In his office at WTVC-NewsChannel 9, Dennis Brown got a call from a viewer about the digital television conversion coming in February.

“I understand I won’t need an antenna anymore,” the caller said.

“No, that’s not exactly right,” replied Mr. Brown, manager of broadcast operations and engineering for the station.

Six months from now on Feb. 17, 2009, all full-power television stations in the United States will stop sending out analog signals and switch to purely digital transmissions. Mr. Brown and other local television executives say they are prepared, as are most of their viewers.

“We’ve had very few calls about it, which is surprising to us,” said Tom Tolar, president and general manager for WRCB Channel 3.

Televisions connected to cable or satellite service will not be affected, but viewers who now get their television programming through antennas either will need new digital televisions or digital converter boxes, according to guidelines from the Federal Communications Commission. The converter boxes convert a digital signal to an analog language that older televisions can interpret.

“You don’t have to get rid of your television,” said Bryan Fuqua, vice president for technical services for WTCI Channel 45.

Chattanooga resident Billy Hutchison said he has seen announcements about the change on his Comcast cable service and thought he understood the switch fairly well. He said one of his neighbors already had purchased two converter boxes, but that many other people might be a little apathetic for now.

“The majority of the people won’t pay any attention to it until the change happens and they can’t get so-and-so,” he said Thursday. “Then they’ll complain about it.”

In the Chattanooga market, WRCB, WTVC, WTCI, WDEF, WDSI and WFLI already are broadcasting digital signals on alternative channels, and the stations plan to switch the digital signal to their current analog channel number in February. Mr. Tolar called the work left to be done a “relatively minor switch.”

But the work up to this point has not been so minor. Mr. Fuqua said WTCI has spent $5 million to $6 million in preparation for the switch. Executives at other stations said the cost was a few million, but they declined to give specific amounts.

“It’s an enormous investment,” said Dan Sommers, chief engineer with WRCB.

Some station officials hope they can recoup part of that investment by selling more commercials with additional programming. Clyde Ensslin, a spokesman for the FCC, explained that digital signals require much less bandwidth than analog, which allows stations to squeeze additional programs into one channel, called multicasting.

Stations are using the advantages of narrow bandwidth now for multicasts, but Mr. Ensslin said there could be untapped benefits, as well.

“There’s upside potential that hasn’t been conceptualized yet,” he said.

Mr. Fuqua said his station is multicasting, airing regular digital programming on Channel 45, an analog version on 45.1, kids programming on 45.2, how-to-style programs on 45.3 and arts, drama and specials on 45.4 from 1 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“There’s a lot more options,” Mr. Fuqua said.

Mr. Tolar said his station uses Channel 3.2 for digital 24-hour-a-day Weather Plus programming.

In addition to extra channels, customers should notice superb picture quality, according to Rick McClain, chief engineer for WDEF-Channel 12.

“It’s reception like they’ve never seen before,” Mr. McClain said.

Though not to be confused with high-definition television, a digital signal will provide a clearer picture that Mr. McClain said would be at or better than DVD quality, even on older televisions equipped with converter boxes.

On the negative side, a few consumers may fall victim to so-called digital television cliff effect, according to Mr. Ensslin. With analog television, viewers on the fringe of signal coverage areas can watch channels with static or interference as long as their patience holds out. A digital signal is all or nothing, according to Mr. Ensslin, meaning such viewers might lose service altogether on certain channels, particularly in mountainous areas around Southeast Tennessee.

“Most people are going to get more channels,” Mr. Ensslin said. “Now, if somebody gets fewer channels, that doesn’t mean making a few adjustments (to their antenna) won’t get them more channels.”

Chief engineer Pat Motley of WDSI and WFLI said the stations have done field testing, and most viewers should be able to tune in just as before.

“It looks like the coverage for the most part will mirror our analog (coverage),” he said.

A few isolated areas might have to consider satellite or cable service if the digital signal won’t reach them, Mr. Motley said.

“People on the fringe that won’t get us will have to make a decision,” he said.

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