Get ready for digital TV.(LAB TESTS)(Product/service evaluation)

By now, you're probably aware that most U.S. broadcasters will stop transmitting analog signals on Feb. 17 and will switch completely to digital broadcasts.

Then you'll need a digital tuner, called an ATSC tuner, to continue getting free TV programming via an antenna. Many sets that are more than a few years old, including most picture-tube TVs, don't have a digital tuner. To keep using them without paying for cable or satellite, you'll need a DTV converter box.

At press time, there were more than 60 boxes available online and at retail stores. Prices range from about $50 to $90, but you can use a $40 government coupon to defray the cost. Call 888-388-2009 or go to www.dtv2009.gov to request coupons.

In our exclusive tests of 24 boxes, all were able to convert broadcast digital signals from our rooftop antenna into analog signals that an older TV can accept. All produced picture quality that was at least as good as a typical analog broadcast, and many were better, with some approaching DVD quality. Audio was generally fine.

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They also performed comparably in their ability to pull in digital stations to our Yonkers, N.Y., location and in lab tests designed to see how well they handled progressively weaker signals. The number of digital channels that will be available to you and the quality of reception depends on the number of digital channels in your area, distance from the broadcast antenna, and local terrain.

(For more on the transition, see our online guide at www.ConsumerReports.org/DTV.)