My ten-year-old television's display is mighty snowy much of
the time (when receiving local channels), until I give it a
good whack and I guess cause some connections to work
properly again. It's humongous and so hard to move by
myself. I am getting old and do not want to have to move it.
Rather than try to repair it, I am thinking of buying a new,
lighter, flat screen TV. I have been keeping an eye peeled
for specials at Circuit City, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart. I
looked at the latest Consumer Reports article on the
subject.

Yesterday at Best Buy a clerk there said buying any of the
flat screen TVs meant I would have HDTV. Without cable or
satellite with HD, the display would have black vertical
bars covering something like three inches on both sides. If
I wanted to continue using an ordinary antenna, I'd have to
go to a conventional TV with a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Can someone please confirm or deny what the clerk said and
maybe elaborate? Meanwhile I am googling on the subject.

I do not want cable or satellite or any extra costs. OTOH, I
also do not want a huge television to move around.

TIA