We all know it. February 17, 2009. The Most historic day in television. All full power analog stations will go off the air (some translators may still broadcast analog, though).
Many mis-lead people think that they have to buy an HDTV or subscribe to cable or satellite. This isn't true. All you need is a converter box for your set. The NITA will allow you to acquire 2 $40 coupons for SD converter boxes, available at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/ Note: By law, the "coupon boxes" can only have modulated RF out (ch. 3-4), composite video out, S-Video and stereo RCA audio (no HDMI, Component, or digital audio). The HD boxes will cost a bit more, though.
To find out what kind of antenna you need, check out the following sites:
TVFool - The best TV signal prediction site on the planet.
AntennaWeb - The CEA's site. While it's ok, the listings aren't always very accurate.
ota.winegarddirect.com - Winegard's reception prediction tool. Nice Google Maps API. The prediction is super conservative, though.
Forums for OTA - related stuff:
The AVS (Audio Video Science) Forum. The largest general purpose home theater community. In the "Local HDTV Info and Reception" sub-forum, there are threads for every market in the US. The "HDTV Reception Hardware" sub-forum has plenty of info on pretty much every aspect of antennas and related hardware.
Other guides:
An HDTV Primer. This site has everything you'll probably ever need to know about the subject of HDTV. The "Erecting an Antenna" section is probably the best guide on the subject. This site also includes some excellent reviews of antennas.
uhfhdtvantenna.blogspot.com - A Cheap DIY UHF Antenna (4-Bay conical). Good for the indoors or an attic, and it costs less than $10 to build!!!
HDTV Antenna Labs - A site with reviews of various antenna models.
Companies Making antennas and related equipment:
Channel Master - Antennas, Rotators, Pre-Amps, Accessories.
Winegard - Antennas, Preamps, Accessories.
Antennacraft - Antennas, Rotators, Preamps, Accessories.
Antennas Direct/Terrestrial Digital -Antennas, Preamps.
Wade Antennas (Formerly Delhi/Jerrold) - Antennas, Preamps.
Blonder Tongue - Professional antennas and Preamps.
Research Communications, LTD - The best preamps money can buy.
A-Tech Fabrication - Antenna stacking hardware and tilters.
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