Digital Media

Congratulations! You've successfully made the switch from analog to digital TV. So is it good-bye to rabbit ears? Not quite!

Retro TV antennas may not bring in a perfect picture, but they can bring back some great memories.

(Credit: CBS)

Whatever your view of television, be it couch potato casual or flat-screen fanatic, Friday was a special occasion. And even if you didn't give it the kind of warm reception some Chicago students did on Friday night, complete with champagne toasts, you knew it was the end of an era, if for no other reason than all those incessant reminders we've been giving you, like "The Big Switch From Analog To Digital TV" or "Flipping The Switch To Digital TV".

In these days of cable and satellite, you probably thought it was time for a requiem for the old rabbit ears. Not so fast.

"The antenna is alive and well," said Michael Godar, who runs one of the nation's few handmade antenna companies out of a TV repair shop in Gilbert, Ariz.

And he says that, even at the dawn of the Digital Age, there's plenty of life in that old antenna.

"There was almost a sport (in) adjusting your antenna on your TV," Sieberg said.

"Oh yeah, battling it--you know, especially when you had a remote control," Godar laughed. "You'd change the channel and then get up, adjust the antenna!"

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The nationwide transition to digital TV is just 30 days away, and Federal Communications Commission officials are feeling much more positive about the switch than they were leading up to the previous deadline in February.

On Wednesday, the FCC received updates from various agencies helping to prepare for the new June 12 deadline for the switch to digital TV. In addition to adding more money to the converter box coupon program, efforts are already under way to get AmeriCorps volunteers to go into people's homes and help with converter box installation. Clinics have also been set up in hot-spot regions to help educate people about the program and to help them figure out how to install converter boxes and antennas.

Already some 170,000 homes have gone through one of these programs to have their converter boxes installed. The acting chairman of the FCC, Michael Copps, said he is impressed by the coordinated effort that is under way.

"In January I feared about where we were headed with this transition," he said. "But it has turned into an inspiring and enjoyable experience to see how these different agencies can work together. "

While Copps said he believes that Americans are better prepared now for the transition to digital television than they were prior to the February 17 deadline, he said that there will still be some people who will see blank TV screens on June 12, when all TV stations will be broadcasting in digital.

"Even though we are better prepared this time," he said. "There will still be disruptions for some consumers. And candor compels us to inform viewers of these issues."

To deal with the many people who might lose TV signals in June, the FCC has set up 4,000 call centers and is beefing up staffing to answer consumer phone calls. Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein pointed out during the FCC's meeting that only 15 percent of households in the U.S. were affected when some broadcasters transitioned to all digital broadcasts on the original February 17 deadline.

Anticipating complaints
He also anticipates a flood of complaints from consumers who are not prepared for the transition. But he is also optimistic about the progress the agency has made over the past three months.

"We've gotten to the 30-day countdown before," he said. "And I have to say I was a lot more nervous before than I am this time."

In an effort to help identify trouble spots before the hard deadline of June 12, the FCC is planning a soft-test of the digital switch on May 21. On that date, all broadcasters will be asked to switch to digital-only broadcast for a few minutes. People who have older TVs that have not been equipped with a converter box will be able to tell whether they are prepared to receive digital programming.

"This will be like a DTV stress test for consumers," Adelstein said. "Let's hope we do better than the banks did in their stress tests."

Three months ago, 6.5 million households were unprepared for the switch to digital TV, according to research firm Nielsen. At that time Congress voted to delay the transition from February to June. Now it's believed that the number of people who are unprepared for the transition is less than half that number, or roughly 3.5 million households.

Most of these people are either elderly, in a minority group, poor, or living in rural areas. The FCC and other agencies helping with the transition have been targeting these at-risk households to ensure they are prepared.

While most people are now aware of the transition to digital, the problem now is helping people get converter boxes to allow older TVs to receive digital signals and to help install that equipment. Coupons are available under a government program to help pay for converter boxes, which cost $40 to $80. But earlier this year, more than 4 million people were on a waiting list for the coupons after the government ran out of money to fund the program.

With new funding under the $787 billion economic stimulus bill, the backlog is now gone. And the group administering the program says it has enough money to provide the necessary coupons.

Viewers who watch TV via cable or satellite will not need a converter box and won't have to do anything to prepare for the digital transition.

Despite a regulator-approved delay to the nationwide digital TV switchover, more than a third of the nation's TV stations plan to begin broadcasting completely in digital next week.

The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday released a list of 681 of the nation's 1,800 or so TV stations that plan to make the switch by February 17. TV stations were required to notify the FCC by Monday if they planned to turn off their analog TV signal on February 17.

Earlier this month, the House of Representatives passed a bill that moves the deadline for transitioning TV broadcast from analog to digital from February 17 to June 12. The Senate has also passed a similar bill. President Obama is expected to sign it into law shortly. However, a compromise provision allows broadcasters to transition to all-digital broadcasts early if they get permission from the FCC.

Congress approved the delay out of concern that 20 million people, most of whom are poor, elderly, and living in rural parts of the country, were not prepared for the transition after the government ran out of the $40 coupons it was issuing to help defray the cost of the converter boxes necessary to allow older TVs to get digital signals.

Stations have been preparing to cut off their analog broadcasts for the February 17 deadline for months. Leaving the analog signals on will likely cost them more money as they are required to pay for the additional electricity and facility costs of running multiple transmitters. Most stations have already been airing some programming in digital.

The major broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC/Telemundo, have all agreed that their owned and operated stations would continue to broadcast in analog until the new DTV transition date.

To see which local stations plan to switch on or before February 17, check the list released by the FCC (PDF). The column labeled Nite Lite indicates whether the station plans to keep its analog signal going for 30 days past the February 17 analog cut-off date in order to provide emergency and DTV education information.

Over a quarter of all full-power broadcast TV stations could cut off their analog TV service on or before February 17 even though the official deadline has been extended another four months, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

Already 143 full-power TV stations have terminated broadcasting their analog signal. And another 60 stations have already informed the FCC that they would like to terminate broadcasting in analog before February 17. As of February 2, when acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps sent a letter to Congress urging them to delay the transition, another 276 broadcasters had told the FCC they intended to shut off their analog transmitters on February 17.

If all these TV stations go through with their plans, roughly 27 percent of the 1,796 full-power TV broadcasters in the U.S. will be broadcasting only in digital.

What does this mean for over-the-air TV viewers? Well, the FCC hopes that it won't disrupt TV viewing much. But for consumers who don't have a digital tuner built into their TV or haven't hooked up a digital converter box to their old TV, it could mean that they'll have fewer TV channels to watch.

Earlier this week, the House of Representatives passed a bill that moves the deadline for transitioning TV broadcast from analog to digital from February 17 to June 12. The Senate has also passed a bill pushing the date of the transition back to June 12. President Obama is expected to sign it into law shortly. As part of a compromise to get the bills through Congress, lawmakers added a provision that allows broadcasters to transition to all-digital broadcasts early .

The FCC met Thursday to discuss the process for allowing TV broadcasters to move to all-digital broadcasting early. Broadcasters must inform the FCC by 12 a.m. EST on February 10 if they intend to cut off their analog TV signal. And at that time, the FCC will have a better understanding of how many TV stations will actually go to all-digital broadcasts on or before February 17.

The agency has said it will likely allow most of these broadcasters that would like to transition to all digital early to do so, but Copps said that the agency reserves the right to deny broadcasters from switching early if it doesn't serve the public interest. Specifically, the FCC will try to make sure that in areas where a large number of people are not ready that there are some TV stations still transmitting analog signals until the June 12 deadline. The agency will also make sure that TV stations that are transitioning early are not interfering with other TV broadcasters, using their old analog channels.

TV stations that wish to switch to all-digital transmission on February 17 will have to provide ample notification to the public between now and then, an FCC spokesman said.

Copps has encouraged as many TV stations as possible to continue transmitting analog signals until the new deadline of June 12. The nation's largest broadcasters--ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC/Telemundo--have all agreed that their owned and operated stations would continue to broadcast in analog until the new DTV transition.

Stations have been preparing to cut off their analog broadcasts for the February 17 deadline for months. Several TV stations throughout the country have tested switching off their analog transmission to make sure they are prepared as well as to make sure viewers are prepared.

TV broadcasters are making the switch to digital to free up valuable wireless spectrum. About 61 percent of all full-power broadcast TV stations are transmitting both analog and digital signals. Leaving the analog signals on until the new deadline of June 12 will cost them more money as they are required to pay for the additional electricity and facility costs of running multiple transmitters.

Congress passed the new legislation to delay the deadline because legislators and consumer advocates are concerned that 20 million people--most of whom are poor, elderly, and living in rural parts of the country--are not prepared for the transition; the government ran out of the $40 coupons it was issuing to help defray the cost of the converter boxes necessary to allow older TVs to get digital signals. There have also been reports that many consumers, who have already gotten converter boxes, are not able to connect them properly to their TVs.

The Federal Communications Commission helped clarify Thursday how it will handle requests from broadcasters to turn off their analog TV signals before the new June 12 deadline.

Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps said during an open meeting that the agency would carefully evaluate which stations can turn off their analog signals before the June 12 deadline. The FCC will likely allow some stations to make the switch early, but it will try to ensure that not every station in a community makes the switch early, leaving unprepared viewers with no access to over-the-air TV.

"We reserve the right to deny those requests if we find that it would not serve the public interest or if it would frustrate Congress' goal of giving consumers adequate time to prepare," Copps said.

Copps also said during the meeting that the major broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC/Telemundo, have all agreed that their owned and operated stations would continue to broadcast in analog until the new DTV transition date of June 12.

Earlier this week, the House of Representatives passed a bill that moves the deadline for transitioning TV broadcast from analog to digital from February 17 to June 12. The Senate has also passed a bill pushing the date of the transition back to June 12. President Obama is expected to sign it into law shortly. As part of a compromise to get the bills through Congress, lawmakers added a provision that allows broadcasters to transition to all-digital broadcasts early if they get permission from the FCC.

Copps said Thursday that TV stations must notify the FCC by Monday February 9, if they plan to turn off their analog TV signal on February 17.

Stations have been preparing to cut off their analog broadcasts for the February 17 deadline for months. Leaving the analog signals on will likely cost them more money as they are required to pay for the additional electricity and facility costs of running multiple transmitters. Most stations have already been airing some programming in digital.

Congress passed the new legislation to delay the deadline, because legislators and consumer advocates were concerned that 20 million people, most of whom are poor, elderly, and living in rural parts of the country, were not prepared for the transition after the government ran out of the $40 coupons it was issuing to help defray the cost of the converter boxes necessary to allow older TVs to get digital signals. There have also been reports that many consumers, who have already gotten converter boxes, are not able to connect them properly to their TVs.

The legislation delays the mandated switchover to all digital broadcasts another four months. Chairman Copps said he hopes that the additional time could be used to improve government outreach to help prepare for the transition.

An additional $650,000 is expected to be granted through the government's economic stimulus bill to complete the funding of the coupon program.

While the delay will give the government and other organizations more time to help prepare consumers, it could also confuse consumers who have already heard of the February 17 deadline. What's more with some broadcasters continuing to broadcast their analog signals and others switching to digital, some consumers could still lose access to some TV stations before they are ready.

National Association of Broadcasters said it will begin airing revised viewer alerts with the new date.

The cable TV industry is pausing its transition to digital TV to reduce consumer confusion over the broadcasters own transition to digital happening early in 2009, according to letters sent to members of Congress Wednesday by the industry's trade association.

Kyle McSlarrow, president of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association also said in the letters that cable operators planned to offer free equipment to analog customers who asked for them for a year. The program will be available to these customers until June.

Cable operators have been migrating their channels from analog to digital for over a decade. Some cable operators are much further along in their migration to digital than others. For example, Cablevision, which serves the New York metropolitan area, has converted about 90 percent of its customers to digital service. Nationwide about 60 percent of cable customers have already switched to digital, according to the NCTA.

But the consumer advocacy group Consumers Union says it has noticed a surge in cable operators across the country migrating analog channels off their basic cable tier to a more expensive digital tier, which requires customers rent cable set top boxes.

The group has argued that cable's timing for moving channels off basic service to a higher tier service has been done deliberately to capitalize on the confusion around the over-the-air TV broadcast digital transition, which takes effect on February 17, 2009.

Earlier this year, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission opened an inquiry into this practice.

Cable operators say the channel moves are merely a coincidence. Like TV broadcasters and cell phone operators, which have also switched to digital transmission, cable is migrating to digital because it's much more efficient than transmitting using analog technology. This means that cable operators can free up more bandwidth to offer services like telephony, video on demand, and more high-definition TV programming.

But in an effort to appease policy makers, the NCTA said in its letters that it's taking additional steps to ensure that consumers are not confused. Specifically, cable operators are proposing that they will institute a "quiet period" starting December 31 and lasting until March 1, in which cable operators will refrain from moving most channels from the analog tier to the digital tier. The industry organization also said cable operators will offer a promotional package of broadcast basic tier to new customers starting on December 31

Once cable operators start moving analog channels to digital, from March 2 to June 30, the NCTA is proposing that cable operators also provide analog customers with free equipment for a year so they will not lose channels.

Union applauded the move. But said it was only a start in helping consumers navigate the confusion surrounding the digital TV transition.

As a cable customer, I thought I was immune to any problems related to the upcoming digital-TV transition. But I recently discovered that cable's own migration to digital-TV transmission also has its share of headaches.

Imagine my surprise last month when I turned on the TV in my bedroom to watch a rerun of Sex and the City to discover that TBS, which had been part of my basic cable package, was no longer viewable. I clicked a few more channels and discovered that TNT was also missing. In fact, all that I am now left with on this particular TV are the basic national networks, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News, along with the public access station C-SPAN and WNET, my local public television station.

I was annoyed to say the least. I live in New York City and subscribe to Time Warner Cable. I pay about $66 a month for my basic and expanded digital-cable service with a DVR-enabled set-top box in my living room, which I love. But in my bedroom, I was not willing to pay the extra $7 to $10 per month for a converter box. So I simply plug the cable into my TV, and I had been able to get at least a dozen or so channels of basic cable. But now it looks like my choices for even the very basic TV channels are shrinking.

When I first called Time Warner to inquire about what had happened, I was told by a misinformed customer service agent that my shrinking cable lineup was a result of the government mandated switch to digital TV.

This information was, of course, incorrect. The transition to digital for over-the-air TV broadcasters was mandated by Congress and has a deadline of February 17, 2009, when all broadcasters will transmit signals only in digital format.

But this broadcast transition to digital has nothing to do with the cable industry's switch to digital. In fact, for cable customers, the over-the-air switch to digital should have no effect on their service. Customers who subscribe to cable TV service won't have to get a digital converter box nor will they have to do anything else to their TVs in anticipation of the February 17 deadline.

That said, cable is also migrating to digital transmission. As a result, I discovered that some cable operators, such as Time Warner Cable, are moving channels from their basic analog tier of service to a more expensive digital tier that requires renting a digital set-top box.

While the Time Warner Cable spokesman I spoke to for this article, apologized for the misinformation I received from the customer representative, he defended the company's practice of moving some analog channels to digital.

"Like any business, we change our offering from time to time," said Alex Dudley, a spokesman for Time Warner Cable. "Our customers won't have to do a thing when the over-the-air digital transition occurs in 2009. But we are also migrating some of our channels to a higher digital tier to make room for new services. And if customers want to receive those channels, they'll have to rent a box."

Suspicious timing?
Some consumer advocates say that the timing of these channel moves is suspicious considering it coincides with the broadcasters' transition to digital. A survey conducted in October by Consumer Reports found that about 19 percent of cable customers said they noticed in recent months channels in their basic cable package disappearing and moving to a higher tier.

Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, argues that cable's timing for moving channels off basic service to a higher tier service was done deliberately to capitalize on the confusion around the over-the-air TV broadcast digital transition. Despite the fact that there is nothing legally prohibiting the cable industry from moving channels into different tiers, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has opened an inquiry into this practice.

"The timing of these moves seems deceptive," said Joel Kelsey, a policy analyst at Consumers Union. "Many cable companies are doing this when consumer confusion is at its peak. Consumers essentially feel painted into a corner and are forced to choose between paying the same amount for less service or paying more to get the same service back."

But cable operators argue the timing is more coincidence than an underhanded attempt to squeeze more cash out of consumers.

"For us, this is purely a bandwidth issue," Time Warner Cable's Dudley said. "We need to move certain channels from our basic analog tier to digital to accommodate more HD channels. It has nothing to do with getting folks to upgrade their service, but it has everything to do with us remaining competitive by delivering as many HD channels as we can."

Indeed, Time Warner Cable, which is facing stiff competition from Verizon Communications' new Fios TV service, has added about 40 to 50 HD channels in the New York City market alone. The company hopes to offer about 100 HD channels by the end of the year in New York.

Like TV broadcasters and cell phone operators, which have also switched to digital transmission, cable is migrating to digital because it's much more efficient than transmitting using analog technology. This means that cable operators can free up more bandwidth to offer services like telephony, video on demand, and more high-definition TV programming.

Cable's transition to digital has been happening for over a decade. Some cable operators are much further along in their migration to digital than others. For example, Cablevision, which serves the New York metropolitan area, has converted about 90 percent of its customers to digital service. Nationwide about 60 percent of cable customers have already switched to digital, according to the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, the cable industry's trade organization.

So what is a consumer, such as myself, to do? Well, it looks like I have a couple of choices. I can pony up the extra $7 a month for another converter box and remote. Or I can get a digital converter box and an antenna to attach to my old TV and try to receive digital TV signals over the air. Digital TV over theair is free. And because more capacity is available via digital than was available with analog, many broadcasters have added additional channels of TV programming, which could mean that I would get even more channels than before.

While I may be tempted to take the over-the-air TV option, Time Warner's Dudley said the company isn't worried about massive subscriber defections to over-the-air TV.

"Cable offers a convenient way to ensure signal quality on your TV," he said. "We actually think that the customers we may lose to over-the-air TV will be offset by the new customers we sign up who don't want to deal with converter boxes and antennas."

Television as we know is about to change drastically in the U.S. in February when broadcasters switch solely to transmitting digital signals. And even though there are many benefits to this transition, there are also a few downsides.

Here's the lowdown on what you can expect from the new digital TV service, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

First, let's start with the good. On February 17, broadcasters throughout the country will flip a switch turning off their old analog TV transmitters, and they will begin transmitting their TV signals only in digital format. Over 90 percent of TV stations today already broadcast both analog and digital stations, which means that consumers don't have to wait until February to test and tweak their TVs to get digital TV.

For the most part, the switch to digital TV will benefit all Americans, regardless of whether they watch over-the-air TV.

Digital signals use wireless spectrum much more efficiently than analog signals, which is why the government mandated the switch in the first place. Congress set the February 17, 2009, deadline so that the government could free up wasted spectrum so that it could be used to build more robust emergency wireless networks, as well as provide the private sector with more spectrum that could be used to develop new wireless broadband services. The government has already auctioned off most of the unused spectrum. And after February, service providers who won licenses in those auctions will be able to get to work building their next-generation wireless networks.

For over-the-air TV viewers, the switch to digital also has many benefits, including sharper pictures, better sound quality, and more content. Using analog signals, broadcasters can only transmit one channel of content at a time. But with digital signals, broadcasters can transmit multiple channels at once. In fact, many broadcasters have already launched three or four separate digital channels, each carrying programming of interest to diverse communities. And because there is more bandwidth available, broadcasters are also transmitting some of these channels in high-definition.

In some cases if consumers have a high-definition TV, they'll even be able to get some HD channels for free. For example, all the major networks--ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC--transmit some shows over the air in HD. This means that many consumers will be able to access HD content without subscribing to a pricey cable package.

"Digital broadcast will vastly improve free TV viewing," said Graham Jones, the director of communications engineering for the science and technology department of the National Association of Broadcasters. "All the networks are broadcasting in HD, and viewers can receive it for nothing. They don't have to pay a cent. And with modern receivers and antennas, reception is very solid."

Better for many, not all
But with the good, also comes some bad. Unfortunately, not everyone in every corner of the U.S. will experience all the great benefits of digital TV. Because analog signals transmit over longer distances than digital signals, some over-the-air viewers living in rural areas may find that they do not get all the same channels they were able to when they received analog TV.

This scenario is mostly true for people who already receive weak analog TV signals. For example, if someone generally gets a snowy or fuzzy picture using an antenna to receive an analog TV signal, there's a good chance that the viewer won't be able to receive the digital signal at all.

"Some people may have been able to put up with a poor analog signal, because the receiver still received the transmission, albeit in a fuzzy form," Jones said. "But if a digital signal is weak, the receiver can't decode it, and the transmission stops, which means people simply get a blank screen."

This is exactly what happened to some viewers in Wilmington, N.C., when the Federal Communications Commission and local broadcasters tested turning off their analog signals earlier this year.

Broadcasters have tried to compensate for this issue by boosting transmission power, but Jones said because digital and analog signals are broadcast at different frequencies it may be difficult to replicate broadcasts exactly, which means some people may be left without some channels they could have received with analog transmissions.

The issues won't be limited to rural consumers. Some city dwellers may also have trouble receiving certain channels. Even though people living in a city such as New York or Chicago will likely be able to receive strong digital broadcast signals, they could fall victim to other issues that preclude them from receiving certain channels further up the dial. The reason is simple. Channels broadcast at higher frequencies don't go around buildings or through walls as easily, and this could disrupt transmission.

Consumers may have to do a little research
But consumers shouldn't throw their hands up in defeat too quickly. With a little investigation and a few extra dollars spent on new equipment, even viewers in some challenging geographies could still receive a good quality digital TV experience.

So what's a consumer to do? First, consumers who rely on over-the-air broadcasts need to determine whether they want to keep their old analog TVs or invest in new digital or high-definition TVs. If a consumer keeps his old analog TV, the government is offering $40 coupons to help defray the cost of buying a digital converter box, which attaches to the TV and costs about $60. These boxes essentially turn an old TV into one that can view digital signals. If he is already getting a good analog signal, he'll likely be able to keep the same antenna for the digital service. But if he was already getting a poor signal, Jones recommends upgrading to a better antenna.

But Jones also emphasizes that to get the best digital TV experience consumers should buy a new digital or high-definition TV. As of March 1, 2007, all television reception devices, which includes TVs, VCRs, and DVRs, sold in the U.S. have been required by law to contain a digital tuner. And with smaller HDTVs selling for as little as $400 or $500, high definition has also become an affordable feature.

But even with a new digital TV, Jones said that consumers will still need an antenna to receive the over-the-air signals. For help in determining which kind of outdoor antenna you might need, check out AntennaWeb.org. This is a Web site set up by NAB and the Consumer Electronics Association that allows consumers to enter their address and provide details about their immediate surroundings, such as how many trees or tall buildings are nearby, to help determine which type of antenna would be best.

Jones also recommends that before consumers buy a new antenna they try their old one first. Several retailers, including Best Buy, are offering workshops around the country to provide information to consumers. There is also information on the Web site DTVanswers.com.

And Jones suggests that consumers call their local broadcast stations directly to figure out in which direction they should point their antenna for the best reception. Local broadcasters will also be able to provide information about whether consumers are even within range to receive the new digital signal.

"There are some 1,700 broadcasters in the U.S.," Jones said. "The local stations will know better than we will how to help viewers in their specific region. So if people have questions, they should call their local broadcasters. And these broadcasters should be available and able to help them."

Several local stations have already set up hotlines for consumers to call. And broadcasters around the country have been "soft" testing the transition. During these tests, broadcasters turn off their analog signals. If consumers are still trying to view the channel using an analog TV, a screen will pop up where the program had been informing viewers of the deadline and how to get ready for the digital switch.

A bill passed in the U.S. Senate last week that would require some broadcasters to offer this information screen to viewers for 30 days after the February 17 deadline. The measure must still pass the House of Representatives before it becomes law. But even if it does become law, Jones said that not every broadcaster would be able to continue broadcasting the message over its analog channel, because as of that date, new spectrum holders will have access to those airwaves. Instead, he has been encouraging viewers not to wait until the deadline to test their digital TV readiness.

"Broadcasters are already transmitting digital signals today," he said. "So there's no reason for people to wait until February to make their equipment tweaks and start benefiting from digital."

The first major test of the switch to digital TV left many viewers in Wilmington, N.C., looking at blank screens and calling local TV stations, according to several news reports.

On Monday, the Federal Communications Commission conducted the first major real-world test of the switch to digital television. Wilmington, N.C., volunteered to be the guinea pig for the switch, agreeing to turn off its analog broadcast signals about six months before the rest of the country will do it.

At noon EDT Monday, broadcasters flipped the switch to all digital transmission. And almost immediately, TV broadcasters and the FCC hotline were inundated with phone calls from local residents in the area who weren't prepared for the transition or couldn't figure out how to use the converter boxes that should have allowed their older TVs to get the digital signal, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The test in Wilmington is key to minimizing mass chaos when the entire country makes the transition to all digital broadcasts on Feb. 17, 2009, a move mandated by Congress so that wireless spectrum could be used more efficiently. The agency has already auctioned off large chunks of the spectrum to be used for wireless broadband services.

For the majority of TV viewers across the country who own new digital-ready TVs or subscribe to cable or satellite TV, the switch is a non-issue. But for the millions of households that get free TV and own older TVs, they will need a digital converter box to be able to view TV on their older TVs.

The government and broadcast industry have spent millions of dollars over the past several months to educate the public about the transition. And the FCC has been offering vouchers to subsidize the cost of the digital converter boxes. But many in Congress worry that all the public service announcements and vouchers haven't been effective. And when the transition comes, people won't be prepared.

The test in Wilmington, where officials had made a concerted effort to get the word out about the switch, is a good indication that more education is needed. According to the Journal, by mid-afternoon roughly 74 calls had been placed to two TV stations, WSFX-TV, a Fox affiliate, and WECT-TV, an NBC affiliate. The newspaper also reported the FCC received about a hundred calls on its toll-free help line in the first few hours after local broadcasters shut off their analog signals. Most of the calls were from people who needed help programming the new digital converter boxes, the newspaper said.

Even though the switch to digital in Wilmington, N.C., wasn't as smooth as some might have hoped, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said it served its purpose, which was to provide valuable lessons for what needs to be done to make sure the nationwide transition goes smoothly.

"The measure of success here in Wilmington is not what happens today or tomorrow here, but it's what we learn from it," he told the Journal in an interview. "If no one called today, that wouldn't necessarily mean it's a success."