Will rabbit ears really pick up high def local channels on high def TV

First, I want to clear something up that may be confusing you.
Digital TV and Hi-Def TV are not the same thing!

The small converter boxes that were highly promoted last year allow you to receive a digital (but standard definition) signal and convert it for use with your old analog TV. This is not hi-def, but it is digital. (Hi-def is necessarily digital, but digital does not imply hi-def)

So, if you want to get Hi-def broadcasts, you must have a high-def TV.
You won't need any converter box, since the TV can receive a digital, hi-def, signal. Just hook up an antenna!

Go to AntennaWeb (http://antennaweb.org) and enter your address and other info. You'll get a list of stations in your area and what type of antenna you need to receive them. If your stations are indicated with the "yellow" or small multi-directional antenna then your rabbit ears might work.

Most digital broadcasts are UHF (remember the round wire antennas?), so if you have UHF channels in your area, you may need a UHF antenna to pick those up. (If you are super-close to the broadcast antenna, and the RF channel is low -- say below 30 or so -- the regular VHF rabbit ears may work.

It sure won't hurt anything to try the rabbit ears on your digital TV. Note that you'll probably need a matching transformer (http://www.amazon.com/Philips-SWV2020-17-Balun-Transformer/dp/accessories/B000HSITJO) to attach the rabbit ears to your TV's RF input.

I hope this clears things up.
WallyH