This History of the Home Theater

Did you know that the first idea of the projector came from Monk's in the 1420? They used Lanterns to project an image! The home theater has great evolved over time, from the 8mm film to laser disc's, dvd's and digital downloads. Check out this timeline of the history of Home Theaters to give you a sense of how far we've come!

1420 - Idea of the first projector. Drawing of a monk holding a lantern by Johannes de Fontana.

1663 - The First Telescopes. Hans Lippershey constructs a refracting telescope, the first of it's kind.

1837 - "Limelight" Invented. Michael Faraday turns an oxygen-hydrogen flame on a lump of quicklime, which heats it and give off a brilliant light.

1928 - The First Television. John Baird successfully transmits the first television picture with a greyscale image.

1938 - Kodak's 8mm Film. Kodak releases the 8mm film format on the market to create an affordable home movie format.

1950 - Screening Room. Screening rooms are found in the homes of the wealthy, and use Kodak 8mm projector equipment.

1963 - "Velcan" the First VCR. The first home video recorder is created. It can record 20 minutes of black and white output at a time.

1970 - VHS Kills 8mm Film. VCRs connected to ordinary televisions provide a simpler and more flexible substitute for 8mm film and projectors.

1980 - The Home Theater. A typical home theater consists of a LaserDisc or VHS player fed to a larger near projector

1997 - "DVD" Video Format. A new video format called DVD is introduced to the USA by Toshiba.

1999 - Dolby Digital Sound. Dolby Digital Surround EX is co-developed by Dolby and Lucasfilm THX for Star Wars Episode 1.

2000 - DVD & Projectors. DVD-Video and high-quality projectors provide a cinema experience that sparks a new wave of home cinema interest.

2008 - First Blue-Ray Discs.

2012 - A new Era. Affordable 3D Technology, Blue-Ray Discs, media PCs, and HD Projectors usher in the new era of home theater.

The home theater entertainment industry has changed dramatically in the last 50 years, and is changing even faster today! What do you think is next for home theater entertainment? Let us know on our Facebook page, Linked Here!

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