Early converts to digital TV are fuzzy about benefits

The new world of digital TV isn't a pretty picture. Hilly terrain, especially in cities such as Los Angeles, and key differences between the two transmission formats have made their over-the-air TV reception worse. In some cities, households with old sets need to be prepared by Wednesday. To save money, about a quarter of the nation's 1,749 full-power stations have applied for permission to turn off their analog signals on the originally scheduled date. Nearly 9 out of 10 stations will increase the number of viewers who can tune in to their signals, according to federal officials and broadcasters. But the Federal Communications Commission estimates that 11% of full-power TV stations will reach at least 2% fewer people with their digital signals. Simple fixes, such as buying a new antenna or manually entering station numbers instead of automatically scanning for them, can also improve reception. But there are no guarantees.