Spectrum switched from analog to digital service Tuesday

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Spectrum, the cable television provider that serves the city, switched from analog to digital service Tuesday, leaving some residents confused as to why their television wasn’t working.

The company had sent out notices in advance, advising customers how to obtain the new component that must be connected to televisions to ensure that cable service continues uninterrupted.

But apparently, not all customers took heed Tuesday and had to call the local office for information.

Bill Morand, Spectrum spokesman for the Youngstown area, could not say how many customers in the city called the company, but he said they were similar to the numbers for other cities on the day the changeover occurred.

“There is always a certain percentage of customers who either missed the notification, or didn’t think it was real, or didn’t take action, and they wind up without television when they wake up in the morning,” he said. “The last few changeovers have been minor [in terms of number of customers who failed to take action].”

Youngstown customers can request a digital box at spectrum.com or by calling 800-892-4357.

“They can go to our website and request digital equipment that way,” said Morand. “The self-installation is a breeze. It takes a few minutes.”

Digital delivery represents a vast improvement over analog, said Morand. “It is a far superior product, with way more capacity, more channels, and the signal is the highest quality and uses less bandwidth.”