Monday evening's first test of digital television in Pittsburgh -- seven stations shut off their analog signals for two minutes -- resulted in 2,178 calls between 6 and 7 p.m. from viewers who were alerted they were not prepared for the digital transition that happens in February.

It's estimated that 7.7 percent of local homes -- about 85,000 households -- receive TV signals over-the-air and could be unprepared for the transition to digital TV.

Annette Parks, director of engineering at WPXI, said local stations expected Monday's test to generate between 2,500 to 3,500 calls based on Nielsen data and the experiences of broadcasters who have already conducted tests in other TV markets.

"It went pretty much as we thought it would," she said.

In addition to the test on KDKA, WPGH, WPXI, WTAE, WQED, WPMY and WPCB, Channel 11 staffed a phone bank and took 185 calls from its viewers.

"The purpose was to provide information about the transition itself, but it turned into a troubleshooting session," Parks said. "There were questions about antennas, about coupons [for the analog-to-digital converter boxes]."

Additional DTV preparedness tests will be held in the coming weeks with the first likely to happen Dec. 1 during the noon news. (Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV editor)

The fifth season of "Top Chef" set in the Big Apple is spelling big ratings for Bravo.

Last Wednesday's premiere of the network's "Top Chef: New York" served up the show's highest-rated premiere ever, topping all key demos on cable in its time period.

The super-sized debut of the cooking competition show at 10 p.m. drew 2.7 million viewers (1.87 million adults 18-49). Compared to last season's "Top Chef: Chicago" March premiere, "New York's" opener increased viewership by 27 percent in the adult demo and 19 percent among viewers overall. (Zap2it.com)