Leadership Conference on Civil Rights

Did my TV screen just shrink?

That's the question a lot of people will be asking after installing one of the converter boxes that will keep their older TV sets tuned into over-the-air broadcasts after Feb. 17, when most stations will switch from analog to digital transmission. The National Association of Broadcasters estimates that 70 million sets are in danger of losing their picture.

The Associated Press tested two boxes and found them to produce a picture quality far better than any analog channel, giving a whole new lease on life for a tube TV that lacks cable or satellite service (which will still work with older TVs after Feb. 17).