MDobrick

You are 100% correct. You don't need an HD antennea to pickup an HD Signal.....HOWEVER, when the signal degrades on an analog tranmission you get snow. When the signal degrades on a digital transmission you often get a complete drop of the station. SOOOO Most people never had an antenea in thier house to get analog signals, NOW they need the antennea to insure they get a strong signal into the tuner. So while you don't need a specific HD antennea, you most likely will need to upgrade any antennea you might have now.

And the 3" to a 1' rule is just a good starting point. Like I said, there are a ton of other things to consider. It will get you in the ballpark, hitting that home run takes a lot more decision making

freako

Any antenna will pick up HD signal if there's broadcast in your area, you don't need a special antenna to do that. The only thing you need is a tv with the HD tuner, or an older tv with the converter box but the older tv won't have the resolution the newer hd tv's have. The only difference between Comcast and the antenna in picture is the number of channels you can get.

BarracksSi

Yuppers. You can get a couple hundred channels of crap or just a few.

Me, I can leave it on PBS most of the time and be satisfied, and that's still free over the air.

willtsmith_nwi

BS. On any HDTV you can display standard tv in either "black column" mode or "stretched" mode. You get used to either one quickly. The only mode that bugs me is the "fisheye" mode on some models that stretch the edges farther than the center.

Now here is the kicker (which surprised me). You can receive broadcast HD and digital channels without the HD receiver. There is quite a bit available to me in the Chicago area. That being said, I use the $10 HD/On Demand receiver with the Video recorder and I make good use of it (I don't watch commercials). There is quite a bit of free movies and TV shows available with On Demand.

rumrunn6

to confuse things even more comcast sent us a "digita" box a 4 "adapters" so we could stay current with THEIR digital conversion. I have no idea how this is going to affect our HD reception on the channels that offer it like the major networks. if i get the HD PKG will I have to get a different cable box and adapters?

BTW; the adapters worked out of the box but the cable guy has to come to get the box to work. turns out the only thing the box is gonna do fr this new HD LCD TV is offer us channel (1) on demand.

the TV broadcasters are almost as bad as the computer industry now with poor standards and everyone trying to invent their own great stuff. is all stinks. PEOPLE IT'S FREAKIN TV not life! not family! not core values! not a career! it's sit on your butt and tune out! for a ridiculous amount of money!

it's almost as stupid as paying to die by smoking cigarettes when you can die anyway without ever spending a dime!

yes, I'm livid ...

moleman76

This is quite a tradeoff.
On the one hand, getting rid of the CRT tube weight on the handlebars will be a plus,
but
the extra wind resistance of the flat back of the LCD will make you pedal a lot harder

BarracksSi

That's why I refuse to pay for TV.

freako

Me too! But I go to the extreme of rarely watching TV so I guess that makes me a freak. I'd rather listen to music or ride my bike.

rumrunn6

comcast cable guy came to activate the new "digital" cable box and pretended that he didn't have the remote. he used it to turn it on and try the channels. he left me a new box and remote but left saying he didn't have the remote that went with the defective box. the guy is a thief and must be doing something with the equipment he acquires in this fashion. I called comcast to explain what happened but the Indian? lady just didn't understand. she made a note that what I have is working and the technician left with everything he should have left with. she didn't make note that he lied, etc

don't EVER turn your back on these people or leave them unattended. watch them like a hawk!

Shimagnolo

No.
I had an antenna *before* the local stations went digital.
I am still using the same antenna.
The only difference is that all the stations are now a hell of a lot sharper than they were before.