Television is a telecommunication system for broadcasting and receiving moving pictures and sound over a distance. The term has come to refer to all the aspects of television from the television set to the programming and transmission. The word is derived from mixed Latin and Greek roots, meaning "far seeing" (Greek "tele," meaning far, and Latin "visus," meaning seeing).

Origins

---

The origins of what would become today's television system can be traced back as far as the discovery of the photoconductivity of the element selenium by Willoughby Smith in 1873, and the invention of a scanning disk by Paul Nipkow in 1884. All practical television systems use the fundamental idea of scanning an image to produce a time series signal representation. That representation is then transmitted to a device to reverse the scanning process. The final device, the television, relies on the human eye to integrate the result into a coherent image.

More on [ Television ]

NYT > Television

Looking for a Leader in the Post-Oprah Landscape
By BRIAN STELTER Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:01:23 -0000
A wide range of contenders, some of them linked to Oprah Winfrey herself, will vie for the dominant role in daytime.
The Media Equation: A Triumph of Avoiding the Traps
By DAVID CARR Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:00:27 -0000
Oprah Winfrey’s gut intuition, about knowing when to say no and when it is time to go, is worth studying at every business school in the country.
Television Review | 'Find My Family': Reuniting Lost Relations, Leaving Time for Tears
By MIKE HALE Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:47:40 -0000
Based on the first episode of “Find My Family,” soul means tears.

L.A. Times - TV News

'Lopez Tonight' bandleader Michael Bearden finds solace after 'This Is It'
Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
The music director for Michael Jackson's ill-fated comeback tour now heads up the music on George Lopez's new TBS talk show. " Lopez Tonight " is only a few weeks old, but host George Lopez and bandleader Michael Bearden already have their opening ritual down pat. As the Ese Vatos house band jams on War's "Low Rider," Lopez prowls the stage and struts through a frenzied studio audience, gradually working his way to Bearden for a celebratory fist pump.
Happy feat in strappy heels
Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
On a dare, an entertainment reporter steps into the shoes (and sultry zebra dress) of a 'Dancing With the Stars' contestant. In a grueling test of stamina and nerves, she discovers her inner shimmy. Eight hours of practice and an utter lack of common sense have brought me here, poised to descend 19 steep steps to the ballroom floor of "Dancing With the Stars."
NBC's 'Nightly News' anchor Brian Williams shows his lighter side
Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
He loosens up on appearances on '30 Rock' and 'Saturday Night Live.' And it hasn't hurt him in the ratings. When the writers of "30 Rock" sent Brian Williams lines earlier this fall for his latest cameo , the NBC News anchor had a couple of suggestions. A scene in which he auditioned to be on the show's fictional comedy sketch series was "too blue" for his taste. In another, in which he approached Tina Fey's Liz Lemon about trying out for the program, Williams adopted an alter ego that paid homage to his late uncle Tony Mortarulo.

News from TV.com

Last Night's Dexter Renewed My Faith in the Season
Richard Lawson Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:09:00 -0800
Warning: Contains spoilers about last night's episode, 'Hungry Man'.Well, it appears that someone was listening to me. Or, you know, I probably just spoke too soon. Last night's Dexter was the show at its creepy best, generously energizing what had been a somewhat slow season. We got to see the Trinity killer's true evil, Dexter snap and lose control like rarely before, and Rita tumble down the bad-deeds rabbit hole, finally giving her character a little more shading.How about that ending huh? More >>
Ranking Curb Your Enthusiasm's Seven Season Finales
Conor Griff Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:48:00 -0800
Oh great. Curb Your Enthusiasm ended another far too short season last night, with the premiere of the meta-Seinfeld reunion. The reunion, which Larry organized only as a means as getting back with Cheryl, ultimately aired without Cheryl or Larry's involvement. But they were reunited, (despite a lack of mutual respect for wood), and it was another great finale for the show, almost as good as season 6. Last night's inside jokes about the disappointing real-life Seinfeld series finale served to emphasize that since then, Larry...  More >>
The Amazing Race: Kayak Kneeling and Taxi Stealing
Richard Lawson Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:58:00 -0800
The claws have come out. After Tallinn came the talons. This particular Amazing Race is down to the last four pairs of hoofers, and people really are playing to win now. Decorum is getting tossed out the window, taxis are getting stolen, and people are getting tired. That's what I kept thinking last night. They must be so tired. Just jet-lagged and jelly-limbed and mentally exhausted. But they persevere in spite of it all, so I guess I can't blame for their double-crossin'. Plus it makes for good TV.Our eight friends woke up in sleepy Tallinn, Estonia and were immediately told to board a flight to Prague, a place where Dan...  More >>

Subscribe to Television RSS feed