Published: May 15, 2025 By: Rungreuang Huanraluek
The Evolution of Television Technology
From Mechanical TV to Micro LED TV
The Evolution of Television Broadcasting Systems From Analog TV to the Digital TV Era (Part 4)
"Have you ever imagined how we went from flickering black-and-white images in a wooden box to today’s pixel-perfect, vibrant screens?"
The television is not just an electronic device—it is a mirror reflecting the evolution of global technology. Over the past century, television technology has advanced far beyond what early inventors could have ever imagined. From its structure and display to image clarity, color, and control systems, TVs have transformed into the centerpiece of home entertainment around the world.
This article takes you on a journey through the major milestones of television technology—from the early mechanical black-and-white prototypes to cutting-edge innovations like Micro LED TVs, delivering ultra-realistic images with pixel-level precision.
Can you imagine how far weve comefrom flickering black-and-white images in a wooden box to todays vibrant, crystal-clear screens?
Television is more than just an electrical appliance—it is a reflection of the world’s technological progress.
Over the past century, television technology has advanced far beyond what early inventors could have ever imagined. Its evolution spans every aspect, from structure and screen to resolution, color, and control systems, eventually becoming the heart of home entertainment across the globe.
This article takes you on a journey through every major milestone in the evolution of TV technology—from the early mechanical black-and-white models to the cutting-edge innovation of Micro LED TVs, which deliver lifelike images with pixel-level precision.
An In-Depth Exploration of Television Technology Evolution in Each Era
1. Mechanical Television
Mechanical TV technology used a rotating mechanical system and mirrors to reflect images. It was the earliest form of television, developed from the idea of transmitting images via waves, laying the foundation for future TV broadcasting. However, the images were blurry, the motion was choppy, and it ultimately proved impractical for commercial use.
2. Black-and-White Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Television
This system used cathode ray tube (CRT) technology, which involved firing electron beams onto a fluorescent screen to create moving images. It marked the transition from mechanical to electronic systems. Key advantages included clearer images and brighter displays, and it supported real broadcasting. The drawbacks were its heavy weight, bulky size, and high power consumption.
3. Color CRT Television
An advancement of the black-and-white CRT TV, this model used RGB color filters within CRT technology. It offered vivid, realistic colors and gained immense popularity at the time. However, it remained large and heavy.
4. Projection Television
This type of TV used a projection system that beamed light from a bulb onto an internal screen. It was developed in response to the desire for larger screen sizes. Its main advantage was the large display size, but it suffered from blurry images, limited viewing angles, and required bulb replacement after a certain number of usage hours.
5. Plasma Display Panel (PDP) Television
This technology used ionized gas (plasma) combined with phosphorescent materials to produce images. It was a flat-screen evolution of the color CRT. Its strengths included vibrant colors, high contrast, and wide viewing angles. Weaknesses included high power consumption and susceptibility to screen burn-in.
6. LCD Television
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TVs used LCD panels and CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) backlighting. Key advantages were lighter weight, energy efficiency, and gradually decreasing prices. However, they had limitations in producing deep blacks and had narrower viewing angles.
7. LED Television
This type of TV built on LCD technology but replaced CCFL backlighting with LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights. It offered brighter displays, improved energy efficiency, and sharper images. Nonetheless, since it still used traditional LCD structures, it struggled with deep black levels when compared to newer OLED TVs.
8. OLED TV (Organic Light Emitting Diode TV)
This technology uses organic light-emitting diodes, which are self-emissive, meaning each pixel can emit its own light without needing a backlight like LCD or LED TVs. This allows for precise light control and true black levels.
Advantages: Extremely vibrant colors, high brightness, true blacks, ultra-thin design, flexible and bendable screens.
Disadvantages: High cost.
9. QLED TV (Quantum Dot LED by Samsung)
This is still an LCD-based display technology but uses a Quantum Dot film placed between the backlight and the LCD panel to enhance color and brightness.
Advantages: Very vivid colors, high brightness.
Disadvantages: Still uses traditional backlight, so blacks are not as deep, lower contrast, and narrower viewing angles compared to OLED.
10. QNED TV (by LG)
This technology combines three key innovations: Quantum Dot, NanoCell, and Mini LED. It aims to deliver high-quality images with improved color accuracy, brightness, and sharpness.
Advantages: Highly precise resolution, excellent zone-based light control, and high color accuracy.
Disadvantages: Still can’t achieve true blacks like OLED TVs and tends to be quite expensive.
11. Mini LED TV
An advanced version of LED TV that uses a large number of very small Mini LEDs as the backlight source. This allows for finer and more accurate brightness control, resulting in high contrast, deep blacks, and reduced light leakage. Although it still uses an LCD panel, Mini LED TVs can produce image quality close to OLED.
Advantages: High brightness, durable, excellent image quality at a reasonable price.
Disadvantages: Blacks are not as deep as those on OLED TVs.
12. Micro LED TV
The latest TV display technology that uses extremely small Micro LEDs as individual self-emissive pixels, with no need for color filters or a backlight. It delivers highly accurate colors, high contrast, and true blacks comparable to OLED.
Advantages: Higher brightness than OLED, longer lifespan, and no burn-in issues—ideal for long-term use.
Disadvantages: Currently has high production costs and limited screen sizes, making it not yet widely available to general consumers.
