In 1948, my dad bought a state-of-the-art device called a “television”. It had a 6-inch screen but stood about 4 feet tall. No one had ever seen one before. It was amazing. The whole family (and sometimes the neighbors) would gather around it to watch live shows from across the country.
In 1972, I bought a state-of-the-art TV. It was so expensive that I had to apply for financing. It had color and a huge screen (about 25”) and a remote control. It was still in use 35 years later.
In 1987, I installed a state-of-the-art home theater. It had a 50” screen. It had a DVD player, a VHS recorder, a Beta recorder, and a laser disk player with a large library of movies. It used state-of-the-art SVideo connectors. No one had seen a screen that large or images that clear. We held all-night movie parties on New Year’s Eve with many guests.
Over the years, I upgraded my theater as state-of-the-art improved. Eventually, it was HD with a 200” screen and 5.1 sound. It used state-of-the-art connectors like DVI and coaxial digital audio cables. The front row seats were mounted on sub-subwoofers so that you could feel the sound. It had custom-built director’s chairs so that the third row of seats had a good view.
After that, I rarely ever watched a TV. While traveling, it was rarely possible to receive over-the-air TV channels or find cable hookups. I mostly listened to radio.
After more than a decade, I’m living in a house again. With COVID-19, binge watching has become extremely popular. I decided to look into buying a TV. I soon discovered that most of the high-tech cables that I purchased over the years are now completely obsolete. No devices accept SVideo cables or coax audio cables. Very few accept component video cables. The standard now is HDMI and optical video (which, fortunately, I do have).
I bought a simple, non-state-of-the-art TV. Yet, it’s 65” with multiple HDMI jacks, excellent sound, and supports all of the major streaming providers, including Netflix, Hulu, YouTube. and Disney+.
Finally, after more than 70 years, state-of-the-art has developed beyond my realistic needs.
Copyright 2021, Stories by Dr. Ken