We had a good conversation with an antenna manufacturer here at the NAB show in a special area called “The DTV Hotspot”. We asked specifically about smart antennas and their availability. This particular manufacturer was indeed developing a smart antenna for indoor use. It wasn’t ready as yet but looked promising.

They also confirmed our suspicions regarding the smart antenna port on HD televisions: there is no such animal as yet. TV makers still have to be convinced of the value of a smart antenna. Someday they will and it will greatly benefit the home viewer who is without cable or satellite sevice.

Good economic news, too. The digital converter set-top box on display at their booth had a smart antenna port and I was told they paid about $45 for it at a big box store. If they had used the $40 coupon, it would have cost them only $5. What a bargain to keep your older analog set going!