Digital TV transition Q&A: Last-minute help

Suzanne Choney • E-mail

Spotty television service, problems with reception and other issues remain in the waning hours before Friday, the day the nation's broadcasters make a complete switch from analog to digital television.

On Monday alone, the Federal Communications Commission's toll-free hotline fielded 65,000 calls, a record for the agency, said a spokesman. The number, 1-888-225-5322 (1-888-CALL FCC), remains available to consumers in the weeks and months ahead.

Last month, the Nielsen Co. said about 3 percent of households were not ready for the transition, an improvement since February, when the transition was supposed to take place, and about 6 percent of homes were unprepared.

In order to receive digital TV, you'll need to have a digital television set. Since March, 2007, all TVs imported into the United States or shipped in interstate commerce have been required to have digital tuners. TVs with analog tuners can still be sold, but are supposed to be labeled prominently for buyers because of the digital switch.

If you don't have a digital TV, you'll need a converter box and an antenna, maybe two antennae, to receive both VHF and UHF channels. But even consumers who have these tools aren't guaranteed smooth sailing.

Joel Kelsey, policy analyst for Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports, testified recently before the FCC and said reception and signal strength issues "continue to loom large with consumers."

Consumers Union also continues to hear complaints "resulting from incomplete and sometimes misleading advertisements" by some cable companies, Kelsey said, that are presenting cable subscriptions "as the primary option to navigate the transition and failing to mention other low-cost options available to consumers."

Households are eligible for up to two converter box coupons, worth $40 each, toward the purchase of the boxes, which can cost between $50 and $80. The coupons will be available through July 31, but could run out sooner, depending on requests, said Rick Kaplan, FCC spokesman.

As of last week, 59.3 million coupons had been requested, with little more than half of them, 30.2 million redeemed, according to the agency.

We sent the FCC several questions about the transition, which were answered by Julius Knapp, chief of the agency's Office of Engineering and Technology:

I bought a converter box, set up an antenna, and scanned the channels and re-scanned. I still can't get a signal. What should I do?

If you are not seeing any channels at all, most likely your equipment is not set up properly. Call the FCC help line or check the FCC Web site at DTV.gov for tips on how to fix reception problems. If you are still having problems, the commission can arrange for (an in-home) visit to help with installation.

Do I need to have two antennae, rabbit ears and one of those circular ones, to get digital TV? Do I also have to have another antenna outside the house, on the roof?

FCC Households in most areas using a digital TV converter box will also need antennae capable of receiving both VHF (rabbit ears) and UHF (loop or bow tie) signals to receive all of the digital channels, says the FCC.

Yes, in most areas you need an antenna that is capable of receiving both VHF (rabbit ears) and UHF (loop or bow tie) signals to receive all of the digital channels.

In strong signal areas, you should be able to use an indoor antenna. In areas where the signals are moderate or weak, you are most likely to get the best service using an outdoor antenna.

Check the DTV "Reception Maps" tool at DTV.gov for guidance on the channels available in your location and the type of antenna you may need.

Will certain areas of the country will face more obstacles in making the transition because of geography and topography issues? And what will happen if some of those areas "go dark," with no TV reception?

The FCC has published detailed maps for every station comparing analog and digital reception and showing the predicted gains and losses of service. While the channels that are available at any location may change somewhat, we do not expect areas that now have analog reception to go completely dark.

I thought digital TV was going to mean more channels and not less. So far, I'm getting fewer channels with digital than I was with analog. Why is this happening?

First, check DTV.gov and use the "Reception Maps" tool to determine what channels you should be able to receive at your location and the kind of antenna you may need. Then adjust the location and orientation of your antenna and rescan your DTV converter box or DTV receiver to find the configuration that gets the best reception. Check DTV.gov for more tips on how to improve your reception.

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