Elaine Kloepfel has two televisions in her apartment.

The 72-year-old Madison woman watches an 8-year-old, 25-inch set in her den and a 22-year-old, 12-inch Quasar in her bedroom and wants to make sure she can still use the analog sets when most television stations nationwide only broadcast a digital signal.

Kloepfel also wants to make sure she can still use her VCR to record "Dancing with the Stars" on ABC and old movies on Wisconsin Public Television.

That's why she was one of about 45 people who attended an informational meeting Wednesday at Monona Terrace about digital television conversion, which takes place Feb. 17. After that date, analog televisions will be unable to get over-the-air broadcast signals unless they are equipped with a converter box.

Those with digital televisions will not need converter boxes. Subscribers to cable and satellite TV services will not need a converter box to receive a local station's primary channel.

"I'm trying to keep up" with technology, Kloepfel said. "I'll have to fiddle with it and then I'll probably have to call someone to help."

Wednesday's meeting, sponsored by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, was the last of six regional information sessions held throughout the state and designed to help people better understand the change.

About 23 percent of Wisconsin households get their television signal through an antenna, the third highest rate in the country. In Dane County, the rate is about 25 percent, said Michelle Vetterkind, president of the WBA, a trade association for radio and television stations in the state.

"I believe we have an exciting challenge ahead of us," Vetterkind said of educating television viewers about the change.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is issuing coupons, valued at $40 each, which can be redeemed for converter boxes. Of the 6.6 million coupons requested as of March 1, 200,000 have been requested from Wisconsin households, Vetterkind said.

The digital conversion will add stations to the local list of offerings. WISC-TV (Ch. 3) for example, has two digital stations, while WHA-TV (Ch. 21) has five digital channels, all offering different programming.

"It's not scary. It's really very basic," said Leonard Charles, director of engineering for Morgan Murphy Media, which includes WISC.

For more information about digital conversion and to order converter-box coupons, call 888-388-2009 or go to www.dtvtransition.org.