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OTA Channel List – Aug 2017
I did a scan tonight and found FIVE new channels I wasn’t aware of. If you have an antenna, do a channel scan on your tv to find the new channels. ION, 24/7 PBS Kids, TBD TV, American Sports Network, and QVC. Here is an updated list of stations from Madison that we can receive in Platteville~! All primary channels are broadcast in 1080i or 720p HD, with the exception of CW, all subchannels are 480i. 3.1 CBS channel3000.com3.2 MyN mynetworktv.com3.3 ION iontelevision.com15.1 NBC nbc15.com15.2 CW cwtv.com15.3 Antenna TV antennatv.tv15.4 Weather weathernationtv.com21.1 PBS wpt.org21.2 Wisconsin wpt.org/wisconsinchannel21.3 Create createtv.com21.4 PBS Kids pbskids.org27.1 ABC wkow.com27.2 Me-TV metvnetwork.com27.3 Decades decades.com40.1 Christian kfxb.net47.1 FOX fox47.com47.2 Comet comettv.com47.3 Charge watchcharge.com47.4 TBD tbd.com57.1 Independent wi57.tv57.2 Movies! moviestvnetwork.com57.3 H&I handitvnetwork.com57.4 ASN americansportsnet.com57.5 QVC qvc.com
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Amazon Fire TV or Roku TV?
I think the Amazon Fire TV will replace my current recommendation for the Roku TV as my favorite “Over The Air” receiver. Just like the Roku TV, the Fire TV will have the ability to pause and rewind live TV. However, Fire TV adds the ability to pull up a TV Guide. A feature I sorely miss from my cable days and I supplement with a TV Guide app on my phone. You can checkout the features here:Fire 55 inch TV: http://amzn.to/2xKWMtwRoku 55 inch TV: http://amzn.to/2xtrrLb
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Cord Cutters and Data Caps
As people stream more video you may run into Data Caps. The average Platteville resident with CenturyLink internet has a 250GB Data Cap. Note: There are no Data Caps for the 1Gbs service. Some rough numbers from Netflix and SlingTV put HD streaming at 750MB/hour and SD streaming at about 400MB/hour. If you only watch HD streams, you would hit 80% of your 300GB monthly data cap after 63 hours/week. Not too shabby. What about UHD 4K streams? Netflix estimates those at 4-8GB/hour. If you only watch 4K streams, you would hit 80% of your 300GB monthly data cap after a mere 5-12 hours/week. Yikes ! http://www.centurylink.com/aboutus/legal/internet-service-disclosure.html
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OTA: Metal Monster
Source: https://www.antennasdirect.com/store/91XG-Ultra-Long-Range-DTV-Antenna.html Have you seen antennas that look like this around Platteville? You will usually see them on 30 foot towers. This is a long range UHF and VHF combination antenna. Those antennas are expensive to have installed (the tower is the bulk of the cost). The height rule for VHF reception is 8 feet above your neighbor’s home OR 32 feet above ground. Meaning that a tower is normally required to get the needed clearance. But did you know that Platteville receives no VHF channels?? All that height is overkill for the shorter waveform UHF reception. For reception of Madison TV channels in Platteville, you need a good UHF only…
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Shullsburg is full of Smart People
I took a drive through Shullsburg last weekend, keeping my eyes out for home antennas and towers. Unlike Platteville, I found that nearly every home I saw in Shullsburg had a bow tie reflector type antenna that I recommend. Most were the 4-way ones (DB4 and Clearstream2). While in Platteville I still recommend 8-way type such as the DB8 or Clearstream4. A quick review of tvfool for Shullsburg shows that they have 40 dBm more signal than Platteville. So I imagine that they can get away with a smaller 4-way antennas and no powered pre-amp.
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OTA Secrets
What is the secret to good TV antenna reception? Using the right Hardware and Aiming. Hardware You have to look at every part of the chain from the antenna to your TV. They all affect signal quality. – Antenna – Collect as much signal as possible – Balun – Older baluns can be less efficient – Amplifier – Low noise and mounted near antenna – Cables – Length is the important number. However, older cables can be leaky and may need replacing – Splitters & Connectors – Limit your number of splitters and connectors. Use exact cable lengths wherever possible. http://www.hdtvprimer.com/antennas/basics.html Aiming The success of your antenna reception is highly dependent on good aiming strategy.…
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OTA: Antenna Class!
Last fall, I taught an over-the-air antenna class at the local library. I broke down each step of how to receive free TV broadcasts from Madison. Over 75 miles away ! The first half of the class was a slide show, the second half was the interactive portion. I asked for addresses and we pulled up the reception maps for the attendees to discuss real world reception and aiming strategies. What is the secret to Platteville TV Reception? • Have a good aiming strategy using tvfool.com and a Sighting Compass • Choose an appropriate mounting location. • Route your coax cable through your home’s ground block for static and lightning protection. • Every step…