About This Site

Why This Site Is Being Developed

The world is changing quickly.  By March of 2009, an estimated 12 to 15 million households that currently receive TV over the air won't even be able to watch TV any more-  unless they act before the deadline to get HDTV signals into their old TV, or purchase a new High Definition TV, an HDTV set.

In the meantime, the cable companies and the satellite companies are working hard to capture new business.  They see this as a great opportunity to convince customers that the best way to receive HDTV is by signing up for their service, or to convince existing customers that have not yet done so to sign up for their HD upgraded services.

TV manufacturers are also jumping into the fray and touting their new HDTV models.  Retailers are trying hard to push the new HDTV sets out the door.

There isn't really anything wrong with all that as long as people are honest about what their products and services can do.  In the ideal world, the consumer would be educated so that he or she can make the right choice, based on accurate information.  That's one of the goals of this site, to give you accurate information.  Right now, there is a lot of misinformation out there - in retail stores, on the Internet, and just among people in general about the HDTV transition.  

Today, there is certainly no lack of information on the Internet about HDTV.  The problem is that there is a lack of information that is useful, simple and easy to follow for non-technical viewers who just want to be able to continue to watch TV as inexpensively as possible.  The purpose of this site is to try to educate you about your options.  If you have been getting TV over the air in the past, and want to keep doing so, then the information on this site will help you do that.  The goal of this site is to provide enough information to help you make decisions about what you are interested in, but not so much that you feel overwhelmed.

This site has been kept as simple and free of technical details as possible.  When technical terms are used, they are explained in common, every day words.  I hope it helps you to navigate the maze of misinformation and provides you with the information you need, so that you can spend as little time and money as possible in your goals of keeping the TV on!

For those of you that subscribe to cable and satellite TV, if you are paying extra for local channels, or only subscribe to those services to get clear pictures of local programming, then you may have an opportunity here to reduce or say goodbye to those monthly bills! 

When talking to others about HDTV, especially about receiving HDTV over the air, you must consider what they have to gain and what they are selling.   The satellite and cable companies, for example, will not likely be eager to help you learn how to receive HDTV over the air.    And if you find a local shop to ask them to install a rooftop antenna for you so that you can receive HDTV, don't be surprised if you get a sales pitch for cable or satellite.  So far, the most encouragement I have seen offered to help people receive HDTV over the air comes from local television stations that broadcast in HDTV already (and most of them do now).

There are of course times when the best solution for you may be to sign up for cable or satellite TV and I'll discuss those situations in the near future.  That being said, evaluate your needs carefully, and don't get rushed into signing up for a monthly bill based on incorrect information or a biased agenda.  This site will help you determine what your best options are. Realize that this site is a work in progress, and will be for some time to come.  There are many topics that I will address in the coming year.

Who's Behind This Site?

This site is being developed by Milestone Technologies Inc., located in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.  The copy on the site was written by the company president, and chief engineer, Miles Beam.   Milestone is not a manufacturer or provider of broadcast, cable, or satellite TV services, and does not manufacture any hardware (such as TVs, or converter boxes).  This site may generate some revenue from advertising and from commissions related to the sale of products or services reviewed, but the goal is to provide an unbiased source of non-technical information to help with the transition to this new technology known as HDTV.   If a product is reviewed that does not perform as it should, I won't be afraid to tell you so.

To All The Techies Out There

If you are one of the many technically inclined that already knows about everything on this site, then let me encourage you to help a friend, a relative, parent or grandparent that might not be clued in to all this technology stuff just yet.  A little effort of what is child's play to you can really make someone's day.