For the past 75 years, Magnavox innovation and leadership have consistently been recognized as the industry hallmarks of reliability, state-of-the-art technology and consumer acceptance.
Beginning in 1911 in a small shop in Napa, California, with a total area of 800 square feet, and total sales in its first year of operation of exactly $477, the Commercial Wireless & Development Company, as it was originally named, was founded by Peter Jensen and E.S. Pridham, with Richard O'Connor as their principal financial backer with an investment of $2,500, which was soon to pay big dividends and open the door to new-fangled instruments of which the public had never dreamed.
One such instrument was the world's first electrodynamic telephone, invented in that same year, 1911; an invention of such importance that it laid the foundation for present advances in the art of sound amplification.
Four years later, breakthroughs in the field of sound reproduction became a byword at the young company. For example, a true industry milestone was reached with the invention of the first electrodynamic loudspeaker, a speaker that is today on permanent display at the Greenfield Village Museum in Michigan. For many years after that, Magnavox was the only manufacturer of loudspeakers in the United States.
1915 was the year our company officially adopted the name Magnavox. Derived from the Latin words "magna" and "vox," and meaning "great voice," it was chosen because of the "great voice" produced by our loudspeakers.
Also in 1915, music was amplified for the first time, with the Magnavox invention of the first amplifier phonograph. This instrument, drawing its power from a 6-volt storage battery, was the forerunner of today's sophisticated and popular component music system.
The Magnavox milestones of 1915 didn't stop there. Also introduced in that year was the first public address system, an innovation which made well-deserved headlines across the country, because for the first time, the size of the audience was not limited by actual "hearing distance" from the speaker.
Ex-president William Howard Taft used this first public address system in speaking to a large gathering at Grant Park, in Chicago. Woodrow Wilson became the first United States president to use a Magnavox public address instrument during a speech heard by more than 75,000 people in San Diego, California.
First electric console phonograph.
With these important firsts as a base, the young Magnavox company continued in its efforts to advance the art of sound reproduction. In 1916, Magnavox introduced the first console phonograph, a completely electric phonograph, with electric pick-up, amplifier and electrodynamic speakers.
1917 saw the introduction of the first anti-noise microphone and transmitter.
Active participation in World War I, with Magnavox telephone systems being used by our government in over 1,000 naval vessels, and practically all aircraft that employed wireless telephones.
Other vistas in sound reproduction opened for Magnavox. In 1922, Magnavox built the world's largest exponential horn for an amusement park in Oakland, California. The horn had an opening of nearly 200 square feet, tapering down to a one-square -inch opening. It generated sound that was heard for a distance of nine miles.
First single dial radio receiver.
In 1923, Magnavox scored another important industry breakthrough with the introduction of the first single dial radio receiver. For the first time, the user could tune into a favorite station using just one control, rather than three separate dials.
Another trend-setting Magnavox radio being sold in 1924 was the company's first console model - the Berkeley - which featured a built-in speaker, battery power, fold-down hand rest, a silk-backed grille cloth cover over the sound opening, a handsome two-tone mahogany cabinet with hand-rubbed finish, and a price of only $260.
Magnavox radio products of the 1920's were heavily and dramatically advertised to reach the maximum number of American consumers. Magnavox dealer showrooms were specially designed to show off the last word in entertainment products of the day - those small, magical boxes which brought the world into the living room.
Magnavox introduces its first television.
In the late 40's, the trend began shifting away from radio as the home's chief entertainment medium, and in 1949, Magnavox introduced its first black-and-white television receiver.
Advancement followed advancement, and Magnavox continued to lead the industry in the first major breakthrough in sound reproduction since the loudspeaker, when in 1958 Magnavox introduced the world's first stereophonic high-fidelity phonograph - a new dimension in recorded sound.
Then, in 1962, Magnavox's superior know-how created yet another breakthrough in the music business: the world's first completely solid-state phonograph, known as the Magnavox Astro-Sonic.
From there on, the story is history, including the numerous innovative contributions Magnavox has made to the color television industry. In fact, when you stop to think about it, there's a little bit of Magnavox in every color TV made. It was Magnavox that introduced both the industry and the consumer to the wonders of totally electronic tuning with the star system and its random access tuner. And, it was Magnavox that first featured a high-resolution filter for increased horizontal resolution and increased fine-picture detail.
Pioneer in digital audio.
Magnavox pioneered the development and marketing of the first compact disc digital audio player, providing the consumer with the heretofore-unheard-of luxury of pure, perfect sound; virtually distortion-free full fidelity sound on small silver disc as impervious to damage as their larger videodisc counterparts.
Government approval of broadcast stereo sound for television has seen Magnavox introduce a full range of portable, console and large screen television receivers with built-in stereo/separate audio program reception capability - for television sound that sounds as good, as realistic, as the Magnavox color picture looks.
Magnavox large screen projection televisions are leading the industry in projection TV innovation and advancement with the first full 180° horizontal viewing angle in large screen television, as well as PGB, computer capability; stereo sound; full audio/video accessory flexibility; and the complete feature package that makes Magnavox large screen television the only large screen television.
Magnavox joins Philips electronics family.
In 1974, Magnavox became a part of one of America's industrial giants, the Philips Electronics North America Corporation (PENAC). PENAC, strongly affiliated with Philips Electronics, N.V. of the Netherlands, is listed in the top half of Fortune 500's largest American industrial companies. Philips, manufacturing and marketing in over 70 countries around the globe, is among the 60 largest corporations in the world.
To make the alliance even larger and stronger, PENAC acquired Sylvania/Philco operations in early 1981 - a merger that makes Philips Consumer Electronics Company the second largest color TV manufacturer in the United States, and the PENAC/Philips, N.V. combination, the largest television maker in the world.
Philips Consumer Electronics Company is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. The headquarters houses design, engineering, sales and marketing operations for Magnavox and Philips brand names and is the working headquarters for over 600 PCEC employees. It's a strong association and it's getting stronger on a daily basis.
Magnavox may well be 75 years old, but our ideas - our look - our future - are all bright and new.
We've come a long way from our humble beginnings in 1911, in an 800-square-foot shack in Napa, California. Today, the total facilities of the Philips Consumer Electronics Company - of which Magnavox is a vibrant, vital part - covers 3,653,200 square feet, and over three million square feet incorporate the finest designing, planning, engineering and marketing facilities - and personnel - in the consumer electronics industry today.
If you're seriously planning for the future, plan with Magnavox. We intend to be here for a long, long time - and we hope to have you with us.
