Back in the early 80s, my Dad who was into all the latest gadgets, got a Sony WatchMan, which was a thing that was about the size of a large TV remote and it had a small 2"x3" B&W screen, along with a UHF/VHF tuner and antenna, and you could pick up TV stations with it. Back then, it was the most incredible piece of technology I had ever heard of, let alone had in my hands. I remember I was able to pick up Channel 4, which was NBC, and I could watch Saturday Night Live in bed, under my covers while I was supposed to be sleeping. I wish I still had it as I bet it's worth a fortune today, but it was a really cool gadget and it made me real popular with my friends, as most of my Dad's gadgets did.
Discussion
The Japanese technology was so advanced at that time, they really did set the standard for many years. I worked as QA for Sony UK back in the 90s, they had very high quality standards indeed.