CEA-909 is the ANSI standard for 8VSB/ATSC smart antennas. The basic concept is that the smart antenna either physically rotates toward the signal, or is stationary, but has elements pointed in different directions and uses only those elements that maximize the received signal. This is accomplished by feedback from the control device, such as a digital-to-analog converter box, telling the smart antenna when the signal is stronger or weaker.
Analog televisions generally give instant feedback as the signal gets better or worse as you move the antenna. Digital television antennas can be difficult to aim correctly because of the cliff effect and because of delays in decoding and displaying the signal. Smart antennas remove the burden of positioning the antenna for digital TVs and can make the tuning process easier than it was with analog television.