Don’t Change That Channel

That is so atomic!

Sitting here today I was watching TV and thought about when the first TV remote was created so I though I would blog on it, here is what I found.

The first TV remote was made by Zenith Radio Corporation in 1950. The “Lazy Bones,” as it was called worked OK, activating a motorized mechanical tuner on the TV set to which it was linked. The problem is that its link was a long cable. The convenience of being able to switch between the few channels available at the time was offset by the potential danger posed by a cord that had to be deftly avoided in dim light during commercial break food and bathroom runs.

I can remember when I was younger my dad buying one of the really early VCR’s and it had a remote with a wire attached. I could not tell you how many times I almost killed myself tripping over its cord. It is incredible how bulky and retro looking these remotes were. Some remotes were given space age names such as “Space Command” or “Flash-Matic”.

Flash Matic.....looks like a ray gun!

Zenith’s Space Command remote control used no batteries. It contained aluminum rods that when struck, emitted distinctive high-frequency sounds.

Here is a cool clip on one of the early remotes.