At first, the only thing in the story was the need for the change of TUNER. After a few people were vehemently complaining about their inability to get reception with a simple addition of an adapter box, suddenly the message began to include the possibility (should be PROBABILITY) that a new antenna would be needed.

Again, the government was either purposely duplicitous in, or simply completely ignorant of, the need to educate the people that digital is not MAGIC, and that things are not autoMAGICally better when someone ‘blesses’ a television with a digital tuner.

In areas like Los Angeles, the movement of the digital component of television to the UHF band means that atmospheric conditions are much more a part of the reception equation. Include the fact that the digital component of the television stations is cut to approximately 1/3 the output power, and you have some real difficulties. (The digital answer, an equation to establish Effected Radiated Power, was apparently worked out by a bean counter, not a scientist)

I have adequate reception at about 70 miles for most of the day, but in the early morning, and the early evening, the ionosphere wreaks havoc with signal propagation in the UHF spectrum, so I can’t get those same channels with digital tuning on the antenna used without problems at the other times of the day.

Digital anything is not magic, nor is it, in and of itself, necessarily better.