P.O.
Lisa,
You ABSOLUTELY DO NOT have to buy cable to have HD tv. My husband has an HD tv that got the HD channels from an antenna in the attic until a month and a half ago when we signed up for Fios tv. HD looks great!
HD signals go over the airwaves just like analog signals, but you, of course, are limited to broadcast channel - ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and KERA. I think channels 27 and 33 have HD stations as well. If you have an HD tv all you need is an HD receiver for the antenna to go into - unless that tv says that you don't need it... some of the new ones don't need the extra receiver - they can find the "in-between" stations on their own.
I didn't know how good the picture would be until I saw it for myself (long story but the tv was in storage after we go married until we finally bought this house, so I didn't see the HD until past few months). They are good channels and it looks great. Plus, the digital stations come in clear or not at all... that is a good and bad thing. Since I only ever had rabbit ears before I got married, I was skeptical, but the picture quality is much better on broadcast tv than with the regular signal, which was mostly a little grainy on all the but the stations I worked to get to come in good... I guess I had just gotten used to it.
Bottom line, I guess, if you get an HDTV, the picture will be great. It's up to you guys if it's worth the money or not. But I will say, the picture on the regular stations is better than cable (non-hd cable, that is).
Hope that helps.
Go to this website:
http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/learningc...
From the site:
Over-the-air broadcasts: Digital TV broadcasts are currently being transmitted by over 1500 local stations across the country covering over 99% of U.S. TV households (as of 1/06). Visit this website to find stations broadcasting digital signals in your area � just enter your zip code (the site also lists local cable HD availability). Over 90% of digital stations broadcast in the normal UHF range (channels 14 through 83), so you can receive them with a standard UHF antenna. For antenna info that's specific to your address, visit the Consumer Electronics Association's antenna selector website.
What you need:
� HD-compatible TV
� HDTV (ATSC) tuner � separate unit or built into TV
� indoor or outdoor UHF or UHF/VHF antenna
� local HDTV broadcasts (they're free!)
Good luck.
P.