Equipment Analysis: The Remote Control - Text 2
The first remote controls made for television appeared in the United States in the early 1950s.[1] They did not yet employ wireless technology, however, as they were connected to the television set by cables. Their functions were also limited. The Tele-Zoom developed by the Garod company in 1948 made it possible only to enlarge the size of the image, and the Lazy Bones[2] only to turn the set on or off or to change channels without getting up from one’s seat. The Blab-Off, developed in 1952 by an independent inventor named Bob Grant,[3] made it possible only to turn the sound on or off. This function was more than welcome, because at that time viewers had no control over the sound levels set by the networks, who frequently received complaints by mail concerning the sound volume of commercials. Significantly louder than the programs, this volume was annoying, as it awakened children and disturbed neighbours. With the Blab-Off, television viewers were able to remedy this nuisance for the modest sum of $2.98.
