<P> The first satellite television signals from Europe to North America were relayed via the Telstar satellite over the Atlantic ocean on 23 July 1962 . The signals were received and broadcast in North American and European countries and watched by over 100 million . Launched in 1962, the Relay 1 satellite was the first satellite to transmit television signals from the US to Japan . The first geosynchronous communication satellite, Syncom 2, was launched on 26 July 1963 . </P> <P> The world's first commercial communications satellite, called Intelsat I and nicknamed "Early Bird", was launched into geosynchronous orbit on 6 April 1965 . The first national network of television satellites, called Orbita, was created by the Soviet Union in October 1967, and was based on the principle of using the highly elliptical Molniya satellite for rebroadcasting and delivering of television signals to ground downlink stations . The first commercial North American satellite to carry television transmissions was Canada's geostationary Anik 1, which was launched on 9 November 1972 . ATS - 6, the world's first experimental educational and Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), was launched on 30 May 1974 . It transmitted at 860 MHz using wideband FM modulation and had two sound channels . The transmissions were focused on the Indian subcontinent but experimenters were able to receive the signal in Western Europe using home constructed equipment that drew on UHF television design techniques already in use . </P> <P> The first in a series of Soviet geostationary satellites to carry Direct - To - Home television, Ekran 1, was launched on 26 October 1976 . It used a 714 MHz UHF downlink frequency so that the transmissions could be received with existing UHF television technology rather than microwave technology . </P> <P> Internet television (Internet TV) (or online television) is the digital distribution of television content via the Internet as opposed to traditional systems like terrestrial, cable, and satellite, although the Internet itself is received by terrestrial, cable, or satellite methods . Internet television is a general term that covers the delivery of television shows, and other video content, over the Internet by video streaming technology, typically by major traditional television broadcasters . Internet television should not be confused with Smart TV, IPTV or with Web TV . Smart television refers to the TV set which has a built - in operating system . Internet Protocol television (IPTV) is one of the emerging Internet television technology standards for use by television broadcasters . Web television is a term used for programs created by a wide variety of companies and individuals for broadcast on Internet TV . </P>

When did the television become a household item