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The word television comes from the Greek words, tele, meaning far, and vision, meaning see.  Work on television started in the 1800's but what we know as television did not begin until the 1920's.

The now defunct Radio Corporation of America (R.C.A.) produced the Story of Television in 1956.  The film provides R.C.A.'s version of the history of television and how it came to be but doesn't mention the contributions made by many individuals unaffiliated with R.C.A.  In 1931, atop the Empire State Building, R.C.A.'s subsidiary, N.B.C., started broadcasting from their experimental television station W2XBS. At first, the signal was 60 scanning lines of display showing the station's call sign. These lines were created using mechanical discs that were abandoned when electrical methods became available.  The film also has images of President Roosevelt opening the 1939 Chicago World's Fair, the visit from King and Queen of England, and the 1940 Republican Convention.  Animated scenes demonstrate how TV works.

Watch the film, Story of Television:

In 1950, consumers had choices but not to the degree we have today.  When buying a television set today, we must choose screen size, screen type (CRT/Tube, LCD, DLP, or Plasma), and even the definition (standard definition, enhanced definition (EDTV), high definition (HDTV)). Today, a 27" screen TV can be bought for a few hundred dollars. A 50" HDTV for under $3,000. For comparison, an RCA Victor, model TC167, television console TV set cost $399.95 (that's $3,336.10 in 2006 dollars!).

The 1950 RCA Victor model TC167 16" Console TV featured: 16" screen built-in antenna audio jack for phonograph "aristocratic" cabinet Price: $399.95 ($3,336.10 in 2006 dollars) March 31, 1950 radio advertisement for the RCA Victor TC167 TV set  from the Screen Director's Playhouse episode "Dark Mirror":  Windows Media

Some notables "firsts" for television:

October 3, 1923
Charles Francis Jenkins transmitted pictures (not moving images) with 48 lines of resolution.

June 13, 1925
Charles Francis Jenkins transmitted synchronized sound and pictures.

1928
General Electric broadcasted the first regularly scheduled programs in 1928 using 28 lines of resolution.

July 12, 1928
first televised tennis match

October 30, 1931
N.B.C. puts a TV transmitter atop the Empire State Building.

November 13, 1938
First telecast of an unscheduled event, a fire, on NBC's W2XBT

June 1, 1939
First heavyweight boxing match televised from Yankee Stadium (Max Baer versus Lou Nova).

September 3, 1940
C.B.S. broadcasts the first color signal from the Chrysler Building.

May 2, 1941
First commercial broadcast licenses granted by the F.C.C.

July 1, 1941
C.B.S. and N.B.C. both convert their New York experimental broadcast stations to commercial licenses.

January 6, 1942
F.C.C. grants DuMont Laboratories a commercial license.

October 2, 1946
DuMont network broadcasts the first TV network soap opera

1948
C.B.S. and A.B.C. begin network programming.

December 17, 1953
C.B.S. broadcasts the first live color program at 6:15 p.m followed by N.B.C. at 6:30 p.m.