Zenith began mass marketing black and white TV sets in 1948 after introducing the first television subscription service the previous year. The company pioneered a series of innovations including the first remote control for TV in 1955 called "Flashmatic," followed by the more advanced "Space Command" a year later. Zenith released is first color TV sets in 1961 and went on to be a technological leader in improving brightness and setting industry standards for color with "Chromacolor" by the end of the decade.
Zenith stopped making radios and began marketing cable TV boxes and cable modems in the 1980s as its name changed from "Zenith Radio Corporation" to "Zenith Electronics Corporation." Always an innovator in stereo technology, Zenith helped develop the multichannel television sound, or MTS, transmission system, which the television industry adopted as a standard in 1984 for stereo television broadcasts. Zenith also worked with other audio pioneers to improve its sound for TV receivers, first with Bose in 1986, then with Dolby in 1988.
Zenith's innovations continued to be monumental in the 1980s with its patent for "flat tension mask" technology designed for high-resolution color flat screens that produced a glare-free viewing experience. Zenith also became an early pioneer of high definition television in 1988 and worked with the Federal Communications Commission to help set standards for the technology in the 1990s. Zenith started selling its first HDTV products in 1998. Over the next decade, Zenith became entangled with Sony over HDTV patent disputes. In 2011, Zenith's offerings include LCD HDTV screens ranging from 19 to 47 inches, with several sizes in between.
A Zenith brand revitalization campaign was launched in 1997 wherein the logo was altered to reflect the digital age. The Zenith name became associated with a wide selection of digital products including LCD HDTVs, home theater audio systems and DVD equipment. The company claims its LCD screens provide the television industry's "widest viewing angles." The name continues to live on because of its rich history in being a leading television technology developer.