[mtownsend]

OTA is not for everyone. It's coverage is not uniform, and in some places, the options are limited. Cable and satellite coverage is not universal either, but at least you have options.

Don't forget to consider the real total cost of pay TV. The pay TV companies know that most people don't think too much about the real accumulated cost of their service. Once they get you hooked into the system, they can nickel-and-dime you incrementally over the next several years. It's doesn't take a stretch of the imagination to see five years of pay TV service costing over $2000. Any "premium" services (like HD and premium channels), can put that total to over $3000 or $4000.

BTW, even if you do decide to get pay TV, it might be nice to have OTA too, as a supplemental option for local HD stations or for times when the satellite craps out.

It's unfortunate that Terk antennas are overpriced and underperforming. They can give first-time OTA users a bad impression. A real, high quality, rooftop antenna, with great performance can be had for reasonable prices, and can last many years, giving you a much better overall bang-for-the-buck.