TV technology that changed the world

Monday 21 March

Back in the day, the only way to watch the TV was in the living room, on the sofa, with the family TV in front of you. Over the years, TVs have evolved, but so has the technology behind the content. Now there’s no need to watch The Gadget Show in your living room – you can watch it on your iPhone, on any other smartphone, on your laptop or tablet, whenever you’re out and about.

Smartphone apps and accessories have also evolved – so as well as being able to watch content on the move, we can also control it around the house. Devices like the UnityRemote make it possible to control TVs from your iPhone, along with controlling music and movie collections.

We’ve seen lots of other revolutionary TV technology over the past couple of years, though, so read on for five of the best.

Web TV The ability to watch TV over the internet and on your laptop has arguably been one of the biggest changes we’ve seen in recent times. Services such as TV Catchup mean that you can watch TV wherever you are, with access to all the terrestrial channels and channels such as E4, BBC3 and lots of other digital options. Because you’re streaming content over the internet, you’re also not reliant on a decent signal – as long as you have a fast internet connection you’ll be able to view all the channels.

Apple iPad Although tablets have been around for years, they’ve never been popular with gadget lovers until the Apple iPad came along. The iPad changed the way lots of us browse the internet at home, and it’s also the perfect device for taking advantage of services such as TV Catchup. With its incredibly portable design, yet a large and vibrant screen, view devices are better for watching The Gadget Show on the go.

4OD and BBC iPlayer It’s not just live TV that’s taken off on the internet over the past year or two. TV on demand services such as BBC iPlayer and 4OD have never been more popular, and let you access your favourite programmes on most digital devices. From smartphones to tablets, laptops to TVs with built in web functionality, TV on demand is perfect for entertainment on the move.

Slingbox The Slingbox was popular before TV Catchup really took off, and is a great device to have if you want to connect your TV, mobile phone or laptop. With the Slingbox, you’ll be able to stream content from your TV, straight over the internet to your iPhone, iPad or laptop.

Apple TV Apple TV is another device that’s perfect for streaming media, but this time in the home. With Apple TV, you’ll be able to stream movies, YouTube clips, photographs and even music, straight from your computer to your TV. There’s no need for wires – Apple TV uses Wi-Fi to stream the content – resulting in a neat and tidy home entertainment solution.