[Hidden-tech] Verizon vs. Comcast

[dehahn at charter.net]

---- Matthew Crocker <matthew at crocker.com> wrote: 

> Check out http://www.antennaweb.org/  you can enter your address and  
> it will tell you what antenna you should get and where to aim it to  
> pick up the stations you want.  I wouldn't waste your money on any  
> that isn't HDTV at this point the non HD signals are going off the air  
> next year.

This is a common misconception, and it is not true.

The following is true for over-the-air (OTA) television. Cable and satellite are different.

Today, OTA TV is broadcast in both analog (NTSC) and digital (ATSC) formats, depending on the station. HD is digital TV, but not all digital TV is HD. This is an important concept.

In February of next year, all analog OTA broadcasts must cease. Stations will be required to broadcast in digital format only, whether the program is in HD or not. Your analog TV will no longer work without a converter box. You can get up to two vouchers for these converter boxes at www.dtv2009.gov. If you plan on buying an antenna to replace cable, then you'll need at least one of these boxes for any analog TV you own. The coupon subsidizes the cost. The boxes are not generally available today.

Digital TV is broadcast on UHF and VHF frequencies. A standard UHF/VHF antenna that is being used today for analog TV can be used for digital TV. You don't need a special antenna for digital TV or HDTV.

Hope this helps.