Advanced Television

The evolution of entertainment: From broadcast TV to interactive gaming

January 2, 2025

Televisions have been a household staple since the mid-20th Century, delivering us the news, entertainment, and sports. Still, considering that we’ve not even had television sets for a century yet, it’s incredible how far entertainment technology has come. This goes for how TVs have developed, as well as where else we now seek even more immersive experiences.

Where TV was once a separate and side medium, it is now central to the success of movies and the most modern format of home entertainment: video gaming. Entertainment has evolved greatly, and even with there being much more advanced forms of having fun out there, you’d be hard-pressed to find a home with four walls, a roof, and a locked door that doesn’t have a TV.

From Broadcast TV to Smart TV Streaming

Television is, quite simply, the electronic delivery and showing of moving images and accompanying sound via a transmission from a receiver. Initially, the concept was devised to assist education and facilitate communications, but once the first set hit shelves in 1928, it became an incredibly desirable item. As with all such creations, the original TVs were wildly expensive, but by the late 40s, wages had gone up and prices had declined.

Traditional television broadcasts were sent out via terrestrial radio waves or ‘over the air’, as it were. In the 1950s, this format was embraced as TVs started popping up in homes all over the developed world. The first colour TV landed in 1953, but it took a good decade for them to become accessible pricewise. In the late 1970s, coaxial cables proved capable of delivering higher quality TV, creating the premium TV space in the US.

During this time, home video via VCR became increasingly popular, bringing movies and even shows on demand to households. Later, satellite TVs furthered the ability to deliver TV shows to the masses. Now, an increasing wedge of the TV pie is received via the internet to smart TVs and other connected devices, like video game units and even satellite or cable TV boxes that have hybridised.

The Next Phase of Interactive Entertainment

It seems as though, for now, the evolution of the TV will stop at being a passive experience. Elsewhere, it’s very much about developing interactive entertainment to stand out from ever-popular TV sets. Combining live HD streams with play options, the advent of live games at online casinos has changed the game. Now, you can play at a real professional casino table from anywhere in the world and with a human croupier too.

While seeing the wheel spin or the cards dealt, all players get to bet on the outcomes and even call the shots for the next move, such as in blackjack by standing or hitting. It’s interactive and immersive because it’s all so real. From here, we have the less realistic but much more immersive world of virtual reality entertainment. With a headset, controllers, and some sensors, the best of these entertainment products are incredibly interactive.

It’s tough to see a day when TVs aren’t the centrepiece of a living room, but if more immersive experiences and even virtual ones become the norm, perhaps headset stands will replace the hit 1927 invention.

Categories: Articles, Content, Games

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