A televisionaccessory (TV accessory) is an accessory that is used in conjunction with a television (TV) or other compatible display devices and is intended to either improve the user experience or to offer new possibilities of using it.
It is difficult to say when the very first TV accessory was invented or when it hit the consumer market.
The first TV accessory with which owners could actively influence the content displayed on the screen in real time was the Magnavox Odyssey, the first commercial home video game console, released in September 1972 by Magnavox for a list price of $99.95. [1]
One of the first TV accessories that could record TV programs available for consumers was the Clie Pega-VR100K by Sony, released on October 9, 2003, for a list price of $479.99. [2]
As of 2017, TV accessories are a rapidly growing market which is expected to grow even more rapidly in the near future. [3] Some of the most popular manufacturers of TV accessories include Sony, Magnavox, Apple, Nvidia, Amazon, Samsung, and Google, as well as many independent third-party suppliers.
A soundbar (also called sound bar or media bar) is a type of loudspeaker that projects audio from a wide enclosure. Soundbars are one of the most popular TV accessories because they are affordable, very easy to install and a relatively large upgrade compared to other accessories, offering much better sound than most integrated TV loudspeakers. [4] [5] [6]
A universal remote is a remote control that can be programmed to operate various brands of one or more types of consumer electronics devices.
On May 30, 1985, Philips introduced the first universal remote (U.S. Pat. #4774511) under the Magnavox brand name. [7] In 1985, Robin Rumbolt, William "Russ" McIntyre, and Larry Goodson with North American Philips Consumer Electronics (Magnavox, Sylvania, and Philco) developed the first universal remote control.
Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming video delivered over the Internet. Most TVs today are smart TVs, meaning that they can connect to the Internet to use different functions. [8] However, since there are many different TV manufacturers that use different inferfaces for these functions, this may be confusing for some users. [8] A dedicated streaming box like an Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV Stick or PlayStation TV offers a universal user experience across all TV brands. [8] An Android TV box like the Nvidia Shield TV can also run all Android apps on the Play Store and stream PC gaming content to the TV. [9]
An HDMI switch (also known as HDMI switcher or HDMI switching box) is a device that accepts input from multiple HDMI sources and sends the signal you select to your HDTV via an HDMI cable. [10] When they also support USB devices, they are KVM switches.
A home video game console is a type of video game console that is designed to be connected to a display device, such as a television, and an external power source as to play video games. In contrast to many other TV accessories that improve the user experience, a home video game console offers new possibilities of using a TV, meaning that users of such can not only determine what should be shown on the television screen, but also actively influence it in real time.
A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can typically be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to a television or other display devices and controlled with a separate game controller, or handheld consoles, which include their own display unit and controller functions built into the unit and which can be played anywhere. Hybrid consoles combine elements of both home and handheld consoles.
High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is a proprietary audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed video data and compressed or uncompressed digital audio data from an HDMI-compliant source device, such as a display controller, to a compatible computer monitor, video projector, digital television, or digital audio device. HDMI is a digital replacement for analog video standards.
A home theater PC (HTPC) or media center computer is a convergent device that combines some or all the capabilities of a personal computer with a software application that focuses on video, photo, audio playback, and sometimes video recording functionality. Since the mid-2000s, other types of consumer electronics, including game consoles and dedicated media devices, have crossed over to manage video and music content. The term "media center" also refers to specialized application software designed to run on standard personal computers.
Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) is a set of interoperability standards for sharing home digital media among multimedia devices. It allows users to share or stream stored media files to various certified devices on the same network like PCs, smartphones, TV sets, game consoles, stereo systems, and NASs. DLNA incorporates several existing public standards, including Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) for media management and device discovery and control, wired and wireless networking standards, and widely used digital media formats. Many routers and network attached storage (NAS) devices have built-in DLNA support, as well as software applications like Windows Media Player.
A home theater in a box (HTIB) is an integrated home theater package which "bundles" together a combination DVD or Blu-ray player, a multi-channel amplifier, speaker wires, connection cables, a remote control, a set of five or more surround sound speakers and a low-frequency subwoofer cabinet. Manufacturers also have come out with the "soundbar", an all in one device to put underneath the television and that contains all the speakers in one unit.
Bravia is a brand of Sony Visual Products Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony, and is used for its television products. Its name is a backronym for "Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture". All Sony high-definition flat-panel LCD televisions in North America have carried the logo for BRAVIA since 2005. BRAVIA replaces the "LCD WEGA," which Sony used for their LCD TVs until summer 2005. In 2014, BRAVIA was made into a subsidiary rather than simply a brand of products.
A video game accessory is a distinct piece of hardware that is required to use a video game console, or one that enriches the video game's play experience. Essentially, video game accessories are everything except the console itself, such as controllers, memory, power adapters (AC), and audio/visual cables. Most video game consoles come with the accessories required to play games out of the box : one A/V cable, one AC cable, and a controller. Memory is usually the most required accessory outside of these, as game data cannot be saved to compact discs. The companies that manufacture video game consoles also make these accessories for replacement purposes as well as improving the overall experience. There is an entire industry of companies that create accessories for consoles as well, called third-party companies. The prices are often lower than those made by the maker of the console (first-party). This is usually achieved by avoiding licensing or using cheaper materials. For the mobile systems like the PlayStation Portable and Game Boy iterations, there are many accessories to make them more usable in mobile environments, such as mobile chargers, lighting to improve visibility, and cases to both protect and help organize the collection of system peripherals to. Newer accessories include many home-made things like mod chips to bypass manufacturing protection or homemade software.
A universal remote is a remote control that can be programmed to operate various brands of one or more types of consumer electronics devices. Low-end universal remotes can only control a set number of devices determined by their manufacturer, while mid- and high-end universal remotes allow the user to program in new control codes to the remote. Many remotes sold with various electronics include universal remote capabilities for other types of devices, which allows the remote to control other devices beyond the device it came with. For example, a VCR remote may be programmed to operate various brands of televisions.
Elgato is a brand of consumer technology products. The brand was manufactured and designed by Elgato Systems, founded in 2010 by Markus Fest and Stuart Smith, it was headquartered in Munich, Germany, until 2018 when the brand was sold to Corsair.
Various accessories for the PlayStation 3 video game console have been produced by Sony and third-party companies. These include controllers, audio and video input devices like microphones, video cameras, and cables for better sound and picture quality.
Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole developed and marketed by Apple. It is a small piece of networking hardware that sends received media data such as video and audio to a TV or external display. Its media services include streaming media, TV Everywhere-based services, local media sources, and sports journalism and broadcasts.
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a division of Sony.
Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI) is a consumer electronic specification for a wireless HDTV connectivity throughout the home.
Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) is a feature of HDMI designed to control HDMI connected devices by using only one remote controller; so, individual CEC enabled devices can command and control each other without user intervention, for up to 15 devices. For example, a TV remote can also control a digital video recorder and a Blu-ray player.
Hillcrest Labs was a sensor processing technology company that developed free space motion-control technology and the first motion-controlled remote for television. Hillcrest also invented the first graphical zoomable interface for television and Kylo, the first Web browser optimized for television. The company, based in Rockville, Maryland, was acquired by CEVA in July 2019.
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in Europe, South America, and Australia, and on February 22, 2014, in Japan. A console of the eighth generation, it competes with Microsoft's Xbox One and Nintendo's Wii U and Switch.
Chromecast is a discontinued line of digital media players developed by Google. The devices, designed as small dongles, can play Internet-streamed audio-visual content on a high-definition television or home audio system. The user can control playback with a mobile device or personal computer through mobile and web apps that can use the Google Cast protocol, or by issuing commands via Google Assistant; later models introduced an interactive user interface and remote control. Content can be mirrored to video models from the Google Chrome web browser on a personal computer or from the screen of some Android devices.
Google Cast is a proprietary protocol developed by Google for playing locally stored or Internet-streamed audiovisual content on a compatible consumer device. The protocol is used to initiate and control playback of content on digital media players, high-definition televisions, and home audio systems using a mobile device, personal computer, or smart speaker. The protocol was first launched on July 24, 2013, to support Google's first-generation Chromecast player.
Roku is a brand of consumer electronics that includes streaming players, smart TVs, as well as a free TV streaming service. The brand is owned by Roku, Inc., an American company. As of 2024, Roku is the leading streaming TV distributor in the U.S., reaching nearly 120 million people.
Amazon Fire TV is a line of digital media players and microconsoles developed by Amazon since 2014. The devices are small network appliances that deliver digital audio and video content streamed via the Internet to a connected high-definition television. They also allow users to access local content and to play video games with the included remote control or another game controller, or by using a mobile app remote control on another device.