#16: Bulky TV Sets
In the 1970s, a premium 21-inch color TV console from Radio Shack, Best Buy, or Walmart would set you back about $500, equivalent to around $3,300 today. These televisions were notable not just for their small screen sizes but for their massive, 100-pound wooden exteriors. Fast forward to today, and the once-coveted RCA Console values at an astonishing $6,300, illustrating how screen sizes have ballooned while the hardware has slimmed down.
The massive size of older TVs was a necessity; the technology of the era required large encasements for bigger screens. Over time, advances in technology allowed for the development of thinner, lighter flatscreens by companies like LG, Sony, and Samsung. These modern TVs may be more fragile than their cumbersome predecessors, but they’re considerably easier on the back, representing a leap in both design and usability.