• Q: I have gone through several hurricanes, and the most important thing that helped during those difficult times was the ability to get emergency broadcasts on a battery-powered, portable TV set.

Now, they're stating that analog signals will become a thing of the past. How are we going to get television signals during a hurricane or a severe storm?

I haven't heard any news broadcasters talking about this, nor have I seen any portable, battery-operated digital TVs being sold.

Why is this not being discussed?

• A: First, let's get this straight: The digital conversion doesn't take place until Feb. 17, 2009, so you can still use your portable analog set this coming hurricane season.

Secondly, let's not forget that good ole battery-powered radios won't be affected by the digital conversion. In fact, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) recommends having an AM/FM radio on hand during an emergency, as well as a NOAA weather radio with ''SAME'' encoding, which delivers alerts pertinent to your specific area. Plus, radios are much cheaper than TVs.

Indeed, after the switch, analog TV sets won't be able to pick up digital signals. Pickings are currently slim for portable, battery-powered, digital TVs; as Action Line pointed out on Feb. 23, we found prices hovering in the $200 range. However, it's likely that the supply will increase -- and prices diminish -- later in the year.

''It's a hard market for a digital portable TV,'' Megan Pollock of the Consumer Electronics Association said. ``As we get closer, and if the market demands it, we're going to see more sets come out.''

Still, you needn't hold your breath. If you have a laptop, you can buy a TV tuner that plugs into your computer's USB port. No Internet connection necessary: It picks up digital airwaves on its own. We've found prices at big-box retailers ranging from $60 to $150.

If you bought a portable set in recent years and are not sure if it's digital or analog, check whether it's marked ''ATSC'' (digital standard) or ''NTSC'' (analog).

• 

• Q: I've received my digital TV converter box coupon, which I have to use by June. I have a 2-year-old VCR; can I hook it up to the converter box?

• A: To play back a video on your set, proceed as you normally would, connecting the VCR directly into the TV. However, to record a program playing on an analog set hooked up to a digital converter box, starting Feb. 19, 2009, you'll need a separate converter box for the VCR, unless it's already equipped internally with a digital tuner. Most recent models are, so yours is probably digital-ready. If you have any doubts, check with the VCR's manufacturer.

For more frequently asked questions on the upcoming analog-to-digital conversion, visit www.dtv.gov or call 888-CALL-FCC (888-225-5322), toll-free.

• 

• Q: I've heard that you can get a converter box for free or rather cheap so that you won't have to buy a new high-definition TV in the future. How does one go about this? Would Action Line explain?

• A: Sure. There's a lot of confusion over the transition to digital TV, and in this case, you're confusing two separate issues: digital TV (DTV) and high-definition TV (HDTV).

People with an analog-only television set that receives a broadcast (airwave) signal with an antenna -- rabbit ears on the TV or a rooftop antenna -- are going to need to take action in order to keep receiving television signals after Feb. 17, 2009. Vouchers for $40 toward the purchase of a converter boxes can be requested at www.dtv2009.gov or by calling 888-DTV-2009.

Originally, all TV signals were broadcast over the airwaves by analog signal, but after federal legislation passed in 1996, broadcasts also were transmitted in a digital format on another frequency. Analog signals will be discontinued in February 2009, which is why a converter box will be needed for analog-only television sets.

If you purchased a television within the past decade, it probably came with a built-in digital tuner -- look for information on the set. If that's the case, you don't need to do anything.

HDTV requires a digital signal plus a television that receives the HDTV signal. Regular DTV can't pick up the HDTV format, and many programs aren't yet available in HDTV format anyway. Expect to pay considerably more -- $800 to $5,000, depending on screen size -- for a television that displays HDTV signals.

Cable and satellite television will continue to be received as usual.

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