Reader Mail: Getting Rural HD for Less

Reader Jeff G. writes: I am looking to get a Samsung flat-panel 50-inch TV and I am looking for the best way to get HDTV without breaking the bank.

I have Dish Network now without the HD package, and I'm 50 miles outside of Chicago and 50 miles south of Milwaukee. I could get an HD antenna but I'm worried about reception, and my satellite company won't cut me a break on HD equipment because I'm an existing customer. Before I spend all this money on a plasma TV, can you guide me to a solution for finding HD channels for a good price without buying all this expensive equipment?

Jeff: Sounds like you're living in a relatively outlying (if not rural) area, so I'm guessing that cable isn't an option for you. (Cable operators will often rent HD cable boxes and DVRs for about $10 a month, making HD-over-cable one of the most affordable options.) And yes, satellite companies like Dish Network and DirecTV often make you buy rather then rent HD equipment and dishes, which can run into the hundreds of dollars (unless you're a new customer, in which case you're probably eligible for a steep discount).

So, short of coughing up the cash for a truckload of satellite HD gear, you're left with trying to grab HD over the air. That's not much of a problem if you're living in or near a big city (just about any standard rooftop antenna will do), but you're fifty miles from Chicago and fifty miles from Milwaukee, and that's something of a hike.

Here's my advice: surf on over to AntennaWeb.org, a site that can tell you the nearest over-the-air HD stations in your area. Just enter your street address and you'll get a list of broadcast HD stations that you're most likely to receive, along with recommendations on the type of HD antenna you should get (you may need something bigger than a regular rooftop antenna depending on the terrain). The site will even let you know the direction in which to point your antenna. But if AntennaWeb doesn't come up with any results, you may be out of luck; in that case, satellite HD may be your best (and only) bet.

Related:
AntennaWeb.org
TV antennas [Yahoo! Tech]