Consumer electronics

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article
by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and
removed. (April 2010)

A crowd of shoppers in the flatscreen TV section of the big box consumer electronics store Best
Buy.

A Radio Shack consumer electronics store in a mall.

Consumer electronics are electronic or digital equipment intended for everyday use, typically in
private homes. Consumer electronics include devices used for entertainment (flat screen TVs,
DVD players, DVD movies, iPods, video games, remote control cars, etc.), communications
(telephones, cell phones, e-mail-capable laptops, etc.) and home office activities (e.g., desktop
computers, printers, paper shredders, etc.). In British English they are often called brown goods
by producers and sellers, to distinguish them from "white goods" such as washing machines and
refrigerators.[1][n 1] In the 2010s, this distinction is not always present in large big box consumer
electronics stores, such as Best Buy, which sell both entertainment, communications and home
office devices and kitchen appliances such as refrigerators. Consumer electronics stores differ
from professional audio stores in that the former sells consumer-grade electronics for private use,
whereas the latter sells professional-grade electronics designed for use by audio engineers and
audio technicians.
Radio broadcasting in the early 20th century brought the first major consumer product, the
broadcast receiver. Later products included telephones, personal computers, MP3 players, audio
equipment, televisions (first cathode ray tube TVs, then in the 2000s, flatscreen TVs),
calculators, GPS, automotive electronics (car stereos), video game consoles, electronic musical
instruments, karaoke machines, digital cameras and players and recorders using video media

such as VCRs in the 1980s and 1990s, followed by DVDs andBlu-ray discs. Stores also sell
digital cameras, camcorders, cell phones and smartphones. In the 2000s, most products have
become based on digital technologies, and have largely merged with the computer industry in
what is increasingly referred to as the consumerization of information technology.
The CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) estimated the value of 2015 consumer electronics
sales at US$220 billion.[3]

Contents

1 History

2 Products
o 2.1 Trends

3 Manufacturing
o 3.1 Electronic component
o 3.2 Software development
o 3.3 Standardization

4 Trade shows

5 Retailing

6 Industries
o 6.1 Mobile phone industry

6.1.1 By country

7 Service and repair

8 Environmental impact
o 8.1 Energy consumption
o 8.2 Standby power
o 8.3 Electronic waste

9 Notes

10 See also

11 References

12 Further reading

13 External links

History
For its first fifty years the phonograph did not use electronics. However, in the 1920s radio
broadcasting became the basis of mass production of radio receivers. The vacuum tubes that had
made them practical were used to improve record players as well. Television was soon invented
but remained insignificant in the consumer market until the 1950s.

A radio and TV store in 1961.

The transistor, invented in 1947 by Bell Laboratories, led to significant research in the field of
solid-state semiconductors in the early 1950s. The transistor's advantages revolutionized that
industry along with other electronics. By 1959 Fairchild Semiconductor had introduced the first
planar transistor from which come the origins of Moore's Law.[4] Integrated circuits followed
when manufacturers built circuits (usually for military purposes) on a single substrate using
electrical connections between circuits within the chip itself.

When we were patenting this [planar transistor] we recognized it was

Bell's invention of the transistor and the development of semiconductors led to far better and
cheaper consumer electronics.

Products

See also: List of electronics brands and Category:Consumer electronics

A typical CoCo 3 computer system, from the 1980s

A JVC camcorder, a typical consumer electronics device

Main consumer electronics products include radio receivers, television sets, MP3 players, video
recorders, DVD players, digital cameras, camcorders, personal computers, video game consoles,
telephones and mobile phones.[5] Increasingly these products have become based on digital
technologies, and have largely merged with the computer industry in what is increasingly
referred to as the consumerization of information technology such as those invented by Apple
Inc. and MIT Media Lab.

Trends

A modern flat panel, HDTV television set

One overriding characteristic of consumer electronic products is the trend of ever-falling prices.
This is driven by gains in manufacturing efficiency and automation, lower labor costs as
manufacturing has moved to lower-wage countries, and improvements in semiconductor design.
[6]
Semiconductor components benefit from Moore's Law, an observed principle which states
that, for a given price, semiconductor functionality doubles every two years.

While consumer electronics continues in its trend of convergence, combining elements of many
products, consumers face different decisions when purchasing. There is an ever increasing need
to keep product information updated and comparable, for the consumer to make an informed
choice. Style, price, specification, and performance are all relevant. There is a gradual shift
towards e-commerce web-storefronts.
Many products include Internet connectivity using technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EDGE
or Ethernet. Products not traditionally associated with computer use (such as TVs or Hi-Fi
equipment) now provide options to connect to the Internet or to a computer using a home
network to provide access to digital content. The desire for high-definition (HD) content has led
the industry to develop a number of technologies, such as WirelessHD or ITU-T G.hn, which are
optimized for distribution of HD content between consumer electronic devices in a home.

Manufacturing
Main article: Electronics manufacturing
See also: Electronic packaging

Gramophone factory in Hannover-Nordstadt

Many consumer electronics are built in China, due to maintenance cost, availability of materials,
quality, and speed as opposed to other countries such as the United States.[7] Cities such as
Shenzhen have become important production centres for the industry, attracting many consumer
electronics companies such as Apple Inc.[8]

Electronic component
Main article: Electronic component
An electronic component is any basic discrete device or physical entity in an electronic system
used to affect electrons or their associated fields. Electronic components are mostly industrial
products, available in a singular form and are not to be confused with electrical elements, which
are conceptual abstractions representing idealized electronic components.

Software development
See also: Software development

Consumer electronics such as personal computers use various types of software. Embedded
software is used within some consumer electronics, such as mobile phones.[9] This type of
software may be embedded within the hardware of electronic devices.[10] Some consumer
electronics include software that is used on a personal computer in conjunction with electronic
devices, such as camcorders and digital cameras, and third-party software for such devices also
exists.

Standardization
Some consumer electronics adhere to protocols, such as connection protocols "to high speed bidirectional signals".[11] In telecommunications, a communications protocol is a system of digital
rules for data exchange within or between computers.

Trade shows
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) trade show has taken place yearly in Las Vegas, Nevada
since its foundation in 1973. The event, which grew from having 100 exhibitors in its inaugural
year to more than 3,600 exhibitors in its 2014 edition, features new consumer electronics and
speeches by industry pioneers.[12]

Retailing
Electronics retailing is a significant part of the retail industry in many countries. In the United
States, big-box store retailers include Best Buy and Sears, with Best Buy being the largest
consumer electronics retailer in the country.[13] Broad-based retailers, such as Wal-Mart and
Target, also sell consumer electronics in many of their stores.[13] In April 2014, retail e-commerce
sales were the highest in the consumer electronic and computer categories as well.[14] Some
consumer electronics retailers offer extended warranties on products with programs such as
SquareTrade.[15]
See also: Category:Consumer electronics retailers.
An electronics district is an area of commerce with a high density of retail stores that sell
consumer electronics."[16]
See also: Category:Electronics districts.

Industries
Main article: Electronics industry
See also: Electronics industry in Japan, Electronics industry in China and Electronics industry in
Bangladesh
The electronics industry, especially meaning consumer electronics, emerged in the 20th century
and has now become a global industry worth billions of dollars. Contemporary society uses all

manner of electronic devices built in automated or semi-automated factories operated by the

industry.

Mobile phone industry

This picture illustrates how the mobile phone industry evolved to what we see today as modern
smartphones
By country
Main articles: Mobile phone companies of India, Mobile phone industry in China, Mobile phone
industry in Japan, Mobile phone industry in Russia, Mobile phone industry in South Korea and
Mobile phone industry in the United States

Service and repair

See also: Electronics technician
Consumer electronic service can refer to the maintenance of said products. When consumer
electronics have malfunctions, they may sometimes be repaired.
In 2013 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the increased popularity in listening to sound from analog
audio devices, such as record players, as opposed to digital sound, has sparked a noticeable
increase of business for the electronic repair industry there.[17]

Environmental impact
Energy consumption
The energy consumption of consumer electronics and their environmental impact - is
increasing steadily.

EIA estimates that electronic devices and gadgets account for about 10%-15% of the energy use
in American homes largely because of their number; the average house has dozens of electronic
devices.[18]
The energy consumption of consumer electronics increases in America and Europe - to about
50% of household consumption, if the term is redefined to include home appliances such as
refrigerators, dryers, clothes washers and dishwashers.

Standby power
Standby power used by consumer electronics and appliances while they are turned off
accounts for 510% of total household energy consumption, costing $100 annually to the
average household in the United States.[19] A study by United States Department of Energy's
Berkeley Lab found that a videocassette recorders (VCRs) consume more electricity during the
course of a year in standby mode than when they are used to record or playback videos. Similar
findings were obtained concerning satellite boxes, which consume almost the same amount of
energy in "on" and "off" modes.[20]
A 2012 study in the United Kingdom, carried out by the Energy Saving Trust, found that the
devices using the most power on standby mode included televisions, satellite boxes and other
video and audio equipment. The study concluded that UK households could save up to 86 per
year by switching devices off instead of using standby mode.[21] A report from the International
Energy Agency in 2014 found that $80 billion of power is wasted globally per year due to
inefficiency of electronic devices.[22] Consumers can reduce unwanted use of standby power by
unplugging their devices, using power strips with switches, or by buying devices that are
standardized for better energy management, particularly Energy Star marked products.[19]

Electronic waste

Electronic waste: discarded electronic equipment

Electronic waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. Many consumer electronics
may contain toxic minerals and elements,[23] and many electronic scrap components, such as
CRTs, may contain contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury, dioxins, or

brominated flame retardants. Electronic waste recycling may involve significant risk to workers
and communities and great care must be taken to avoid unsafe exposure in recycling operations
and leaking of materials such as heavy metals from landfills and incinerator ashes. However,
large amounts of the produced electronic waste from developed countries is exported, and
handled by the informal sector in countries like India, despite the fact that exporting electronic
waste to them is illegal. Strong informal sector can be a problem for the safe and clean recycling.
[24]