SMPTE Historical Note: The Rise of Mechanical Television, 1901–1930
George Shiers · SMPTE Journal · 1981
The chief elements of modern television are electron beam tubes for image pickup and display, the associated electronic circuits, and wire or radio transmission channels. They deliver images in monochrome or color with accompanying sound. These components and associated techniques were in existence, in practice or on paper, during or before the subject period of this paper. Features of mechanical systems which were also considered or demonstrated before 1931 include a wide range of ideas, innovations, and methods. Examples are cited that illustrate television's rapid growth after 1926.