Rabbit ears and HDTV

I posted recently about my use of rabbit ears (the tv antenna), but did not mention that during my search for an antenna, I saw some models touting the ability to receive HDTV signals. These antennas were more expensive than the model I was after and I don't have an HDTV-ready television, so I passed them by and picked up the $12 model. But I made a mental note in the back of my mind about it. I smiled at the thought that I could some day have HDTV but still avoid cable.

Today I was reading Newsweek and there is an article about using HDTV antennas to pick up HDTV signals outside cable and satellite. Interestingly it seems a battle between a cable and media company has bolstered sales of the antenna:

A corporate clash in televisionland has helped give antenna sales a boost. The dispute involves cable giant Charter Communications and broadcaster Belo Corp., which owns TV stations in several cities. In January, Belo said that unless Charter agreed to pay extra for the high-def signals Belo provides, it would bar the cable operator from redistributing any HD programming that originates from its stations. In cities like St. Louis, where Belo owns the CBS affiliate, that meant viewers wouldn't get the Super Bowl in high-def—as horrifying a prospect to many Bears and Colts fans as running out of beer and chips. Enter Terrestrial Digital's Schneider, announcing an antenna giveaway in St. Louis. "The best HD for no monthly fee," Terrestrial Digital declared in local radio ads, touting a free antenna for the first 200 customers. "It was bedlam," Schneider told NEWSWEEK. "We had lines stretched around the block." The Super Bowl was—believe it—saved by rabbit ears.

Oh...and I better start planning. I didn't realize the following:

Analog TV broadcast switch-off: In December 2005, the Senate passed a budget bill that calls for over-the-air television stations to cease their analog broadcasts by February 17, 2009. After that date, TVs and other gear with old-style NTSC tuners would be unable to receive over-the-air broadcasts. Part of the government's quandary is that the switch-off would cause thousands of TVs to go dark and would deprive many lower-income viewers of their only source of television. To address this issue, lawmakers propose to subsidize converter boxes that would allow people to watch the new digital broadcasts on their old analog TVs. Further details on the transition to digital and the converter box subsidy are still being worked out, and given the slow progress over the last 9 years since the introduction of digital and HDTV, we wouldn't be surprised to hear of more changes before 2009.

Rest assured, you can still buy rabbit ears

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Originally uploaded by estevenson.

I have assumed that most people have cable or satellite television and are not picking up their programming from the free electromagnetic television waves darting through the air. I assume this because of the reactions I get whenever I mention I don't have cable. You would think I just said I need to go turn the crank on my car.

Well anyway, we got this under-the-cabinet radio/tv device for the kitchen for Christmas. Having no cable, I need to hook it up to an antenna. I want to use the rabbit ears on the tv in the den and get a new antenna for that tv. Although it has been a few years since I bought an antenna I remember buying one at RadioShack. So I went to RadioShack and asked if they sell them. They do. And they aren't hidden in the back in dusty boxes behind the eight-tracks. They are right there on the shelf. And in fact, the model I wanted, which has a picture frame incorporated into it, was sold out...but will be sent with the new shipments on Thursday. So they actually restock these too.

So there are obviously others out there who still use tv antennas.

A colleague of mine was telling me about his home entertainment set up and I mentioned I don't have cable (gasp!) and that the tv in my living room is actually an old dial tv I bought used from some guy when I was single and living alone (but I should state we do have a more modern tv in the den that we use the most). He didn't believe me so I needed to send him a picture of it, which is the photo here.