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Yankee Group Blog » Blog Archive » Cable and Satellite Providers: Beware the Killer Rabbit (Ears): Via Yankee Group Blog » Blog Archive

In Monty Python and the Holy Grail, our equine-challenged heroes come upon the Rabbit of Caerbannog, which appears to be an ordinary, harmless rabbit until it starts killing people.

With the transition to broadcast digital TV (DTV) in the U.S. — whenever it’s going to happen — outdated, obsolete “rabbit ears” indoor antennas are poised to become a viable threat to cable and satellite TV providers, especially as consumers become increasingly budget-conscious.
My eyes were opened to this threat recently when my parents asked me to connect a digital converter box to the small, 5 year old LCD TV my mother uses in the kitchen. I was naturally concerned that they had (1) attempted a technology purchase without seeking my advice and (2) had gone to Radio Shack to do it.
But what a pleasant surprise the Zenith DTT901 digital converter box turned out to be! (The Shack took care of them — thanks, guys.) For about $20 (after coupon), that little TV suddenly had the best picture in the house:

• Digital-perfect reception of all of Boston’s network affiliates (and then some), and several new sub-channels to boot
• Automatic scaling, zooming, and cropping of HD and SD programming
• An on-screen program guide

And since all of Boston’s DTV stations are currently UHF, they don’t even need the VHF “ears” extended (only channel 7 is currently scheduled to return to its old VHF frequency after the transition’s analog shutdown).
Clearly, this is not the broadcast TV of my youth.

Read Original Article ( Via Yankee Group Blog » Blog Archive. )