>>No, it's free over the air same as it is now, only it's a different input format. It does require a digital capable TV or a converter box. The newer small satellite dish systems are digital, and a lot of cable systems are now digital or soon will be. Those type of systems usually required a converter box of some sort to get their full range of channels anyways.
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>So, if you live in one of those places where reception has always been lousy, does digital provide a decent alternative? We finally went for (the absolutely cheapest) cable a couple of years ago just to get antenna service.
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>Tamar (who also lives in the cellular dead zone <g>)

It's a line of site issue and the distance. Out here in Phoenix, we have mountains that they put the transmission towers on. Even though the towers are 30 miles away, I can see them, no buildings, other mountains or structures to obscure the signal. If you do have obsticles in the path, the distance is considerably shorter, or may not work at all.

Not anything like mountains in the Philly area, but the transmission towers would probably be on tall buildings, anyways, so it's more than likely other structures or even trees that could cause you problems with reception.