Antennas Direct Announces NAB Partnership for Smart Antenna Development and TV Broadcaster's Partnership Program

March 21, 2008, St. Louis, MO - At the NAB trade show next month, Antennas Direct will release preliminary details on a signed partnership with the NAB to develop a new CEA909A compliant Indoor Off-Air Smart Antenna. They will also introduce several new Off-Air antennas, to include the ClearStream2, their newest and best long range outdoor antenna. Advanced computer software was used to design this compact (10"x20") high performance antenna. And they will also exhibit the new Lacrosse Micron DTV antenna, a true breakthrough in indoor design. It is over 90% efficient and all in a very small 10"x10" Radome; it's rabbit ears on steroids. Also, Antennas Direct will announce a fully supported TV Broadcast Partners Program.

NAB's FASTROAD (Flexible Advanced Services for Television and Radio On All Devices) technology advocacy program recently awarded a contract to Antennas Direct to develop an indoor Smart Antenna. The Consumer Electronics Association CE-909A Smart Antenna interface standard has laid the groundwork that could make the "antenna reception dance" a welcome distant memory. The interface standard was recently revised, allowing a smart television receiver to communicate with Antennas Direct's Off-Air Smart Antenna over the RF antenna cable to automatically optimize gain and antenna pattern for best reception. "We were impressed with both the expertise and the enthusiasm at Antennas Direct for potentially improving consumer satisfaction with reception of Off-Air TV service," said Lynn Claudy, NAB's Senior Vice President, Science and Technology. "Smart antenna technology can make a huge difference in the overall consumer experience, allowing access to all local television signals without having to spend a lot of time aiming or re-aiming antennas. This technology could be a real game-changer."

The ClearStream2 Off-Air antennas represent a unique breakthrough in size and unmatched ultra efficient design and directionality. Advanced computer aided design software was used in the production of these compact 10"x20" antennas. The ClearStream2 Dual Loop design provides high efficiency and allows more than 90% of the available broadcast signal to actually reach the incoming antenna cable rather than being lost to impedance mismatches.
The Lacrosse Micron Indoor antenna also represents a breakthrough indoor design. It has a maximum gain of 8dBi in only a 10"x10" form and is 98% efficient at 525 MHz. For the 75% or more of Off-Air households having only set-top antennas and pay-TV subscribers looking for an indoor backup, an alternative to cable or satellite or a digital reception solution for second TV sets, the Micron is the answer.

Both antennas were designed specifically for the post 2009 UHF DTV frequencies but also offer nominal reception of high VHF channels.

The FCC recently put out their Order on DTV Education, which requires broadcasters to provide prescribed DTV education elements or to agree to adhere to NAB's voluntary "safe harbor" program. The messages will include information on reception equipment requirements. Antennas Direct's Broadcast Partners Program is an Off-Air antenna marketing program that will aid station viewers in selecting and purchasing the right digital antenna. This antenna selection process is especially helpful in metro/urban areas where viewers may not have a clear line-of-sight to the station's tower, or in outlying fringe areas.

Each participating station will receive a map of the station's coverage area, with a graphic overlay of Antennas Direct's antenna selector, to assist viewers in finding the right antenna for specific locations. A selection of specially priced digital antenna bundles will be sent to participating stations for testing. The bundles will include the new Micron and new ClearStream2 antennas. Antennas Direct will also design, at no cost to the station, an antenna web site page for participating station or place a "Purchase" link from their web site to their personal station page, hosted free on Antennas Direct's website.

By participating in the program, stations offer their viewers an opportunity to upgrade to a better performing, better looking and smaller digital age antenna. In addition, they can increase viewer numbers by convincing satellite and cable subs to consider Off-Air as a backup source for Satellite and Cable outages. In some cases, viewers may find Off-Air a viable alternative to the ever-increasing costs and aggravation of cable and satellite. Antenna sales generated through the station provide commissions to them to help stations recoup some of their investment in the Digital transition.

Please visit Antennas Direct in the South Hall 3, booth L-33 in the ATSC Hot Spot at the NAB show in the Las Vegas Convention Center April 14-17.

About Antennas Direct
Antennas Direct is a St. Louis based manufacturer and distributor of terrestrial broadcast television (Off-Air) and wireless networking antennas. The company was founded by Richard Schneider in 2003 and has since been widely recognized for superior product design and performance by a number of industry publications and main stream media outlets. Having invested major resources into the discovery and implementation of the first new technological advances in television antenna design in decades, Antennas Direct launched its unique new Digital brand of Off-Air antennas in 2006.

The Digital lines of Off-Air antennas are designed to tune to the frequencies where most DTV broadcasts occur, doing a better job of rejecting interference. The results of the new designs have allowed them to produce smaller, more powerful antennas that combine optimized performance with a streamlined appearance, providing the best of both worlds. They continue to constantly test and modify antenna designs, raising the bar by which antenna performance and appearance are measured. For additional information on Antennas Direct, visit
http://www.antennasdirect.com/index.html