Whoa!  Say it isn’t so.  I can’t lose my TV!  But evidently nearly six million of us in the United States with digital receivers may still lose TV signals when digital-only broadcasts begin next February, a new study says.

The study by Centris, a market research firm in Los Angeles, found gaps in broadcast signals that may leave an estimated 5.9 million TV sets unable to receive as many channels as they did before the changeover. It may affect even those who bought government-approved converter boxes or new digital televisions. To keep broadcast reception, many viewers may have to buy new outdoor antennas, the study found.  What is so new about outdoor antennas?

The Centris study predicts greater disruption of service than government agencies like the Federal Communications Commission have acknowledged.

The federal government estimates that 21 million American households have primary TV sets that receive only over-the-air signals. But it says most will continue to get digital signals by means of digital-to-analog converter boxes, which cost about $50 to $70. It is helping to underwrite the cost of converter boxes by issuing $40 coupons.

Centris said it had looked at a more detailed method for predicting the coverage pattern of TV signals than the government had used.  Gee, imagine that.

The number of sets that the Centris study projects will fail varies from city to city, based largely on the landscape. Whether a TV gets a strong digital signal may depend on seemingly minor impediments, said David Klein, executive vice president of Centris. "Are there big trees in your area? Is there a big retaining wall next your house?" he said. "It’s not a matter of, ‘Is reception good in your neighborhood’; it’s a matter of, ‘Can I get the signal in the bedroom?’ "

Technorati Tags: digital tv, digital converter box, centris

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