Show Me The Antenna! CEMA Launches Antennaweb.org Web Site Makes Choosing The Proper Antenna Easy

CEMA Launches Antennaweb.org Web Site Makes Choosing The Proper Antenna Easy Using the Internet, consumers soon will have a fast, effective tool to help them receive off-air local television signals, announced the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association (CEMA) today. The association is launching AntennaWeb.org this fall, a Web site designed specifically to show users exactly what type of outdoor antenna will help bring free TV into their homes. ""AntennaWeb.org is the next logical stage in our Antenna Selector Mapping Program,"" explained Gary Shapiro, President of CEMA. ""The paper maps being introduced at the retail level that show consumers what type of outdoor antenna will work in their geographic areas have been extremely well-received, but now we are taking the program one step further. We are using the power of the Internet to bring the maps directly to consumers and to retailers who have Web access. It's as easy as a few clicks to find the proper TV antenna, and retailers and consumers alike will have the benefit of this sophisticated mapping tool at their fingertips."" The site is designed to be fast and friendly. At the site's main page, consumers type in their address and zip code, and a street map showing their house location will appear in the center of the screen. Consumers can easily see what color-coded area they live in, which corresponds to a legend that shows the type of outdoor antenna they need to receive local television signals. A separate section for information on distant signal reception, e.g., a Washington, D.C. resident looking for a Baltimore, Maryland signal, is an additional feature on the new site. Consumers can click on a button that will bring up another map that uses a point-to-point calculation that factors in the more distant, outlying stations, not just the local ones. The secondary map indicates what type of antenna is needed to bring in the distant signal, and also will show the direction of the TV tower transmit signal, giving consumers an additional tool when installing their antenna. Shapiro continued, ""Retailers without Web access can rely on the paper maps to recommend the proper outdoor antenna for their customers, and those with Web access will be able to do this electronically. Consumers who use the antenna selector maps in either form are better informed, and can be confident that the antenna they purchase will be the right one for them."" The rollout of the CEMA maps is well underway, with more than 400 retailers and installers having ordered map kits to date. AntennaWeb.org is expected to launch this fall.