Editing Trinitron (section)

===Shadow masks===

{{See also|Shadow mask}}

RCA eventually solved the problem of displaying the color images with their introduction of the [[shadow mask]]. The shadow mask consists of a thin sheet of steel with tiny holes [[Photolithography|photo etched]] into it, placed just behind the front surface of the picture tube. Three guns, arranged in a triangle, were all aimed at the holes. Stray electrons at the edge of the beam were cut off by the mask, creating a sharply focused spot that was small enough to hit a single colored phosphor on the screen. Since each of the guns was aimed at the hole from a slightly different angle, the spots of phosphor on the tube could be separated slightly to prevent overlap.

The disadvantage of this approach was that for any given amount of gun power, the shadow mask filtered out the majority of the energy. To ensure there was no overlap of the beam on the screen, the dots had to be separated and covered perhaps 25% of its surface.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}} This led to very dim images, requiring much greater electron beam power in order to provide a useful picture. Moreover, the system was highly dependent on the relative angles of the beams between the three guns, which required constant adjustment by the user to ensure the guns hit the correct colors.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}} In spite of this, the technical superiority of the RCA system was overwhelming compared to the CBS system, and was selected as the new NTSC standard in 1953. The first broadcast using the new standard occurred on New Year's Day in 1954, when NBC broadcast the [[Tournament of Roses Parade]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gould |first1=Jack |title=Television in Review: NBC Color; Tournament of Roses Parade Is Sent Over 22-City Network |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1954/01/04/archives/television-in-review-n-b-c-color-tournament-of-roses-parade-is-sent.html |work=The New York Times |date=4 January 1954 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504045809/https://www.nytimes.com/1954/01/04/archives/television-in-review-n-b-c-color-tournament-of-roses-parade-is-sent.html |archive-date=2019-05-04}} ([http://blogs.dailynews.com/pasadenapolitics/2007/12/31/severe-test-passedeleven/#more-305 blog] about this article, ([https://web.archive.org/web/20190504044710/http://blogs.dailynews.com/pasadenapolitics/2007/12/31/severe-test-passedeleven/ archived May 4, 2019])</ref>

In spite of this early start, only a few years after regularly scheduled television broadcasting had begun, consumer uptake of color televisions was very slow to start. The dim images, constant adjustments and high costs had kept them in a niche of their own. Low consumer acceptance led to a lack of color programming, further reducing the demand for the sets in a [[supply and demand]] problem. In the United States in 1960, only 1 color set was sold for every 50 sets sold in total.<ref name=s42>''Sony'', p. 42</ref>