WNBT (now WNBC), the first true TV commercial aired in the US. It was a short, simple spot for Bulova Watch Co.

How many TV sets produced annually?

Statista estimates that about 229 million TV units were sold in 2017, from 234 million in 2012.

What is the world's biggest TV market?

Television is a very popular technology around the globe, Asia (given its large population) is the region that buys the most TV sets, accounting for over a third of all sales in 2018.

What was the rate of adoption of colour television?

It was in 1953, when an all-electronic colour TV was first introduced in the US. Since then, the rate of adoption has been mercuric. Economists have tracked this rate using the so-called "S-curve".

This curve, which does look like as the letter "S", plotted in a Bloomberg graph above, shows that it took about 45 years for more than 90% of the world to embrace colour TV.

The S-curve is also shown for the adoption of refrigerators, computers and cellular phones. The same curve is going to apply to electric vehicles, according to experts.

OLED/QLED display, 4K vs 8K: What's the difference

Display technology has greatly improved. Remember "plasma" screens? They've been completely wiped out within a decade or so, thanks to HD, UHD 4K and 8K LED (light-emitting diode) screen technology.

If you're looking for the best screen quality for home, personal or professional use, just remember some really simple industry terms:

How many TV channels does the UAE have?

There are at least 72 channels in the UAE.

In 2011, the United Arab Emirates was the main headquarters to 72 free-to-air channels, falling slightly behind Egypt and Saudi Arabia in terms of the total number of channels within the Arab world. The United Arab Emirates also had 16 terrestrial channels, of which 13 are state-owned.

What is the percentage of people watching TV in the UAE?

Approximately 50% of viewers spend between one and three hours watching TV per day. Emirati nationals watch the highest amount of television, with 53% watching between three and six hours per day, according to recent figures. 

What are the most popular channels in the UAE?

MBC channels are the most watched, particularly among expat Arabs, while Zee TV remains at the top among other expats due to the strong preponderance of South Asians in this group. Abu Dhabi TV is also a popular choice. 

IPTV penetration was estimated at 33% in 2011. Although free-to-air television remains dominant, there has been an increase in the uptake of pay-TV, which is estimated at around 45%.

What is the future of TV and display technology?

There are our bold predictions, informed by recent data.

A war between Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV and similar online movie services is on. This is just the harbinger of the future.

For a few dollars a month ($8.99/month for Netflix and $4.99 or Dh19.00/month for Apple TV), these services — including "experiential marketing" — bring an almost unlimited content of a movie house to our living rooms.

There will be a big rush for content creators of 3D movies and other "immersive".

In terms of display technology OLED, QLED, AMOLED and foldable screens will continue to compete with each other for dominance in an increasingly connected world.