This is a list of retronyms, which are terms renamed after something similar but newer has come into being.^[1]

Acoustic guitar

Before the invention of the solid-body electric guitar, all guitars amplified the sound of a plucked string with a resonating hollow body. Similarly: acoustic piano.^[1]

AM radio

Before the introduction of broadcast FM radio, the AM broadcast band radio was simply as radio, wireless (in the UK) or as medium-wave radio (still the preferred term among radio enthusiasts) to distinguish it from the (also amplitude-modulated) shortwave radio bands.

Analog synthesizer

Before synthesizers contained microchips, every stage of the internal electronic signal flow was analogous to a sound that would eventually be produced at the output stage, and this sound was shaped and altered as it passed through each filter and envelope.

Analog (or analogue) watch

Before the advent of the digital watch, all watches had faces and hands. After the advent of the digital watch, watches with faces and hands became known as analog watches.^[2]

Ancient Greek language

When it was a living language it was called simply Greek (Ἑλληνική).

Artistic gymnastics

Generally known simply as gymnastics before Rhythmic gymnastics was added to the Olympic program in 1984.

Bar soap

The common cake of soap used in the tub or shower was familiarly called "soap" or "bath soap"; the term "bar soap" arose with the advent of soaps in liquid and gel form.

Before Christ

References to dates BC are retronyms. (See also proleptic Julian calendar.)

Biological parent or Birth parent

Before the mid-to-late 20th century, the distinction between natural and adoptive parents was rarely drawn; one simply had parents. The advent of adoptive rights organizations, and the general loosening of strictures by adoption agencies against revealing the identity of one's birth parents, gave rise to the term "biological parent". The development of in vitro fertilisation and sperm banks further increased the need to differentiate the biological father from the father who raises the child.

Black powder

Called "gunpowder" for centuries while it was in common use. The retronym "black powder" was coined in the late 19th century to differentiate it from the newly developed smokeless powder which superseded it.

Black-and-white television

Once called simply television, now the retronym is used to distinguish it from color television, which is now more commonly referred to by the unadorned term. Along the same lines: broadcast television, free-to-air television, over-the-air television, silent movie. Furthermore, in the not too distant future, the term "Standard Definition Television" (or possibly "Low Definition Television") may become necessary when HDTV becomes the "normal" kind of TV.

Brick-and-mortar store, high street shop

As increasing use of the Internet allowed online stores, accessible only through computers, to compete with established retail shops, the latter began to be called "brick-and-mortar stores" or "high street shops" to indicate that customers could (or had to) visit them to examine and purchase their goods. These two terms are also often used to describe the physical storefronts of a retail business that also sells products online. In the U.S., "brick-and-mortar" emphasizes the physical construction of these stores, as opposed to the largely electronic nature of online stores. The terms "high street shop" (UK) or "main street store" or "downtown store" (U.S.) also serve to differentiate the more traditional retail venue from big-chain "box stores" such as K-mart or Wal-Mart, which did not exist prior to the 1960s. (The name "High Street" is commonly used in the UK for a town's primary thoroughfare. In the U.S., it is more likely to be called "Main Street".)

Broadcast television

Television programming not generated by cable providers and/or available via cable or satellite television technology. Broadcast television refers to that programming which is available without cable or satellite subscription, since it is "broadcast" over the airwaves, as all television once was. The major networks (CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX) are broadcast television concerns.

Brown Bess

The standard British infantry arm of the 18th through early 19th century is referred to as "Brown Bess" today but during its period of use was known as "the King's Arm", "the King's Musket", or by its specific variation, such as "Land Pattern musket" ("Long Land Pattern" is a retronym for the oldest models applied when the later "Short Land Pattern" variety was developed). Although the term "Brown Bess" existed in the 18th century(for example "married to Brown Bess" to mean "in the army") the usage as a name for the firearm itself was only developed late in the era of its usage by the British Army.

George H.W. Bush

A rare example of a living person with a retronym. Until his son, George W. Bush, also became President, George (H.W.) Bush rarely, if ever, used his middle initials.

Roman Catholicism

Before multiple schisms, all Christianity was broadly the same.

Classical music

Refers to Western music over a very wide timespan; term not used until 1834.

Cloth diaper

Before the second half of the 20th century, all diapers (nappies, in the UK) were made from cloth and simply called diapers. The advent of the disposable diaper gave rise to this term.

Clerks: The Animated Series

Spinoff from the film Clerks and originally had the same title. Fans used the name "The Animated Series" to distinguish it from the film.

Coca-Cola Classic

Originally caled Coca-Cola, the name was changed when the original recipe was reintroduced after New Coke failed to catch on. This is an example of a retronym officially coined by a product's manufacturer.

Cold water faucet/tap

Before the invention of the water heater, there was only the single faucet/tap at each sink.

Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn

This name is sometimes used by fans of the Command & Conquer series to refer to the original game of the series, officially known simply as Command & Conquer.

Conventional oven

Before the development of the microwave oven, this term was not used. Now it is commonly found in cooking instructions for prepared foods.

Conventional war

Before the development of nuclear weapons, this term was not used. (War, Gwynne Dyer)

CSI: Las Vegas

Not used before the debut of the spinoff series CSI: Miami in 2002, and CSI: NY in 2004.

Curved or curly quotes

Straight quotes were made widespread by typewriters.

Day baseball

Baseball played during the day, as all games were played before electric lighting in stadiums became common.

Dial-up internet (or just dial-up)

Before broadband became widespread, it was the norm to connect to the internet via a modem over standard phone line, which meant the phone line could not be used to make calls until one logged off.

Dino oil

Motor oil derived from crude oil, from the geological age of the dinosaurs. Known as just "motor oil" before the synthetic oils became popular.

Dirt road

Before road paving whether by stone, brick or modern paving methods, all roads were nothing more than Dirt Paths commonly used by pedestrians, horse and by buggy.

Face-to-face conference

A conference, not involving telephones or video cameras (similarly:IRL-meeting = in-real-life meeting).

Farmall Regular

As explained at Farmall tractor, the name Farmall began as a model name but became a sub-brand name as additional models were developed.

Field hockey

Known simply as "hockey" until ice hockey and roller hockey became popular. (In addition, there is a game called street hockey which evolved from roller hockey: this is hockey without skates, which is the same basic concept as the original game from which ice hockey and roller hockey evolved.). Similarly, Field soccer (Football (soccer)).

Film camera

As opposed to digital camera.

First Gundam

A nickname, commonly used by Japanese fans of the franchise and coined shortly after the release of Zeta Gundam. Gundam 0079 is also used in the same fashion.

Forward slash

Before the introduction of ASCII and electronic keyboards for computers, typewriters had only one type of slash ("/"), normally the un-shifted key shared with the question mark. The rise of MS-DOS brought regular use of the backslash ("\") character found on computer keyboards (for specifying directory paths). Before that time the symbol "/" was known simply as a "slash". (Other typographical names for this character are virgule and solidus. In the UK, the character was traditionally known as an oblique stroke or, more simply, an oblique. To slash means to cut with a scything motion, which is analogous to the motion of the pen as the character is handwritten.)

French franc

The currency unit of France before the euro, which was originally the only franc, but had to be distinguished from the Belgian franc, Communauté Financière Africaine franc, and Swiss franc after those countries adopted the term.

Frizzen

This component was called the "hammer" while flintlock] firearms were in use. On percussion cap firearms which replaced flintlock the striking component was called the hammer and the term frizzen was applied to the hammer of flintlocks.

GM "old-look" transit bus

The GM old look did not originally have a name, but in 1959, a new design was released and was called the new look. After this many people started calling the older design the Old Look.

Epic of Gilgamesh

originally titled He Who Saw The Deep or Surpassing All Other Kings. Modern scholars named the story after its hero.

Hard cider

In Europe and Asia, "cider" refers to fermented (alcoholic) apple juice. In the U.S., "cider" often refers to non-alcoholic spiced or carbonated apple juice. "Hard cider" specifies the alcoholic version.

Hard disk

All disks were hard (i.e., constructed of rigid instead of flexible magnetic material) until the advent of the floppy disk.

Hard phone

With the advent of the soft phone, physical telephones became known as hard phones.

Home movie

To distinguish it from a cinema movie-the invention of film predates the invention of the cinema.

Horse cavalry

Used to distinguish the now mostly obsolete original use of horses in a military mounted combat role, with the advent of tanks and other motorized vehicles (mechanized cavalry or armored cavalry) following World War I, and the use of helicopters (air cavalry) during the Vietnam War era.

Hot chocolate

In the days before the invention of sweet solid chocolate for eating, the word "chocolate" was usually used to refer to the drink; references to it in, say, Jane Austen's novels are confusing to the 21st century eye. For a while after the chocolate bar was invented it was referred to as "bar chocolate", but due to its stunning rise in popularity in the latter half of the 19th century it eventually laid claim to the basic word.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Used on some promotional materials accompanying 1999 and 2003 reissues of Raiders of the Lost Ark

Inground pool

A swimming pool where the filled high water level is flush with the ground; compared to above an "above ground pool" where the entire pool is above ground level

iPod classic

The original iPod in its latest generation has now been officially called the iPod classic, as every other iPod model currently uses a suffix to define itself.

Landline phone service

With the advent of cellular or mobile phone services, traditional hard-wired phone service became popularly known as landline phones. Previously, this term was generally only used by military personnel and amateur radio operators. (In the movie The Matrix a landline phone was also referred to as a "hardline".) Even though a considerable amount of landline phone traffic is transmitted via airwaves, this term comes from the physical cabling that provides the "last mile" connection between the customer premises and local phone distribution centers. Because of the communications industry's love for acronyms, landline phone service has also been called POTS--Plain Old Telephone Service. The logical complement of this acronym, "PANS" became a backronym for "Pretty Amazing New Services". In the telecommunications industry the term wireline is used for landline phone services, to distinguish them from wireless or mobile phone services. Wireline is clearly another retronym.

Latin America, Anglo-America

Since the term America is frequently associated (however controversially) with the United States of America, Latin America provides more precise identification of the largely Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries in the Americas. Likewise, the remaining, primarily English-speaking countries of the U.S.A. and Canada are sometimes referred to as Anglo-America, distinguishing them both from "America" and from North America, which includes Spanish-speaking Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and also Belize, which is English- and Spanish-speaking.

Live action

A form of a film that consists of images consisting of predominantly actual actors and objects that exist in the actual world, as opposed to an animated film, which predominantly consists of artificial static images or objects that take advantage of the persistence of vision principle of film to give an illusion of life.

Live poker

What casinos call the kind of poker played with cards by people sitting at a table; what many others still just call "poker"; also called a "ring game". The term became necessary to distinguish it from video poker, which is far more common in casinos today.

Luggable computer

The first generation of computers marketed as "portable", such as the Kaypro or the Osborne series, were quite bulky and were heavier than a bowling ball. The weight was mostly due the fact they had a conventional CRT-type monitor built right in. When the first laptop computers came out, the earlier, heavier portable machines were suddenly referred to as "luggables".

Mainframe computer

When minicomputers (which were the size and shape of a desk or credenza) were introduced in the early 1970s, existing systems that often consisted of multiple large racks of equipment received the name "mainframe", alluding to the vertical cabinets or "frames" in which they were installed.

Manual transmission (also standard transmission)

Automotive transmissions were all manual, of course, before the invention of the automatic transmission.

Meatspace or "meat life"

All of physical reality, as distinguished from cyberspace.

Mechanical fuel injection

The amount of fuel squirted into an internal combustion engine by a fuel injection system was, before integrated circuitry became applied to motor vehicle engines, originally regulated by a calibrated mechanical linkage. What made for the retronym was the more precise Electronic Fuel Injection, which employed more sensors.

Muzzleloader

For centuries virtually all firearms were loaded from the muzzle, so there was no need for a term to distinguish this characteristic until the general adoption of breech-loading firearms in the 19th century.

Natural language

A language, used by humans, that evolved naturally in its society. Contrast with computer programming languages or constructed languages. Often referred to as human language.

Naturally-aspirated engines

Internal combustion engines that use vacuum and venturi effect to draw the air and fuel mixture into the cylinders, without fuel injection, turbo-charger, or supercharger.

Old Look

A type of Transit Bus, which gained this name after the introduction of the New Look bus. Both were made by GM

Old Testament

In the Jewish tradition, the Hebrew Bible is know as the Tanakh.

Optical zoom

The advent of digital cameras (and accompanying digital zoom) necessitated this retronym, describing the "analog" method of achieving close-up using a zoom lens.

Organic farming

Farming practiced without the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and so forth.

Original Recipe Chicken

The original type of Kentucky Fried Chicken seasoned with eleven herbs and spices, before Extra Crispy Chicken and other varieties were introduced.

Over-the-board chess (also OTB chess)

Chess played in real time using a physical chessboard, as opposed to computer chess or correspondence chess.

Orthodox Judaism

Before the advent of the Reform and Conservative movements, all Judaism was orthodox.

Paleoconservative

Traditionally conservative, as opposed to neoconservative.

Paper copy, hard copy

With the proliferation of insubstantial and indistinguishable digital document copies, physical document copies acquired this retronym. Occasionally extended to the copying devices; i.e., paper copiers. The jocular substitute dead-tree copy is sometimes used. (The synonym hardcopy predates the digital age, apparently differentiating paper copies from microfilm and other human-unreadable forms.)

Parallel ATA (PATA)

The original ATA interface was parallel; the qualification became necessary when Serial ATA was introduced.

Plain M&M's and Milk Chocolate M&M's

Plain M&M's candies would not have been called that until 1954, when Peanut M&M's were introduced. In 2000, Plain was renamed Milk Chocolate^{[dubious – discuss]} with little explanation by Mars Inc.

Post sedan or post coupe

In the United States this indicates a car with a full-height B-pillar, as opposed to a pillarless (half-height B-pillar) hardtop. Generally used only in referring to classic cars from the 1950 to 1980 period because fashion and safety regulations dictate nearly all modern cars are post models.

Pre-Dreadnought battleship

The revolution in battleship design brought about by the construction of HMS Dreadnought resulted in almost all the battleships built before her completion becoming known as "pre-Dreadnought battleships", whereas before they had simply been "battleships".

Prime lens

A camera lens with a fixed focal length (e.g. 28mm), as opposed to a zoom lens, which can cover a range of focal lengths (e.g. 28-105mm). Before the invention of zoom lenses, all camera lenses had a fixed focal length, so they were just called "lenses".

Procedural programming

Before object-oriented programming was invented in the 1980s, there was just programming.

Prop plane

As jet aircraft became the primary people movers of the airways, the older propeller-based technology received this occasional shorthand nickname to distinguish it.

Pulse dialing

After touch tone dialing on telephones became common, the older dialing standard became known as pulse dialing.

Push lawnmower

With the invention of the gasoline- (Petrol or petroleum spirit outside the U.S.) and electric-powered lawnmower, the lowly manually propelled lawnmower became known as the push mower.

Raw milk

milk in its natural form distinguished from pasteurized milk.

Real life

used by online communities, meaning Life outside of a fictional or non-internet related environment.

Real numbers

coined after the development of the imaginary numbers.

Real tennis

was once known simply as tennis, but came into use at the end of the 19th century to distinguish it from the game of lawn tennis patented in 1874.

Red Book audio CD

At first, all audio CDs complied to the red book standard. Then, other implementations of the audio CD such as super audio CD, MP3 CDs and arguably DVD-Audio, and is now referred to as red book audio to differentiate between different standards.

Reel-to-reel or open reel

Tape recorders were originally simply tape recorders, as they all used a pair of open reels to hold the magnetic recording medium. The term reel-to-reel was introduced when various forms of cassette tape formats became popular.

Regular coffee

Once, coffee was just coffee, caffeine and all. The development of decaffeinated coffee caused this coinage.

Rotary telephone or dial telephone

The kind of telephone in common use before touch-tone telephones.

Rugby union

To differentiate it from its descendant, rugby league. Like hockey, the original term of rugby is still widespread.

Scalar processors

As opposed to Vector processors.

Seventy-eight (78) rpm records

Before the advent of 33⅓ rpm and 45 rpm vinyl records, these were known simply as records, phonograph records or gramophone records.

Silent film

In the earliest days of the film industry, all films were without sound. Once "talkies" became the norm, it became necessary to specify that a particular film was "silent."

Sit-down restaurant

With the rise of fast-food and take-out restaurants, the "standard" restaurant received a new name in the United States. (In the United Kingdom, fast food and takeaway (takeout) outlets are not normally referred to as "restaurants", so the "sit-down" qualifier is not necessary.)

Snail mail (also known as land mail, paper mail, p-mail, and postal mail)

Non-electronic mail delivered to physical locations, such as one's home or business. Before email and voice mail, all mail was physical, and much slower by comparison — thus, the "snail" appellation.

Snow skiing

Water skiing now necessitates this differentiation. This, however, only applies to an area where both "snow" as well as "water" skiing are likely. "Snow skiing" would not be mentioned in the Alpine regions, unless large lakes offered the availability of water skiing.

Solo motorcycle

So called instead of motorcycle when some were being built with a sidecar.

Star Trek: The Original Series

The series' actual title Star Trek is now often used to refer collectively to the original series and its multitude of spin-offs.

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Originally released in 1977 under the title Star Wars. The new title was applied in a 1981 re-release after the decision to make additional films, allowing Star Wars to refer to the entire series.

Static electricity

see triboelectricity, below.

Survivor: Pulau Tiga

Broadcast as just Survivor. When the show subsequently used other locales, the location of the first season was added to the title to distinguish it.

Terrestrial radio

As opposed to satellite radio.

Traditional animation

With the rise of computer animation, hand-drawn, cel-based (or "2D") animation is now referred to as this.

Trans World Airlines

Originally meant for Transcontinental and Western Airways, the name was changed after they expanded its route network to Europe and Asia.

Transformers: Generation 1

referring to the original Transformers toyline which ran from 1984 to 1992, and the assorted tie-in media. Then known only as "The Transformers," when the sequel series, Transformers: Generation 2 launched by Hasbro in 1993, all previous subject matter was dubbed "Generation 1" - many individuals did this independently, as it is a logical progression, and when the online fandom began growing in the 90s, the term became the definitive one for that era. The term subsequently made it into official use through toy reissues from and comic books, most notably on Japanese toy packaging.

Triboelectricity

Electricity was so named from the Greek word for amber, because of the discovery that if it was rubbed (generating what is now called triboelectricity) it would attract objects (due to a charge of static electricity). Electric currents and other forms of generation were discovered later.

Tricorn

When these hats were in fashion in the 18th century they were known as "cocked hats". The retronym "tricorn" was applied to them after they went out of popular fashion, differentiating them from later "bicorne" styles.

Tube amplifier

Tube amplifiers for musical instruments were largely replaced by "transistor" (or solid state) amplifiers during the 1960s and 1970s.

Tube TV or CRT TV

Originally, all televisions used a cathode ray tube (CRT) to produce a TV image. But with the recent popularity of newer television technologies such as LCD, plasma, or DLP, some stores now describe the sets that still use a picture tube as tube TVs or CRT TVs.

Upright bicycle

The advent of the Recumbent bicycle sometimes requires a speaker to make the distinction between that and the conventional "upright bicycle".

Viennese waltz

The original waltz, as distinct from other styles of waltz that have since developed.

Vinyl record

A term that arose to distinguish 33⅓- and 45-rpm phonograph records (LPs and 45s) from the compact discs (CDs) that have since replaced them for nearly all physical records and record albums.

Visible light

Before the discovery of invisible wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, all light was considered visible.

Water-activated stamps (gummed stamps)

The predominant kind of postage stamp before self-adhesive stamps became popular.

Whole milk

Milk was formerly available in just one version, with the cream included, and benefitted gradually by pasteurization and homogenization. But it was still called simply milk. This variety of milk is now referred to in the U.S. as whole milk (3.25% milkfat) to distinguish it from 2% (reduced fat) milk, 1% (low fat) milk, and skim milk (nearly no fat). In the UK, the terms whole milk (also full-cream milk or full-fat milk) (3.5%), semi-skimmed milk (about 1.5%) and skimmed milk (almost no fat) are commonly used.

Win16

The original, 16-bit Windows API, as distinguished from the newer Win32 and Win64.

World War I

Originally this was called "The Great War" and commonly believed to be "the war to end all wars". However, when a second war enveloped Europe, Asia, and much of the Pacific, it became necessary to distinguish them. Similarly, the 1991 war in the Persian Gulf, formerly called "Desert Storm" or just the "Gulf War", is now (since the 2003 invasion of Iraq) often referred to as "The First Gulf War".

Zune 30

Used to describe the first-generation Zune device; the "30" was added after the release of the Zune 4, 8, and 80

Asia Minor

The name Asia was first applied to the mainland east of the Aegean islands, and later extended to the greater landmass of which that is a peninsula.

Baja California

The name California was first applied to the peninsula (thought to be an island), and later extended – and then restricted – to Alta California. (The Spanish "Alta" and "Baja" correspond in this case to English "Upper" and "Lower".)

East Indies

After Columbus landed in the West Indies.

East Prussia

Prussia began as a duchy in Poland. As the highest-ranking dignity of the Hohenzollern dynasty, the name came to be applied to their territories stretching across Germany.

Gran Colombia

Historians' term for the first "Republic of Colombia", which included what are now Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama.

Great Britain

Britons fleeing the Germanic invasions settled in Armorica which became Brittany or Little Britannia.

Lower Saxony

The kingdom and duchies of Saxony are outside the original lowland territory of the Saxon people.

Manhattan Chinatown

For a long time New York City had only one Chinatown. However, there are now large Asian communities in Sunset Park, Brooklyn and Flushing, Queens, and therefore a need has developed to differentiate between the city's three Chinatowns.

Old Chinatown

London's original Chinatown (destroyed in The Blitz) was in Limehouse; the new Chinatown is in Soho.

Washington, D.C.

was simply Washington or Washington City until the northern part of the Oregon Territory became Washington Territory.

Analog/analogue

Describes non-digital devices: analog clock, analog recording.

Conventional, classic, or traditional

Describes devices or methods that have been largely replaced or significantly supplemented by new ones. For example, conventional (non-microwave) oven, or conventional weapon (one which does not incorporate chemical, biological or nuclear payloads).

I, Senior, the Elder

When a dynastic ruler has or adopts a name identical to that of a predecessor, the original is often retroactively given the Roman numeral I. For example, William I of Orange was called William during his lifetime. Names (typically of males) may also follow this convention, or the father may be given the suffix Senior (Sr.), with Junior (Jr.) for the son; Roman numerals would be used if the name is repeated again.

I or 1, also part 1, version 1, etc.

Also sometimes used to refer to the first incarnation of a movie, video game, etc. after sequels have been created, although such works are seldom renamed in this way officially. When Sony released the PlayStation 2, a redesigned version of the original PlayStation was also released under the name PSOne.

Old

Naturally used when there is officially a "new" version of anything, to refer to the previous version. For example, when British money was decimalised and the new penny of 1/100 pound was adopted, the previous penny of 1/240 pound became known as the old penny.

Offline

Computer users will sometimes agree to meet offline, i.e. in person as opposed to online in an internet-based chat room or other such means of electronic communication. Before the internet became widely used, this was of course the only way to "meet" someone and the term to meet offline was unheard of.

Regular (or plain)

Used to refer to an original product after line-extensions are released. For example, one could formerly just ask for a Pepsi. But with the advent of multiple line-extensions like Diet Pepsi or Pepsi Twist, one might ask for a regular Pepsi when one wants the original drink. Similarly, regular Oreo cookies were called that after Double Stuf Oreos and other varieties were released. Another example is in the United States Regular Gasoline (Petrol or Petroleum spirit outside the U.S.) has now come to mean 87 Octane -rated Unleaded (ratings in other countries vary). In the United States almost all Gasoline had tetraethyl lead additive and was sold as either Regular Gasoline (Octane rating of 89) as well as High Test (Octane ratings of 91 or higher until phased out in the late 1970's when all new cars made since 1975 had catalytic converters.

Roman Catholic

The qualification Roman is vaguely self-contradictory, because the essential meaning of the word catholic is universal. However, schisms over the centuries have divided the original Christian church into many churches and sects, including multiple "Catholic" ones; therefore "Roman" was added to specify the church headquartered at Vatican City.

Video

Not itself a retronym, but in need of some. In the UK a "video" is a VCR or a VHS tape and "to video" is to record a television programme. Nowadays, video (ie audio-visual) recordings are commonly/increasingly made on hard disks or DVDs, rather than tapes. One logical development that is slowly growing is to specify analog video versus digital video. (All VCRs make use of digital technology; but a distinction can be drawn between whether the video content is encoded as analog data or digital data (0s and 1s).

Wired and Wireless

Wired or hardwired refer to products such as telephones, headphones, speakers, computer accessories, etc, which are now available in wireless versions. Wireless telegraphy and wireless telephony were some of the first applications of radio technology, way back in the 1910s and 1920s; "wireless" as a noun today is sometimes simply a synonym for "mobile phone service"/"cell phone service".