Actually, HDTV is not UHF by definition, that's just the way it often works out. In fact, my local PBS is broadcast VHF. And eventually, the stations that currently have both analog and digital channels will have to give one of them back to the govt, so I wouldn't be so sure you won't see more VHF DTV channels in the future.
As for the Radio Shack antennas being junk, that's BS. Ask around on some of the home theater forums where the HDTV gurus hang out and they'll tell you that the big RatShack Yagi antennas work very well and give you the most bang for your buck. The performance of the expensive non-directional antennas is often a big disappointment. Unless you truly need to pick up channels from towers in totally different directions, you're much better off with a directional antenna because they work more reliably. My
$30 attic antenna picks up all the Houston DTV stations from about 35 miles away with a rock solid signal, even during thunderstorms and heavy rain.
