The big national switch to digital broadcasting took place last Friday as the final wave of the nation’s full-power broadcasters flipped off their traditional analog signals.

By most accounts the transition took place with the vast majority of consumers experiencing no problems. Still, an FCC help line got nearly a million calls in the days following the switch, although most of the problems were relatively minor and easily resolved.

There’s little doubt that decisions by the Obama Administration and Congress to delay the cutover date from last February to last week helped consumers better prepare for the transition. Stepped up education and assistance efforts by the Federal Communications Commission and additional funding for government coupons to help consumers purchase digital-to-analog converter boxes certainly helped smooth the transition as well. Consumers Union, the publisher of this blog, was a leading proponent in all those efforts.

Some consumers reported they could no longer receive local, over-the-air channels they had picked up for years without any problems. A number reported losing digital channels they had been receiving fine up until last Friday.

Here’s a note we received from reader Mark this week:

“Well the changeover has happened. I live on Long Island NY. I got the converter box early, and I have a rooftop antenna. I now get ONE CHANNEL. They tell us we are too far from the broadcast tower...they tell us we are on the fringe of coverage. But all I know is that I have no TV anymore, and no ability to pay for cable.”

The problems have not been isolated to people that live a distance from broadcast towers. Consumers in cities including Chicago, New York and Washington, DC – virtually in the shadow of their local broadcast towers – have reported losing many of the stations they received just fine before last Friday.

The Federal Communications Commission is recommending a two-pronged approach for consumers who lost some or all of their local stations following the switchover last Friday.

The first is called “double rescanning.” Scanning searches for and “remembers” the available digital broadcast channels, but in some cases where stations moved their digital frequencies on June 12 simple scanning may not be enough. Earlier scans may have saved channel information that is now incorrect “Double rescanning” can clear your digital-to-analog converter box’s memory of saved channels from earlier scans and replace them with the current, correct ones.

Here’s what to do, according to the FCC:

1. Disconnect the antenna from the converter box or digital TV

2. Re-scan the box or digital TV without the antenna connected. As with any scan,
follow the on-screen instructions or owner’s manual for your device

3. Unplug the box or digital TV from the electrical outlet for at least one minute

4. Reconnect the antenna to the box or digital TV and plug the unit into the electrical
outlet.

5. Rescan the box or digital TV one more time.

The FCC also says some antenna adjustments might help bring in stations lost after the transition last Friday.

First, you must have a “VHF/UHF” antenna. Traditional “rabbit ears,” rods, or other elements are needed to pick up channels 2-13 (VHF), and a circle, bow-tie, or other element is needed to pick up channels 14-51 (UHF).

Some antennas marketed as HDTV antennas don’t perform well on VHF channels; some antennas are VHF or UHF-only. For the best reception of channels 2-6, extend the rods all the way out. For the best reception of channels 7-13, reduce the length of the rods to12-18 inches.

The location of the antenna is also key. One of the most popular spots for indoor
antennas – on top of the TV – may not be the best. Consumers having trouble with digital TV reception should try moving their antennas to one of these locations:

* Near a window

* As high as possible

* Away from other electronic equipment, including computers, VCRs, DVD
players, converter boxes, and the television itself

* Change the direction the antenna is facing

* Rooftop antennas may be needed in some instances

Consumers may need to run the “scan” function again on their converter boxes after
moving the antenna.

For additional information on troubleshooting digital TV reception problems see Consumer Report’s DTV transition information page at www.consumerreports.org/dtv/.