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The FCC is reporting that Friday’s transition from analog to digital TV transmissions was largely uneventful.  No major outages or problems were reported.  Their toll free helpline was flooded with calls - over 317,000 - from people who couldn’t figure out how to operate their new converter boxes, but the FCC said most problems were solved when the customer rescanned their boxes for the channels they were missing.

“I am pleased with the way our FCC team responded to the technical challenges that arose throughout the course of the day,” acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps said in a statement. “But our job is far from over. This transition is not a one-day affair. We have known about re-scanning and reception issues for some time and have been doing our best to get the word out. We will continue to work with every consumer who needs assistance in making this important and necessary transition.”

The markets with the most calls were Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Dallas-Fort Worth.  The changeover was originally scheduled for Feb. 17th but was pushed to June amid complaints from irate consumers who couldn’t get government issued vouchers for the needed converter boxes in time.

The newly freed airwaves mean 15 new markets will receive mobile TV broadcasts, Qualcomm said.  The company offers TV service for cell phones via its Flo TV network, which delivers up to 20 channels of simulcast and time shifted programming.  It includes original programming as well as that from ABC, CBS, ESPN and other popular networks and expects to reach nearly 200 million potential subscribers by the end of the year through AT&T and Verizon phones. 

Read [PCWorld]