Digital TV divide after the February 18 conversion?

A letter writer to the New York Times has drawn attention to the potential disadvantage that remote viewers will experience. "On Feb. 18, Free TV Won't Be So Free." The author emphasized that his lower Hudson River Valley family (in Highland, Ulster County, NY) was able to get twenty stations, in the past, from analog broadcasts. The caveat: the reception was compromised with "snow" and generally weak reception. Now, with the digital broadcasts his family is able to get far fewer stations.
Maybe this is a good thing. It could inspire couples and families to converse more, to read more, to play board games. (I am still strongly advocating receipt of television via broadcast, instead of cable or "dish." Have you multiplied what you are paying over the 12 months of $50 or $100 a month cable subscriptions?)

There is help.

Here is a list and something of a review of various antennae (at AVS Forum's "EV's Best Top Rated HDTV Indoor Antenna Review Test Round-Up Guide." Many of these antennae are good for the apartment dweller that is not able to mount an antenna to their building. If you read the reviews by users, at amazon.com, yes, some urban apartment dwellers, you'll see some encouraging results of antenna use. Honestly, I am having trouble: the local elevated transit train is freezing the signal each time is passes. Some notes that may be of interest, for people curious about the location of the New York City vicinity stations beyond the VHF heavy hitters.
13 -WNET -PBS, transmits from Empire State Building
21 -WLIW -PBS, Plainview, central Long Island, NY
25 -WNYE -transmits from Empire State Building
31 -WPXN -Ion Television flagship, transmitter: ditto
49 -WEDW, CPTV, Bridgeport, CT
50 –WNJN, -PBS, Upper Montclair, NJ
54 -WTBY, lower Hudson, transmitting from west shore opposite Poughkeepsie.
55 -WLNY, Riverhead/ Melville, Long Island, NY; has low power repeaters in Morristown NJ (17) and Mineola NY (26)