Early TV Remotes, 1950s

4 comments to Early TV Remotes, 1950s

• CatM

  February 18, 2012 at 2:27 pm · Reply

  Why have I never thought of hitting “mute” during long, annoying commercials before?

• Robert

  February 18, 2012 at 5:26 pm · Reply

  The first remote control my parents had were their children. “Cange the channel. Go back to channel 4. Wait there. Go to channel 11. Stay there… “

• klenso

  February 18, 2012 at 5:33 pm · Reply

  To be truthful, many sets had remote controls in those days to change channels, adjust volume or antenna, etc. These remotes were called “children.” The remotes would also fetch a cold beer, retrieve the TV Guide, tweak horizontal hold, and so forth.

  However, back in the early ’60s we DID have a TV with an actual electronic remote control, which we children were strictly forbidden to ever touch. The channel dial on the console was buttons in a circle; when you changed the channel (either manually or with the remote) those buttons would make the most satisfying CHKK CHKK CHKK sound as they crept clockwise around the dial, one number at a time.

  The entire concept was not unlike the rotary dial of a phone — the longer the distance between channels, the more CHKKs — so it was a very slow process. The remote was also limited to regular channels, with no provision for UHF. But hey, it was REMOTE CONTROL!

  We kids would crowd in front of the set just to watch what happened when an adult used the remote. It was that big of a deal. Now my own kids find it hard to believe I survived an era with only four regular channels, all in glorious B&W, with no cable. But at least we had the remote.

  • Gregory

    April 23, 2012 at 7:15 am · Reply

    Klenso i know what you mean. My 11 yeard old niece came to me with a revelation that came to her a couple of days ago, she asked “uncle! did you knew that long ago televisions were black & white?”. I feel old