OTA signal to new tv
 

I am thinking of getting a small tv for a room that is not wired for cable. Am I correct in thinking that most any new TV will be able to get over the air signal?- (I live 23 miles from a major us city). Would it be in HD or there something special I need to get or do.

The US requires that all TVs include an OTA tuner. Generally you will need to set the tuner to use either Antenna / Air (ATSC), not Cable (QAM).

HD capability is a variable from one model to another. Many new "HD"TVs are limited to 720p resolution which is better than 480i SD. If full resolution capability is important to you, look for 1080i resolution. Some designs are capable of displaying 1080p resolution from a PC or similar source, but OTA standards are limited to 1080i maximum resolution.

The signal transmitted by an over the air broadcaster can be from 480i to 1080i resolution. Take a look at RabbitEars to see what channels and sub-channels are being carried by the local stations, including the resolution. It's common to find the primary channel in an HD format and additional sub-channels in 480i SD.

A correctly selected and installed antenna and TV with ATSC capability should be all the hardware needed. Feel free to ask for help with antenna selection in the Help With Reception forum.