Laura Wilson thought she was ready for the much-anticipated conversion from analog to digital over-the-air TV. The 73-year-old Bolton Hill resident bought digital converter boxes for both her sets, and she had volunteers from Americorps stop by her apartment last week to make sure she was all hooked up.
But when local stations ended analog transmissions Friday afternoon, Wilson punched up her local channels and the screen on her living room set read "No programs" or "Weak signal." Some channels that did work were badly distorted, and the sound was intermittent.
"I got a problem," Wilson said.
Many area residents faced the same issues Friday. Local television stations weren't deluged with calls when they finally shut down the analog broadcast signals that have carried TV programming to homes since the 1940s. But they had a steady stream of callers who needed help with their converters and new digital antennas.
"Nobody who has called was totally unaware that the DTV transition was going on," said Jay Newman, vice president and general manager at WJZ, Channel 13, who reported 40 to 50 calls in the first two hours after the switch.
"One person called in, and it turned out she hadn't turned her converter box on," said Wanda Q. Draper, director of programming and public affairs at WBAL, Channel 11.
The local calls reflected a broader pattern. Nationally, digital TV assistance call centers reported receiving thousands of calls as stations ended analog transmissions. Most callers were seeking the $40 discount coupons available to help offset the cost of converter boxes. (To order, call 888-388-2009.)
Others needed help re-scanning their converter boxes to pick up the new digital signals. (To re-scan, press "Menu" on the box's remote control, then press "Scan.")
The long-anticipated transition was originally set for Feb. 17. Congress ordered the change in 2005 to free up the analog TV frequencies for other uses. Digital broadcasts are also expected to provide sharper images, better sound and more channels.
But the changeover deadline was pushed back to June 12. Congress needed more time to fully fund the $40 converter box discount coupons.
Viewers with cable or satellite hookups are unaffected by the change. Only those who still get analog signals through rabbit-ear or rooftop antennas - and lack digital converters - lost programming Friday.
