Break Out Those old Rabbit Ears if you want HDTV

Rabbit ears may be making a comeback as consumers of LCD's and plasma TVs are buying these 'old' technological gadgets for these high tech TVs.

With local TV stations starting to broadcast their shows in High Def, consumers are finding out that hooking up the old 'rabbit ear' antenna can bring free High Def shows to their television sets.

Richard Schneider, president of Antennas Direct, is betting Americans will not hesitate in shelling out $50 for his new wave rabbit ear antennas if it means free local High Def shows can be brought into their homes.

Mr. Schneider recalls people were calling him nuts because he was building antennas from his garage and then selling these antennas out of the trunk of his car. But what started out as a small operation in Eureka, Mo has now turned into a $1.4 million year operation with seven employees.

Because Congress has ordered broadcasters to shut off old-style analog TV broadcasts by Feb. 17, 2009, more people with need some type of television that will be able to receive a high def signal. However, some people may not be willing to fork over the high cost that goes with a cable subscription. This is were Richard and his rabbit ears come into play.

Unlike the old analog signal that would give you a partial picture with some 'snow', the high def signal will give you those little 'block's of a signal before going black. This means some people will be able to receive a high def signal and some will not be able to receive this signal just an antenna hooked up to their TV.

Richard likes to tell people that if they live within 25 miles of a TV tower that it is best to use and indoor antenna, and that an outdoor antenna is best if you live 70 miles away from a TV tower. Mr. Schneider also notes that a TV signal is best reached if the antenna has a clear site, ie., no mountains or trees obstructing the antenna.

The Consumer Electronics Association has a Web site http://www.antennaweb.org/ that tells how far an address is from towers and recommends what type of antenna to use.

Megan Pollock, spokeswoman for this group, says receiving a high definition signal from an antenna may give you a truer high def picture because cable and satellite companies tend to compress the high def signals sent through the cable.

One downside to using only the antenna and not cable or satellite services is that you only receive local station broadcast. This means no ESPN, TBS, USA, SciFi, or HBO. However, if you are willing, or only watch, local stations then a onetime investment of $20 to $150 is well worth it for the ability to receive local High Def broadcast instead of paying for the high cost of cable or satellite service.

Read more about the return of 'rabbit ears' at Yahoo News