Handheld television

A handheld television is a portable device for watching television that usually uses a TFT LCD or OLED and CRT color display. Many of these devices resemble handheld transistor radios.

History
Sony Watchman

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Panasonic and Sinclair Research released the first TVs which were small enough to fit in a large pocket; called the Panasonic IC TV MODEL TR-001[1] and MTV-1. Since LCD technology was not yet mature at the time, the TV used a minuscule CRT which set the record for being the smallest CRT on a commercially marketed product.

Later in 1982, Sony released the first model of the Watchman, a pun on Walkman.[2] It had grayscale video at first. Several years later, a color model with an active-matrix LCD was released. Some smartphones integrate a television receiver, although Internet broadband video is far more common.

Since the switch-over to digital broadcasting, handheld TVs have reduced in size and improved in quality. Portable TV was eventually brought to digital TV with DVB-H, although it didn't see much success. The major current manufacturers of DVB-T standard (common throughout Europe) handheld TVs are August International, ODYS and Xoro.

Hardware
Elements of a pocket television CRT: (1) Recessed Screen, (2) Electron Beam, (3) Electron Gun

These devices often have stereo 1⁄8 inch (3.5 mm) phono plugs for composite video-analog mono audio relay to serve them as composite monitors; also, some models have mono 3.5 mm jacks for the broadcast signal that is usually relayed via F connector or Belling-Lee connector on standard television models.

Some include HDMI, USB and SD ports.

Screen sizes vary from 1.3 to 5 inches (33 to 127 mm). Some handheld televisions also double as portable DVD players and USB personal video recorders.

Size

Portable televisions cannot fit in a pocket, but often run on batteries and include a cigarette lighter receptacle plug.

Pocket televisions fit in a pocket.

Wearable televisions sometimes are made in the form of a wristwatch.

Notable brands and models
  • August International - DA100C
  • ODYS - LIVE
  • Xoro - HSD7790
  • RCA - DPTM70R
  • Casio
  • Sanyo

See also

References
  1. "1970年代 カラーテレビの普及が加速 | パナソニック テレビと家電の歴史 | テレビ ビエラ | 東京2020オリンピック・パラリンピック公式テレビ | Panasonic". panasonic.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-04-11.
  2. "Sony Japan | Sony Design｜History｜1980s". www.sony.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-04-11.
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