Sony LCDs build in Google TV, cost $599 and up

by David Katzmaier

from http://news.cnet.com/

Sony NSX-GT1 series of TVs is the first to incorporate Google TV.

(Credit: Sony Electronics)

 

Today Sony announced full details on its NSX-GT1 line of LCD TVs and its NSZ-GT1 Blu-ray player, the first products of their kind equipped with the Google TV service.

The TVs range in size from 24-46 inches, in estimated selling price from $599 to $1,399, and will ship starting October 16 (preorders available now at Sonystyle.com and Best Buy.com). The Blu-ray player is available at the same time for $399.

Sony's NSZ-GT1 Google TV-equipped Blu-ray player.

(Credit: Sony)

 

The promise of Google TVs is to integrate all available video content--regardless of whether it comes from cable, satellite, antenna, or the Internet (like Netflix or YouTube)--onto one screen that you can search as easily as Google.com searches the Web. The Sony TVs and Blu-ray player come with a special remote control with a keyboard, can control other devices in your AV system, and even enable you to surf the entire Web with a built-in Chrome browser. Aside from actually hooking a PC to your TV, it's the closest you likely come to converging the two devices.

Google TV's software offering was first introduced on the $300 Logitech Revue set-top box, which still provides the least expensive way to add the service to an existing system. Sony integrates Google's service into the LCD TVs, so no additional box is required--although most people will hook the Sony devices to a cable or satellite box at least. One major difference between Sony and Logitech, however, is that Sony's TVs and Blu-ray player will not allow streaming of music or video files from in-home PCs or other networked devices at launch, although Sony says this feature is in the works.

Sony LCDs build in Google TV, cost $599 and up

Sony Internet TVs
The Sony NSX-GT1 series, which will inevitably be known as "The Google TV," and which Sony calls the "Sony Internet TV, the world's first HDTV powered by Google" in its ads, includes four sizes.

Sony NSX-GT1 series (Google TV)

• Sony Bravia NSX-24GT1: 24-inch ($599 estimated sale price)
• Sony Bravia NSX-32GT1: 32-inch ($799 estimated sale price)
• Sony Bravia NSX-40GT1: 40-inch ($999 estimated sale price)
• Sony Bravia NSX-46GT1: 46-inch ($1,399 estimated sale price)

Each TV has four HDMI and four USB inputs, as well as built-in 802.11N Wi-Fi, so you don't need to run an Ethernet cable to your living room to access the Internet.

Otherwise, aside from Google TV, NSX-GT1 is a relatively basic edge-lit, nondimming LED-based LCD that's missing step-up features like 120Hz found on the KDL-EX700 models. Its closest equivalent in Sony's 2010 TV lineup is the KDL-EX600 series, whose list pricing at Sony's Web site makes the rough "premium" for Google TV on a Sony NSX-GT1 $250 at 46 inches, $200 at 40 inches, and just $100 at 32 inches--relatively affordable considering the $300 Logitech Revue (the 24-incher has no ready equivalent among current Sony TVs, and uses standard CCFL backlighting instead of LED).

Sony's TVs operate similarly to the Revue. You plug your cable or satellite box in via HDMI, and the Google TV service overlays the TV feed, which can also appear in an inset window Sony calls Dual View. The TV also has an ATSC tuner for over-the-air HDTV reception, and Google TV search incorporates local TV channel listings, including OTA.

The TV controls a cable box using infrared emitters to power up, change channels, and schedule DVR recordings, for example. Sony includes a second IR emitter that allows control of other devices, like a home theater system, but unlike the Logitech there's no discrete emitter built into the front of the TV, so you'll have to put up with the clutter of physical IR balsters. Users of compatible Dish DVRs are treated to "full integration," which means that control happens via Ethernet and that the Google TV search will also find current recordings on the DVR.

Sony's remote is designed for thumbs-only use, complete with touchpad (upper right, under the 'home' key).

(Credit: Sony)

 

The Sony remote included with the TV was first leaked by ABC News and spotted by Engadget, among others. It's held just like one of Sony's PS3 game controllers, and the full QWERTY keyboard and touch pad are designed for thumbs-only operation. The remote commands your other gear as well, so you only need one remote, and interfaces with the TV by radio frequency so you don't need line-of-sight.

In a brief hands-on I found the remote ergonomic enough, the "shoulder" keys for scroll and zoom a thoughtful touch, and the responsiveness of the thumbpad a pleasant surprise--it worked like any laptop touch pad for shoving a cursor around the screen, albeit more sensitive (sensitivity is adjustable). The sheer number of buttons and shortcut keys was a bit intimidating, although I'm sure I'd get used to it in time.

On the downside the clicker was bulky, and the large keypad was a stretch even for my big hands. At first blush I prefer the Logitech's mini keyboard option ($139) or a full-size keyboard, especially for heavy searching. Of course, like the Revue, the Sony will work with any Android or iPhone as the controller via forthcoming apps, and Sony says you can plug standard PC keyboards (wireless or otherwise) into the TV too.

Using Google TV on the Sony revealed excellent response times, similar to what we noted on the Revue and the lightning-fast PS3. Searches came up quickly and we noticed no lag navigating between menus.

Sony Internet TV Blu-ray player
The NSZ-GT1 Blu-ray player operates just like the TVs, includes the same remote and ability to command other gear, and features a slot-loading Blu-ray drive, similar to the one on the PS3. It has one HDMI input (for your cable box, to enable the Google TV overlay) and one output, with connectivity otherwise identical to the TVs--although it lacks the ATSC tuner.

One additional extra is integration with the Gracenote service (a Sony property) for easy searches on meta-information, such as a movie's page at IMDB, an artist's Web site and the like, from inserted discs. Sony also says the NSZ-GT1 is technically capable of being upgraded for 3D Blu-ray playback, but wouldn't elaborate on whether it was in the works.

Google TV software
Both the Sony TVs and the Blu-ray player share essentially the same Google TV software with the Logitech Revue set-top box.

The basic pitch for Google TV is the ability to search all of your TV content through a search bar similar to Google.com. The bar overlays whatever screen you're on and combs through online video sources as well as live TV from your cable/satellite box--or antenna in the case of the TVs--to find content (currently the Sony TV can only search only DVR programs for Dish DVRs, although a Sony representative told us he expects compatibility with non-Dish DVRs to roll out over time). The idea is that you don't need to know whether the video originates from Netflix, your cable box, YouTube, or a random Web site--Google just finds it.
For launch, the Google TV software has support for several streaming-media services, including YouTube, Amazon VOD, Netflix, Pandora, and Napster. Google announced partnerships with TBS, TNT, CNN, and HBO, which take the form of customized Web sites and, in the case of HBO, access to HBO Go's service for subscribers.

Sony adds many of the niche streaming video providers found on its Bravia Internet Video service, such as Blip.tv, Howcast, and the like, to its products, along with its proprietary Qriocity video-on-demand play.
Google TV also has built-in apps for Twitter, the NBA, and CNBC at launch, and we'd be shocked if Facebook didn't show up soon. Later in 2011, there will also be support for the Android Marketplace, so you'll be able to use Android apps on your HDTV. Phone apps will be scaled to fit bigger TV screens, and Google expects developers to start creating apps specifically for the Google TV platform.

Beyond these services, however, Google TV's big selling point is the capability to directly access any Web site. Google TV has a built-in Chrome browser that supports Flash 10.1 and HTML5 video. No other current Internet-connected TV features a built-in Web browser. Google's browser should allow virtually the entire world of video on the Web, including video from sites like ComedyCentral.com and PBS.org, to show up on your HDTV.

The accent is on "should," however, and at launch Google TV is already missing one of the key providers of Web-based video: Hulu.com. The browser inside Google TV is technically capable of handling Hulu.com's massive library of free streaming video, but as of press time we were told Hulu is blocking the Google TV from accessing its content. Google and Hulu are apparently in talks regarding the situation, but it's unclear whether that would mean paid-for Hulu Plus access (at $9.95 per month) or full free access to the Hulu content available on a standard browser. We're guessing Google TV will get Hulu Plus once the dust settles, but there's no telling for now.

Our take
Despite the relatively affordable price, Sony's Google TV faces an uphill battle. Like many other readers, I prefer a "dumb monitor" to a features-festooned super-TV, if only because those features can look painfully outdated in a year or two. Boxes are cheaper to replace or upgrade than TVs, and most people are saddled with at least one box already--the one from the cable company.

Then there's the fact that, if the proliferation of Android phones provides any indication, Google TV will soon be available on numerous other devices sure to cost less than these first-generation Sonys and Logitechs.
The main audience for the NSX-GT1 series of TVs, as far as I can see, is comprised of Sony fans looking for a new TV who don't mind paying the premium for the Google TV experience now. It might also appeal to cord cutters who want to use the ATSC tuner and who don't mind missing a DVR. Hey Sony, why not allow an attached USB drive to record content from the NSX-GT1's ATSC tuner, huh?

Sony's $399 Blu-ray player is somewhat appealing for early adopters choosing between it and the $300 Logitech. Blu-ray players with streaming services and built-in Wi-Fi currently sell for around $150--and don't have nearly the capabilities of the Sony NSZ-GT1. On the other hand, a certain other $299 Sony Blu-ray player has seemingly unlimited capabilities and upgradeability too. Hey Sony, where's the firmware update or $99 dongle/remote bundle that gives the PS3 Google TV? Talk about widespread adoption.

Either way we're looking forward to checking out Sony's new Google TV products in our full reviews. In the meantime, let us know what you think in comments.

The following products are available:

On Sale Now: $799.99
View the latest prices for Sony NSX-32GT1 (Google TV)

On Sale Now: $1,399.99
View the latest prices for Sony NSX-46GT1 (Google TV)

On Sale Now: $399.99
View the latest prices for Sony NSZ-GT1 (Google TV)

On Sale Now: $999.99
View the latest prices for Sony NSX-40GT1 (Google TV)

On Sale Now: $599.99
View the latest prices for Sony NSX-24GT1 (Google TV)

Announcing Google TV: TV meets web. Web meets TV.

From: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/

If there’s one entertainment device that people know and love, it’s the television. In fact, 4 billion people across the world watch TV and the average American spends five hours per day in front of one*. Recently, however, an increasing amount of our entertainment experience is coming from our phones and computers. One reason is that these devices have something that the TV lacks: the web. With the web, finding and accessing interesting content is fast and often as easy as a search. But the web still lacks many of the great features and the high-quality viewing experience that the TV offers.

So that got us thinking...what if we helped people experience the best of TV and the best of the web in one seamless experience? Imagine turning on the TV and getting all the channels and shows you normally watch and all of the websites you browse all day — including your favorite video, music and photo sites. We’re excited to announce that we’ve done just that.

Google TV is a new experience for television that combines the TV that you already know with the freedom and power of the Internet. With Google Chrome built in, you can access all of your favorite websites and easily move between television and the web. This opens up your TV from a few hundred channels to millions of channels of entertainment across TV and the web. Your television is also no longer confined to showing just video. With the entire Internet in your living room, your TV becomes more than a TV — it can be a photo slideshow viewer, a gaming console, a music player and much more.

Google TV uses search to give you an easy and fast way to navigate to television channels, websites, apps, shows and movies. For example, already know the channel or program you want to watch? Just type in the name and you’re there. Want to check out that funny YouTube video on your 48” flat screen? It’s just a quick search away. If you know what you want to watch, but you’re not sure where to find it, just type in what you’re looking for and Google TV will help you find it on the web or on one of your many TV channels. If you’d rather browse than search, you can use your standard program guide, your DVR or the Google TV home screen, which provides quick access to all of your favorite entertainment so you’re always within reach of the content you love most.

Because Google TV is built on open platforms like Android and Google Chrome, these features are just a fraction of what Google TV can do. In our announcement today at Google I/O, we challenged web developers to start coming up with the next great web and Android apps designed specifically for the TV experience. Developers can start optimizing their websites for Google TV today. Soon after launch, we’ll release the Google TV SDK and web APIs for TV so that developers can build even richer applications and distribute them through Android Market. We've already started building strategic alliances with a number of companies — like Jinni.com and Rovi — at the leading edge of innovation in TV technology. Jinni.com is a next-generation TV application working to provide semantic search, personalized recommendation and social features for Google TV across all sources of premium content available to the user. Rovi is one of the world's leading guide applications. We’re looking forward to seeing all of the ways developers will use this new platform.

We’re working together with Sony and Logitech to put Google TV inside of televisions, Blu-ray players and companion boxes. These devices will go on sale this fall, and will be available at Best Buy stores nationwide. You can sign up here to get updates on Google TV availability.

This is an incredibly exciting time — for TV watchers, for developers and for the entire TV ecosystem. By giving people the power to experience what they love on TV and on the web on a single screen, Google TV turns the living room into a new platform for innovation. We're excited about what’s coming. We hope you are too.



*Nielsen, Three Screen Report, Fourth Quarter 2009

Update 2:26PM: Updated to include more information about other developers.

Posted by Salahuddin Choudhary, Google TV Product Manager

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TVs are getting brighter, thinner -- and cheaper

Irvine's Vizio Inc. is getting ready to release its LED-backlit TV for $1,500 less than its competitors' sets.

By: David Colker

From: http://articles.latimes.com/

The future of television could be sitting in an Irvine laboratory.

To illuminate images, these sets use light-emitting diodes behind the screen, resulting in TVs that can be far thinner, brighter and more eco-friendly than other flat-panel models.


LED-backlit TVs -- an evolution of the standard LCD set -- have been on the market since 2004. But the sets in this lab have something that could catapult the technology into the mainstream.

A far lower price.

This lab is deep inside the headquarters of Vizio Inc., the discount electronics company that became the biggest supplier of LCD TVs in North America through its aggressive pricing. When it lowers prices, other manufacturers often have to follow, even if they don't go quite so low.

"When Vizio announces its prices," said consumer electronics analyst Richard Doherty, "people in the rest of the industry don't go home early that night."

This year, LED-backlit televisions have accounted for less than 3% of world TV shipments from manufacturers, according to market researcher DisplaySearch. That's because they so recently came on the scene and usually cost double or more compared with standard LCD sets.

Vizio's first LED-backlit set, which will hit the market in about a month, will be a 55-inch model priced at a relative bargain price of about $2,000. Other manufacturers have LED-backlit sets in that size for about $3,500.

The adoption of big-screen LED-backlit sets, however, probably will be slowed by economic hard times.
"Right now the sweet spot is 32-inch televisions, which can be found for $500," DisplaySearch analyst Paul Gagnon said.

In the long run, the research group is bullish on LED-backlit TVs. In a report issued Wednesday, DisplaySearch predicted that by 2014, shipments of LED-backlit sets would surpass standard LCDs.

"The future is LED, there is no doubt about it," said Raymond Soneira, president of DisplayMate Technologies Corp., which sells optimization software for video displays.

The television manufacturing industry could use the shot in the arm that a new technology can provide.

"When the industry went from analog to digital and from tube to flat-panel, it drove a lot of growth because it was very exciting," Gagnon said. "That's what the industry needs, something to drive excitement."

LED-backlit TVs can put on a dramatic show, even when just sitting there. Samsung's 46-inch model is only 1.2-inches thick, giving it a startlingly thin profile.

The colors an LED-backlit TV displays can be turned up brighter, making the sets stand out in a store.
But not all experts agree that the flashiness of LED-backlit sets are worth the extra money.

"Right now," Soneira said, "I think it's a marketing gimmick."

The LEDs use less energy and, perhaps most important, don't contain mercury like the florescent bulbs that light up standard LCD TVs.

The eco-advantages are a key to the future of LED-backlit TVs, Soneira said.

"The government hates mercury," he said.

There are two basic types of LED-backlighting -- multicolored (sometimes called RGB for red, green, blue) and white.

The multicolored setup allows for more vivid colors on the screen. "It's more true to life," Doherty said.

It also is much more expensive. Sony has a 46-inch model that sells for about $4,000.

The industry is concentrating on white-light models, which also produce bright colors. LG, Samsung and Toshiba have TVs using that technology on the market, and Sharp and Vizio sets are coming soon.

There are two other variations on LED-backlit TVs -- direct and edgelit -- that determine the thickness of the sets.

Direct has the LEDs spread across the entire back of the screen. This type of illumination gives better image quality, experts say, but the sets end up nearly as thick as standard LCDs.

The edgelit models group the LEDs on the edges, allowing the sets to be very thin. But quality can suffer, at least slightly.

Thinness could be a big selling point. "People will have their friends over to impress them," Soneira said.

In fact, he thinks a lot of the aspects of LED-backlit TVs are just for showing off, not for producing a truly accurate image.

Soneira said that most people couldn't tell the difference between a perfectly adjusted LCD set with fluorescent backlighting and one that uses LEDs.

But without LEDs, you wouldn't be joining the future.

"With a standard LCD TV," he said, "there are no bragging rights."

--

david.colker@latimes.com

How to Clean Your LCD or Plasma TV

• By: Dena Cassella
  
• From: http://www.digitaltrends.com/how-to/how-to-clean-your-lcd-or-plasma-tv/
  

Have a dusty LCD or plasma TV screen? Check out our 6 easy steps on how to clean your LCD or plasma TV screen..

Some HDTV manufacturers will suggest using LCD/plasma cleaners, but these are often expense and unnecessary. In fact, the main ingredient in most “professional” cleaning solutions on the market is water. We suggest making your own simple solution with half water and half isopropyl alcohol. This is probably the cheapest solution you can come by, and it works great—very mild, and harmless. The main reason you would need to clean your HDTV screen, whether plasma or LCD, is to getrid of smudges and fingerprints. Be mindful of your HDTV’s LCD or plasma screen: Try not to touch them that often because the less you have to wash them, the longer they’ll last. Here are our 6 easy steps to cleaning your LCD or plasma TV screen.

What You’ll Need

• 
• Two clean, soft, lint-free cloth
• Distilled water
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Measuring cup

6 Easy Steps to Clean a LCD or Plasma TV

1. Turn TV off and let it cool off. Ensure that your TV has been off long enough that it doesn’t feel warm to the touch. Turn it off and let it cool down before proceeding with cleaning the screen.

2. Dust the screen. Wipe your screen with part of the soft, lint-free cloth to remove dust. If there are no visible smudges after dusting, stop here.

3. Make a mild mixture. There are a lot for cleaning solutions out there, but most HDTV manufacturers say that they best and cheapest cleaning solution for your LCD or plasma screen is to make your own equal-part mixture of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. Using a measuring cup, make a solution with equal parts of distilled water and isopropyl alcohol.

4. Dip and wipe. Dip the clean end of the same cloth into the solution. Squeeze it to ring out the excess solution—you want the cloth damp, not wet. Then wipe the damp cloth over the LCD or plasma screen very gently.

5. Q-tip the Edges. Dip one end of the Q-tip in your mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water, then press it against the inside of the container holding the cleaning solution to squeeze excess moisture out of the cottony tip. Drag the damp end of the Q-tip along the outside edge of the LCD or plasma screen gently.

6. Dry with second clean, soft cloth. Use the second clean cloth to dry your LCD or plasma screen. Don’t leave any moisture on your screen, especially before turning the TV back on.

Tips

• The less you have to clean your screen, the longer it will last—so be careful with touching your screen
• Always use a clean cloth—tiny hard particles can get trapped in cloth fibers and could scratch your LCD or plasma screen
• Get the cloth damp, not wet, just damp
• Don’t use Windex or other glass cleaners! These contain ammonia and WILL hurt your LCD screen.
• Do not use paper towels

2010 World Cup to be Telecast in 3-D

By Brett Zarda

Green Point Stadium, South Africa FIFA

While FIFA made the unfortunate call yesterday to pass on TV replay capability for the upcoming World Cup, there will still be new broadcast technology unveiled this summer in South Africa. According to FIFA, up to 25 games from the competition will be filmed using Sony 3-D technology. There are no specific plans for broadcasting the 3-D games live, but it remains a possibility. And a compilation of footage will be turned into a feature-length film after the World Cup.

The announcement is the highest-profile appearance yet in what's been a steady trend towards 3-D technology for sports. From the live rugby battle between England and Scotland, to the NBA all-star game we reported on last year, to the announcement from SkyTV in England that it will launch a dedicated 3-D channel, get used to wearing goofy glasses (though some versions of the tech, sadly, won't require spectacles).

How Sony's 3-D Broadcast Works: Sony

So let us get this right: with thousands of hooligans gathered in South Africa, FIFA might now have 3-D footage of the next Ireland/France-Thierry Henry-handball-controversy, but will only use it for its highlight reel? Brilliant.

Millions Face Blank Screens in TV Switch

Steve Ruark for The New York Times

Danielle Eberhardt, front, and Katherine Daniel of AmeriCorps set up a TV converter box for Laura Wilson, left, in Baltimore.

By STEPHEN LABATON

WASHINGTON — Millions of households will lose television reception next week when about 1,000 broadcasters around the nation shut off their analog signals and complete their conversion to digital programming, federal officials say.

The government has spent more than $2 billion to ease the transition to digital television, and in the last few months has cut in half the number of households that are unprepared for the final conversion on June 12. But the latest survey by the Nielsen Company indicates that as of the end of May, more than 10 percent of the 114 million households that have television sets are either completely or partly unprepared.

Michael J. Copps, the acting head of the Federal Communications Commission, said that the people most likely to lose reception are society’s most vulnerable — lower-income families, the elderly, the handicapped and homes where little or no English is spoken. The transition will also hit inner-city and rural areas hardest, he said.

“We are much better prepared than we were in February, when the original transition was to have occurred, but there will nonetheless be significant disruptions,” Mr. Copps said in an interview. “In the past five months we’ve tried to accomplish what should have been done over the last four years.”

More than three million homes that do not subscribe to cable or satellite services are totally unprepared for the transition and will lose their reception, according to Nielsen. Another nine million homes that subscribe to cable or satellite services but that have spare television sets — typically in bedrooms and kitchens — that are not connected to any service are also expected to lose reception. The conversion does not affect cable or satellite distribution.

And officials say that millions more who thought they were prepared are likely to experience technical problems like poor reception or improperly connected antennas. Their problems arise because the way the digital signal travels is different from analog and can be more affected by topography, weather or even heavy auto traffic.

A list of 49 particularly vulnerable markets includes New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Boston and Dallas-Fort Worth. Officials said Puerto Rico is also among the most susceptible to problems, as it has the highest rate of households that receive their television signals over the air.

In the New York broadcasting market, 92,000 homes are completely unready for the transition and another 348,000 are partly unready, according to Nielsen. That represents almost 6 percent of households in the region.

Early this year, the administration persuaded Congress to postpone completion of the transition to June, from February, and to provide another $650 million, mostly for coupons for converter boxes, on top of the $1.5 billion that had already been spent by the Bush administration.

The Obama administration has enlisted dozens of groups, including AmeriCorps, the national volunteer organization, civil rights groups and even firefighters to help people install the converter boxes and antennas. The program is the most ambitious technology transition effort since the Clinton administration’s enormous Y2K program, which was set up to avert major software problems caused by the inability of computers to process data beginning on Jan. 1, 2000.

Concerned about a possible political reaction, President Obama issued a statement on Thursday urging consumers to take steps so they do not lose television reception. “We have worked hand in hand with state and local officials, broadcasters and community groups to educate and assist millions of Americans with the transition,” Mr. Obama said.

“I want to be clear: there will not be another delay,” the statement added.

Other officials said that the high number of households reflected the inclination of Americans to put things off.

“There are so many people who are always waiting until the last minute, whether it is college students doing term papers, or people filing taxes, or people like me who wait until Christmas Eve to do their shopping,” said the commerce secretary, Gary F. Locke, in an interview on Friday.

While applauding the government efforts, he said he was frustrated that the early public service announcements did not provide specific enough information about the problem.

“Earlier on we could have more crisply and clearly indicated who was affected by the switch,” he said. “I’ve been critical of the public service announcements that just say, ‘The switch is coming’ or ‘Are you ready?’ ”

He added: “Too many people don’t know the difference between digital and analog. I didn’t even know myself until a few months ago when my brother-in-law explained it to me.”

Analog technology transmits a video signal through an electronic impulse. Digital technology breaks the signal into 1’s and 0’s, allowing far more data to be transmitted through a far smaller amount of broadcast spectrum.

The transition has already been a huge windfall to television and equipment makers and retailers, as millions of consumers have had to buy digital television sets or converter boxes and special antennas for their old sets.

Shawn G. DuBravac, chief economist at the Consumer Electronics Association, said that sales of digital television sets were up 32 percent this year over the comparable period in 2008, even in the midst of a deep recession. Other officials at the association said the spike in sales was attributable to many factors, including declining prices and availability of more programs in digital, as well as the mandatory transition.

But consumer experts said that many households were buying more expensive television sets and equipment than they needed to continue to receive television signals. Polls by Consumer Reports found that many people were aware of the transition but were confused about how to navigate it, said Joel Kelsey, a policy analyst at Consumers Union.

Bracing for a wave of complaints, the Federal Communications Commission is preparing to fully staff a $40 million call center on Friday and through the weekend. The government will also continue to supply $40 coupons to households toward the purchase of converter boxes.

Officials advised consumers to rescan the channels of their television sets after the conversion was completed on Friday to make sure they were pulling in all the correct signals.

The conversion is the final step in a long-running plan for more efficient use of the broadcast spectrum. The plan took spectrum licenses from broadcasters, replacing them with other frequencies. It will reallocate some of the broadcasters’ former spectrum to public safety providers. Other frequencies were sold for billions of dollars, primarily to the large wireless telephone companies, whose demand for spectrum has risen with the proliferation of hand-held devices that can surf the Internet and send and receive e-mail.

Consumers seeking assistance on how to upgrade their television sets or on the availability of digital stations in their communities can go to www.dtv.gov or call the government hot line on the transition at 1-888-CALLFCC (1-888-225-5322).