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I think consoles (which also included radio/phonograph consoles without any TV, as well as with a TV and those with only a TV) were popular before 1970 because people really expected only wood or textiles to be seen in the living room of den of a home. An all-metal or plastic apparatus would have looked as out-of-place in the living room as a printing press or an x-ray machine.
About 1970, people started to see (or perceive) component audio equipment as superior (or at least a better value) to audio equipment in wooden furniture, so it became acceptable to have a chrome panel on a plain box in the bookcase.
About 1980, they started selling TV sets in black plastic and chrome, and any home entertainment electronics in wood suddenly looked out-of-date.
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