He Said I'd "Be Better Off Getting an 8-Track"

Yep, that's the 1960s-era antenna I found in my attic last summer…

I must have a message tatooed on my forehead that says, "come up and bother me."

Sometimes you just want to browse a store without a staff member bugging you. Know what I mean?

Bridge and I were at Sam's Club on the Fourth of July, picking up supplies for Robin Hill Pool (they had run out of cheese for the nachos, which is something akin to a pandemic at that place). 

While Bridget was at the cashier checking out, I decided to wander over to the electronics section and browse the televisions. 

A chatty staff member decided to come up and talk to me while I was looking around. He was in his twenties, and had a whole host of opinions on the state of television.

At one point during the conversation, he pointed at a Mohu TV antenna and said, "A customer came up to me the other day wondering about the antenna and I told them they'd be better off getting an 8-track. It's all streaming, man." 

While I enjoy my 4th Generation Apple TV unit, and enjoy streaming a variety of content on it, I also enjoy using over-the-air antennas on my TVs. I think it is a useful and critical component of "cord cutting."

Some of you read my previous post outlining how I hooked up a 1960s-era antenna I found in my attic to pull in all the local digital channels (the main channels offered in stunning, uncompressed HD). In addition, I use various "set top" antennas on other HDTVs in my home. 

I appreciate the ability to stream content via broadband internet. Love it. But the fact remains that there is a significant amount of content available for free, via antenna. 

For example, I was able to watch former UNO Hockey player Jake Guentzel hoist Lord Stanley's Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins on June 11 of this year via my antenna on WOWT (our local NBC affiliate) -- for free. Since I hooked up the decades-old antenna, everything has been rock solid (even during tornadic weather in our area). 

I don't have to worry about bandwidth, buffering, or data caps -- all factors to consider when streaming content on a monthly basis. 

One other point I'd like to make...

It isn't like using an antenna is some sort of ugly, makeshift method for watching TV in our home. 

Look at our lovely setup: 

Our video cabinet is neat and clean. Every item has its place. We have our 40-inch LED HDTV, an Apple TV (with an Apple wireless keyboard), and Panasonic Blu-ray player. 

The thing that bugs me is that consumers are walking into places like Sam's Club looking for salient advice when they purchase an electronic device. 

I've had good luck the past two years with my over-the-air antennas, and appreciate the opportunity to watch live events like the Super Bowl, the Oscars, the Stanley Cup playoffs and a whole host of news, sports and entertainment programming throughout the year. 

To suggest that using an antenna is something akin to using an 8-track tape deck is ridiculous. 

According to The Denver Post, TV antenna use is expected to grow by 9 percent this year. While the numbers might not be earth shattering, the long-tread technology is enjoying something of a renaissance. 

Furthermore, I was alive when 8-track tapes were a thing. We had one in our 1970-something Toyota Corona, and I have many memories of my parents playing The Carpenters as we tooled down the road (that fact should help my retro street cred). 

The next generation television transmission standard is called ATSC 3.0, and it is already being tested around the U.S. It will bring signals that are more robust (and can be received on your mobile phone), 4K UHD picture and immersive sound, and other interactive features for a richer viewing experience. Here is a primer video on ATSC 3.0 from the consortium that has developed the standard:

It'll be a few years before TV stations around the country make the conversion, but the new standards promise to bring an even better experience to those who use an over-the-air antenna to receive broadcast television (Samsung and LG are already building sets with ATSC 3.0 tuners for sale in South Korea, where ATSC 3.0 is getting set to launch for next year's Olympic games). 

None of it seems like "put out to pasture" technology to me.  

What do you think? Feel free to leave me a comment below!

And be sure to read my previous post: Inflatable Tube Creatures in Kearney