Get more channels by plugging in digital converter box now

As consumers start hooking up converter boxes in anticipation of the nation's big switch to digital TV next month, one thing is becoming crystal clear: TV pictures.

People who switch to digital TV now are getting a nice surprise in the form of clearer pictures and more channels. The improvements owe to the nature of digital TV technology, which has superior characteristics compared with traditional analog technology.P class=inside-copy>About 93% of the USA's 1,759 full-power TV stations are already broadcasting in digital, the National Association of Broadcasters says.P class=inside-copy>The upshot: Many consumers who hook up converter boxes now can enjoy the benefits of digital TV right away, says Shermaze Ingram, an NAB spokeswoman. P class=inside-copy>Officially, broadcasters don't have to dump analog signals until Feb. 17. (Small, low-power stations are exempted.)DIV id=tagCrumbs>When the switch happens - at midnight - more than 70 million analog TVs that use an antenna to receive over-the-air signals will need help to keep going. To maintain TV reception, consumers must install converter boxes that turn analog into digital signals. Cable and satellite TV customers won't be affected.

In addition to a clearer picture, there's another big benefit of hooking up boxes early: more channels. P class=inside-copy>Digital technology is far more efficient than analog, enabling broadcasters to pack more channels into the same space. In the digital realm, this is known as "multicasting."P class=inside-copy>Broadcasters are using the extra space for an assortment of programming, Ingram says, from weather and traffic reports to community events. P class=inside-copy>"If you don't have your (converter) box hooked up, you won't be able to see these channels," she says. P class=inside-copy>Some individual TV stations are making the move early. P class=inside-copy>As of Dec. 22, about 35 stations in 18 states had made the switch to an all-digital format, the NAB says. Early adopters include South Bend, Ind.; New Orleans; and Lansing, Mich. Hawaii plans to switch all its stations on Jan. 15, the NAB says.P class=inside-copy>In those markets, local broadcasters have been preparing consumers for months, Ingram notes. P class=inside-copy>The government is offering $40 coupons to offset the purchase price of converters, which cost $40 to $70 on average. Those coupons can take up to six weeks to receive. To beat the Feb. 17 deadline, the NAB says, consumers should request their coupons as soon as possible./>