ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Television systems before 1940

Before 1940, television was a new and exciting technology that only a few people had in their homes. It was very different from the kind of television that we have today, and it wasn't as easy to use.

The television of that time worked by sending pictures and sound signals over the airwaves. These signals were picked up by a special kind of antenna, which then sent them to a television set. This set was a big box that had a screen on the front, and it was one of the few ways that people could see moving pictures in their own homes.

To make the picture on the television, a special type of light called a cathode ray was used. This ray was directed at a screen on the television, where it made an image in the same way that a projector works. The image was made up of tiny dots called pixels, each one a different color. When the pixels were put together, they created a picture that people could watch.

But there were some big differences between the television of that time and the one that we have today. First of all, the picture wasn't in color like it is now. Instead, it was just black and white. Also, the picture wasn't as clear as it is today. The pixels were larger, so the image wasn't as sharp.

Another big difference was that the sound wasn't very good. It was sometimes hard to hear what people were saying on the television, and the sound quality wasn't as clear as we have today.

Overall, television before 1940 was a very different experience than the one we have now. It was exciting to watch, but it was also difficult to use and had some big limitations. But it was a big step forward in the world of technology and paved the way for the television that we have today.