TV sets through the ages in China

A television set, a home appliance that can be found in almost every Chinese home, was at one time a novelty. As the country's economy continues to expand and develop, so do the screens we find in our homes.

70-year-old Chen Dexing lives in Shangyu County of east China's Zhejiang Province. A television enthusiast, Chen is often one of the first people in line to buy the latest model on the market.

"This is a high-definition TV set and this is a set-top box receiver. I bought these several years ago."

Every time he upgrades, Chen stores his old televisions away, from the small black and white receivers to the flat screens.

"This is a small black and white receiver. This button is used to tune the channels and these two are for brightness and contrast."

As technology continues to develop, people have gone from tuning channels manually to using automated voice control commands.

Lin Maoxiang, chairman of Changhong Multimedia Industry Company, said, "The voice recognition function can find the channels the users want. The TV voice control is convenient for customers to use at night, or for the aged who cannot see clearly."

Now 3-D and Ultra High Definition Televisions are commonly sold in the retail market. Some of the country's televisions can provide users with wireless internet access, computer applications, and video games based on motion detection.

There are 100-million digital cable TV users in China. By 2015, all of China's televisions will be upgraded from analogue to digital transmission. For people like Chen, it means more choices in channels and programs to enjoy each night.