Take two. This time, analog televisions really will go blank.
A four-month delay bought TV watchers some extra time to transition to digital technology, but Friday marks the deadline for networks to shut off their analog signals.
That means TV viewers will need a converter box to watch an old analog set without a cable subscription or satellite antenna.
The reason behind the transition is simple: The government wants to consolidate TV broadcasts to make room for Internet and emergency message transmissions.
But despite a massive public-information campaign by the Federal Communications Commission, the end of analog has been the source of much frustration for some TV viewers who were perfectly happy tuning in to a fuzzy picture.
“This is a disaster, frankly,” said analog viewer George Cody of Snohomish County. “It seems to be something designed to get everyone to hook up to cable.”
Not everyone is ready for the change. Still, the FCC expects the number of unprepared TV owners to be about half what it was earlier this year, when the Obama administration asked Congress to delay the transition because government subsidies for converter boxes ran out.
In late December, 6.8 percent of American homes weren’t ready to receive digital signals, according to Nielsen Co. research. Late last month, only 2.7 percent were estimated to be unprepared for digital TV — about 3.1 million homes.
But in the Seattle area, about 4 percent of households are still unable to receive digital signals, according to an FCC report.
After 15 years without cable, John Patella of Snohomish traded in over-the-air signals for Verizon’s FiOS service this week, an add-on to his phone service package. The disappearance of analog signals doesn’t trouble him anymore. But now he jokes he has a new set of problems.
“This is like a whole new world,” he said. “We’re going from two channels to 550.”
Like thousands of other over-the-air TV viewers across the country, Patella found out months ago that there’s a dark side to digital. A blue-screen side, more specifically.
Digital signals are weaker than analog ones, usually resulting in a smaller broadcast circumference. That’s primarily because of the inability of digital signals to penetrate buildings and hills, meaning the Puget Sound terrain is a virtual obstacle course for TV signals.
Patella’s house is positioned on the north side of a hill, meaning digital signals broadcast from Seattle don’t make it through to his TV’s antenna. He bought a converter box earlier this year before upgrading with Verizon, but thinks he’ll give the box to his son for the TV in his bedroom.
With only two channels coming through, Patella won’t have to wonder what his son is watching.
But not everyone in poor reception zones is willing or able to upgrade to cable.
Lynnwood resident Jeannette Reed can’t coax her converted TV into receiving digital signals, and she doesn’t want to pay for more expensive equipment or service.
“I’m not going to get ‘Jeopardy!’ anymore,” she said. “My digital comes in a little — I think I will get (channel) 7 and 11 on a sometimes basis. I really don’t know what to do. I don’t want to spend extra money. I would just like to get it for free.”
The FCC warns digital signals could be weaker than usual for the first week or two.
Stations can make the switch to digital-only any time Friday, so viewers can expect to be without analog signals by Saturday morning — though it’s likely most stations will complete the switch earlier in the day.
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