TV goes digital, antenna users beware

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - This is not a test.

Television stations across the country will be turning off their old-style analog transmitters, switching to digital transmission Friday.

Broadcasters have been warning viewers for months about the change, originally planned for February, but delayed until now.

WAVY-TV and FOX 43 is now exclusively broadcasting in digital. WAVY-TV and FOX 43 flipped the switch Friday morning at 9:00 a.m.

You will no longer be able to view your favorite news and prime time television shows on a regular or analog set, without a couple changes.

If you have an analog TV but subscribe to cable or a satellite service, you will still receive a signal.
If you're using rabbit ears, you'll need a TV converter box.

A converter box, cable or satellite service, or a digital television will allow you to see a better picture. Analog televisions, without one of those items, will not work.

The conversion to digital is not a plot by the television industry, forcing you to make changes, rather it's a way of "freeing up that spectrum for future development and future public service uses, like emergency services."  You will also notice better picture and sound quality.

Again, the deadline is Friday, June 12, 2009. For more details on the changes and what you need to do to make the switch, call 1-888-225-5322.