There was a time when, if you wanted to change the channel on the television, you had to get up and turn the knob on the set. Attempts at overcoming this shortcoming date back to the early days of television. And in 1951, if the entrepreneurial TV serviceman wanted to sell a valuable service to his customers, he could offer a remote tuner such as the one shown here. The May 1951 issue of Service magazine explains everything that needs to be done, and it’s clear that it would be a lot of work.

All of the coils would need to be removed from one unused channel in the set, and replaced with a coaxial cable running to the output of the remote tuner. But it wasn’t quite that simple. The remote tuner would need an antenna input of its own, and it might require a separate preamp. And if the customer wanted to adjust the contrast or volume, that would require additional wiring.

But once done, the customer would be able to change channels from the comfort of his easy chair, a luxury unknown to most people.