An article from Joe Milicia of the Associated Press on the revival of rabbit ears to receive DTV signals is another indication of rising interest in terrestrial over-the-air broadcasting.
Savvy consumers are realizing they can receive excellent high-definition TV programming without much difficulty and without paying any monthly fees. The article, "'Rabbit Ears' Find New Life in HDTV Age", which appeared in more than 30 Sunday newspapers last weekend, quotes long time HDTV technology writer Dale Cripps (founder of HDTV magazine): "You either get it or you don't. Some people can receive it with rabbit ears, it depends on where you are."
The article points readers to the CEA Web site to determine what type of antenna they need. The president of Antennas Direct, Richard Schneider, recommended outdoor antennas for viewers more than 25 miles from the TV transmitter site and noted that without outdoor antennas, stations up to 70 miles away could be received as long as the signal wasn't blocked by mountains.
If cable companies opt for new set-top boxes Motorola will be showing at The National Cable and Telecommunications Association's Cable Show next week, viewers may need that antenna. A Multichannel News article "Motorola to Demo Set-Tops with Antennas" quotes Motorola's description of The Cable Show demo saying that with the new boxes, cable-network carriage of local broadcast channels is unnecessary.
