Milwaukee HDTV User Group

The ATSC 3.0 standard accommodates 4K transmission. The FCC's framework for rolling out a new ATSC 3.0 advanced television transmission standard will become effective the first week in March, which should give us some timelines. It will take a while, I'm sure. See an article that provides a good overview of ATSC 3.0 at:
https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/atsc-3-0-ota-broadcast-standard-4k-dolby-atmos/3/

I'm sure everything is on hold until the ownership transfer to Charter...  We'll probably see the Wisconsin Charter lineup be introduced sometime thereafter.

I've been happy with DirecTV since switching from Charter cable.  The sports packages are great, and I've been pleased with the video quality.  The signal only drops out when a major storm is going through and the clouds are really thick up there.  In a year, it's happened to me once.  

Something to consider is how many TV's you want to have on the service.  With cable, you can hook up multiple TV's and get a good lineup of analog channels for your "non-primary" TV sets that's included in your cost of service.  With sat service, you need a receiver at each TV... for an additional charge per month per receiver.  In my case, I have my "non-primary" TV's on antenna service which is fine for the news and major network programming.  It's just another aspect to consider.

Does this tuner have a signal strength meter?

I have Charter and I've noticed this problem when viewing their SD feed of FOX6 through a KWorld QAM tuner converter box.  The video and audio pause, the picture jumps for a second, then the normal signal comes back.  It seems to happen when the station is going into a local break.  It reminds me of the old days when a station would cut to network without using a frame sync, creating a momentary vertical roll.

Quote from: Tivoman44;55114Competition is great and i only wish WI had passed the cable competition bill a few years ago

Wisconsin DID pass the cable competition bill 2 years ago and all video providers are licensed on a state-wide basis.  Hard to tell, though... bills have gone up and certain channels/services aren't available on all systems.  I think cable operators (Charter, TWC) have an agreement to not build out over each other's territories.

As I understand it, TWC "streams" channels 2-99 (higher channels also) out to neighborhoods from the headend using VOIP.  In your neighborhood, channels 2-99 are converted to analog and sent to your home.  Sometimes I notice that the channels look slightly digitized and not as clear as they used to when they were analog all the way through to your home.  It's the price of progress, I guess...

Quote from: ArgMeMatey;54985Does it require PEG fees to be used for PEG channels?  Last time I checked, Time Warners was collecting PEG fees for Shorewood, and those checks went straight into the general fund coffers.  I'm not aware of any PEG channel for Shorewood, however.

As I understand it, communities don't have to charge the 1% fee, it would only be if they had an access channel of their own and the funds could only be used for capital equipment expenses.  This is not to be confused with the 5% Franchise Fee that communities collect... they can use those funds for whatever they see fit.

There is a hearing scheduled for this Wednesday, 2/24, in the afternoon during the meeting of the Committee on Urban and Local Affairs at the state capitol.  It will probably be televised on Wisconsin Eye.  

Main provisions of AB-721 include: (from Save Access TV website)
1.  Allow communities to keep up to a 1% PEG Fee. (Many communities have already been collecting this for their channels, but it sunsets at the end of this year)
2.  Require video providers to pay for transmission equipment. (Without this, it can be cost-prohibitive to connect to U-verse, for example)
3.  Require video providers to carry PEG channels "without degradation."  (PEG channels on Charter systems have been moved to channels that experience interference from the FM radio band)
4.  Require video providers to put our channels on the basic tier so ALL subscribers can view them. (Not digital-only)
5.  Require video providers to carry community television with the same "functionality" as basic broadcast stations. (On U-verse they must be accessed through menus)

Since they installed the new antenna, my reception of FOX6 up here in Oshkosh has been much more reliable.  Actually, the last few days I haven't had any breakup at all... it depends on the atmospheric conditions, though.

Here is a summary of the provisions:

http://saveaccesstvwisconsin.org/htdocs/documents/WhytheStateLegislatureNeedstoActthisSession.pdf

From the WAPC (Wis. Ass'n. of PEG Channels) website, the bill accomplishes:

1. Act 42 fundamentals will still be in place

2. Improvements will be made to PEG access television's financial outlook, availabililty and transmission responsiblity.

3. Consumer protections will be strengthened.

4. Broadband development will be encouraged


It seems silly to me that the Dept. of Financial Institutions currently takes cable complaints and such... the new bill moves that responsibility to the Public Service Commission which seems like where it should've been in the first place.  

AB606 also protects local PEG channels from disappearing.  Now more than ever we need to keep an eye on our local government meetings, and these channels are the way to do that.  

In my read of it, AB606 is an improvement over what "TV4Us" (AT&T) convinced Madison was best two years ago.  Where are the lower prices they promised?

Up here in Oshkosh, I have a difficult time receiving WTMJ.  When the other Milwaukee stations are coming in (except WBME), WTMJ will either be breaking up or just not be there at all.  It takes good conditions to be able to receive a stable signal.  I have a very good antenna system and amplifier (91XG & CM-7777), but for some reason their signal has never carried well up here.

I can see an improvement in FOX6's signal up here in Oshkosh.  When WISN and WTMJ (for example) are breaking up into tiles, FOX6 is still solid.  In the past, they would've been breaking up also.  It's a welcome improvement.  Thanks for spending the money and making the effort to do this work!!!

I just bought a KWorld SA290-Q LE from Newegg and installed it this weekend.  It's working great.  Mine doesn't have HDMI out, but I'm using the component output.  On Charter cable, I'm able to receive all the Music Choice channels plus maybe 50 other channels of broadcast TV, regional local access stations, C-SPAN and Wisconsin Eye.  You just have to get used to the goofy channel numbers, for example I have to enter 90-1002 to get TMJ-4.  The channel numbers, I've been told, stay consistent.  I know that Time Warner shuffles the channel numbers frequently.

The video quality from the unit is good so far, I would recommend it.  Note that I'm watching it on a 13" standard def TV that has a component input (no hi-def monitor), but it works nicely as a converter for the old TV.