General LF Discussion

[mightynine]

All IntelliStar SD's are gradually being replaced by one of the newer models.

So are you saying the current IS models can go into Weatherscan mode?

[Eric]

All IntelliStar SD's are gradually being replaced by one of the newer models.

So are you saying the current IS models can go into Weatherscan mode?

They have different software installed.  The regular TWC Intellistars are programmed for the local forecasts, LDL, and so on, while the Weatherscan IntelliStars have a different software package installed.  One can't just be swapped for the other with the press of a button.

[Weatherman99]

This just came to me the other day, but anyone think this will affect Weatherscan's fate? Since it's essentially the same hardware (and likely the same feed) as the domestic IS. 

I think weatherscan can share the feed from the IS2 SD as well as the IS2 Jr. But since the IS1 is soon to abolish, you can't rule out that weatherscan intelliStars could become extinct as well as the IS1 units. Not sure what TWC has planned for the remaining weatherscan intelliStars.

[Tyler]

All IntelliStar SD's are gradually being replaced by one of the newer models.

So are you saying the current IS models can go into Weatherscan mode?

No I'm talking about TWC not Weathercan. All SD Istars on TWC are gradually being upgraded. Weatherscans fate is undetermined though I'd say it's future looks grim.

[Eric]

No I'm talking about TWC not Weathercan. All SD Istars on TWC are gradually being upgraded. Weatherscans fate is undetermined though I'd say it's future looks grim.

It's been posted in this forum for quite a while now that there are simply no Weatherscan updates in the works at all.  In other words, what already exists will continue to exist as it is, no better and no worse, simply because nothing's changing.  Eventually the IntelliStar units will begin to wear out.  What will happen when this becomes an issue?  I don't know.  Maybe there's still a stock of replacement units that can be shipped out.  Or, most likely, maybe the service will just be allowed to die off as IntelliStars begin to stop working, one by one, or as cable companies quietly drop the service, until Weatherscan simply ceases to be.  Or, also a possibility, maybe The Weather Channel will just discontinue the service on its own one of these days.

So, grim, perhaps, but it's not dead quite yet.

[cc17926]

Hasn't anyone visited the thought that with all of the recovered IS1's, they could be used as spare parts for Weatherscan units..?

[luesjo12]

Hasn't anyone visited the thought that with all of the recovered IS1's, they could be used as spare parts for Weatherscan units..?

That is very true, but the FCC would probably not allow weatherscan to remain on air without a method of reading out Warning/Watch/Advisory crawls. After all, that's one of the main reasons why the IntelliStar units are being replaced.

[cc17926]

Hasn't anyone visited the thought that with all of the recovered IS1's, they could be used as spare parts for Weatherscan units..?

That is very true, but the FCC would probably not allow weatherscan to remain on air without a method of reading out Warning/Watch/Advisory crawls. After all, that's one of the main reasons why the IntelliStar units are being replaced.

I've always wondered about how much jurisdiction the FCC has over a cable channel. I thought if it was broadcast OTA, it would have to follow these rules. Is this documented by the FCC somewhere?? If there was such a rule by then, when was it updated?

[luesjo12]

Hasn't anyone visited the thought that with all of the recovered IS1's, they could be used as spare parts for Weatherscan units..?

That is very true, but the FCC would probably not allow weatherscan to remain on air without a method of reading out Warning/Watch/Advisory crawls. After all, that's one of the main reasons why the IntelliStar units are being replaced.

I've always wondered about how much jurisdiction the FCC has over a cable channel. I thought if it was broadcast OTA, it would have to follow these rules. Is this documented by the FCC somewhere?? If there was such a rule by then, when was it updated?

I found a pretty long PDF on the FCC website about a waiver that extended the audible crawl rule deadline. https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-15-632A1.pdf
I also found this PDF from NAB that also talks more about the Audible crawl rule, but in simpler, shorter terms. According to NAB's PDF, any crawl that a TV station airs during non newscast programming or during an Emergency Alert System activation must be read aurally using a second audio stream.
http://www.nab.org/xert/sciTech/2015/TV01262015.pdf
What I didn't find was if cable networks needed to abide by the FCC rule.

[Evan2015]

No I'm talking about TWC not Weathercan. All SD Istars on TWC are gradually being upgraded. Weatherscans fate is undetermined though I'd say it's future looks grim.

It's been posted in this forum for quite a while now that there are simply no Weatherscan updates in the works at all.  In other words, what already exists will continue to exist as it is, no better and no worse, simply because nothing's changing.  Eventually the IntelliStar units will begin to wear out.  What will happen when this becomes an issue?  I don't know.  Maybe there's still a stock of replacement units that can be shipped out.  Or, most likely, maybe the service will just be allowed to die off as IntelliStars begin to stop working, one by one, or as cable companies quietly drop the service, until Weatherscan simply ceases to be.  Or, also a possibility, maybe The Weather Channel will just discontinue the service on its own one of these days.

So, grim, perhaps, but it's not dead quite yet.

I would imagine that this is the most likely course. It would probably cost TWC too much to recall all of the units or issue replacement parts. I do know they were still doing this as of last December though, so...

In any case, TWC is still signing agreements with cable providers keeping WxScan through at least 2018 so, it's not going anywhere for at least the immediate future.

[WeatherSTARIII]

I haven't posted anything LF-related for a long time now (since I haven't had cable since 2008). But just two days ago, while visiting a hotel (since my stupid AC broke), I just found out that my lone cable system (Comcast) just recently replaced their IntelliStar with the IntelliStar 2. It turns out IntelliStar #22878 (Peoria, IL) is no more. I'm not sure when exactly it was replaced, but it's the first time I've ever seen the IntelliStar 2 in person.

But here is the catch, the hotel room I was in simulcasts the actual HD feed of TWC, but no IS2 (not even local commercials). Yet, I channel surfed most of the other cable channels on the hotel HDTV (all of the channels appear to be all HD feeds of most major cable networks), and when I tuned to CNN, a local commercial came on that also featured some Xfinity related-promos. In the hotel lobby however, the HDTV was tuned to what appeared to be Comcast's fake "SD feed" of TWC and the weird thing is, I saw the IS2, but letterboxed. So it appears that the hotel I was in was simulcasting from Comcast (even in the lobby).

I still wish cable systems would stop down converting their IS2s to make a fake digital MPEG-2 "SD feed" that's fully letterboxed and use the IS2 only on the actual MPEG-4 HD feed. I also wish cable systems would combine both the IS2 for the HD simulcast and the IS2Jr. for the SD simulcast so that way, the actual SD simulcast wouldn't be letterboxed and still have the main IS2 shown only on the actual HD simulcast plus the IS2Jr. on the SD simulcast. It's still a waste of bandwidth.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera with me or a TV tuner capture adapter.

[TWCJim]

I still wish cable systems would stop down converting their IS2s to make a fake digital MPEG-2 "SD feed" that's fully letterboxed and use the IS2 only on the actual MPEG-4 HD feed. I also wish cable systems would combine both the IS2 for the HD simulcast and the IS2Jr. for the SD simulcast so that way, the actual SD simulcast wouldn't be letterboxed and still have the main IS2 shown only on the actual HD simulcast plus the IS2Jr. on the SD simulcast. It's still a waste of bandwidth.

The thing is, most headends prefer to just having the IS2 and the HD feed simulcast alone, primarily to avoid the time and money maintaining another STAR (i.e. the IS2 Jr). The acquisition of a STAR system isn't exactly priority number one for a lot of cable headends (e.g. think of Comcast and their X1 DVR systems) even though The Weather Channel requires headends with the TV network to do so.

Also, I do like the idea of running the IS2 Jr through an IS2/HD feed simulcast, but that idea seems technologically impossible IMO.   Even if it was possible, the trouble is that headends would have to program the IS2 to not display LFs and only LDLs, vice versa for the IS2 Jr. Another problem is that you'd probably be hearing Cantore's narrations twice during LFs like an echo effect, because the IS2 HD would be simultaneously running in the background behind the IS2 Jr. So, the thought of running an IS2 Jr through a letterboxed HD feed simulcast may sound great, but as I said, that idea is technologically impossible.

[WeatherSTAR]

Xfinity in my local area still has the IS1 and Weatherscan. I've been wondering the exact thing myself, and I've been watching TWC more recently to see if they've yet to upgrade.

As of this morning, IntelliSTAR #22941 (Comcast/Xfinity) has been retired after a 9-day outage. It was replaced with an I2jr. Weatherscan continues to live on.
IS #22941's Replacement

[Trevor]

No video, but #24745 in Memphis on Comcast is dead too. Finally got the IS2 and it's being letterboxed on SD.

[tpirfan28]

Those with Comcast/Xfinity headends please post if you get the HD Local when your SD Star changes, please.