<P> While the meetings were taking place it was widely known within the industry that RCA was working on a dot - sequential system that was compatible with existing black - and - white broadcasts , but RCA declined to demonstrate it during the first series of meetings . Just before the JTAC presented its findings , on August 25 , 1949 , RCA broke its silence and introduced its system as well . The JTAC still recommended the CBS system , and after the resolution of an ensuing RCA lawsuit , color broadcasts using the CBS system started on June 25 , 1951 . By this point the market had changed dramatically ; when color was first being considered in 1948 there were fewer than a million television sets in the U.S. , but by 1951 there were well over 10 million . The idea that the VHF band could be allowed to `` die '' was no longer practical . </P>
<P> While the meetings were taking place it was widely known within the industry that RCA was working on a dot - sequential system that was compatible with existing black - and - white broadcasts , but RCA declined to demonstrate it during the first series of meetings . Just before the JTAC presented its findings , on August 25 , 1949 , RCA broke its silence and introduced its system as well . The JTAC still recommended the CBS system , and after the resolution of an ensuing RCA lawsuit , color broadcasts using the CBS system started on June 25 , 1951 . By this point the market had changed dramatically ; when color was first being considered in 1948 there were fewer than a million television sets in the U.S. , but by 1951 there were well over 10 million . The idea that the VHF band could be allowed to `` die '' was no longer practical . </P>
when did color tv come out what year
when did color tv come out what year
June 25 , 1951
June 25 , 1951