Messages

121

Programming and Graphics / Re: New TWC show: Fat Guys in the Woods

« on: June 23, 2014, 01:23:14 AM »

This is as weather-related as that series about building skyscrapers in New York City was.  If it rains, the people get wet.  If the temperature's high, the people get hot.  That's about where it ends.

122

Programming and Graphics / Re: New TWC show: Fat Guys in the Woods

« on: June 20, 2014, 09:21:50 AM »

They don't.  Media companies today aren't that interested in very narrow topics for their channels.  They want as broad a base as possible to attract many different people, not only those who are interested in, in this case, weather forecasts.  More people = more advertising money.

Perhaps sports remain the only major exception.  Just think... TLC used to show educational programming, and now it's Honey Boo Boo and pregnant teenagers.  A&E used to be literally Arts and Entertainment.  Bravo - same thing.

But look what happened with G4 for example: when it first went on the air in 2002, it was originally a video game and technology-themed channel. After when G4 bought out TechTV in 2004, Comcast (the owners of G4) wanted to reformat as a reality-themed channel. Obviously, that concept flopped. Same thing happened with Fox Reality Channel, it too also failed in the ratings. It seems like every cable network wants to show reality television these days.

But of course.  So-called "reality TV" is usually among the cheapest programming that can be made, and, since it's still the "hot thing" out there, it generally attracts the most viewers from the widest possible audiences.  There's no question that a large amount of programming has little to offer in terms of culture, but it does entertain - by its very nature there's suspense built right into the program from start to finish, whether it's a competition or a big rig driver trying to cross a snow-covered highway.  And did I mention it's cheap?  No script writers, the "stars" are paid less than big Hollywood union actors, and so on.

In the case of The Weather Channel, it could continue to attract a small but loyal following of viewers who tune in periodically for weather information, plus an even smaller but very loyal following who watch the channel religiously, but that would still alienate the majority of the viewing population who would tune to the channel either very briefly and irregularly or not at all.  Or... it could fill the schedule with reality TV to attract a much wider audience that isn't interested in weather forecasts, but wants to watch reality programming... as if they don't watch already.

NBC, like the rest of the commercial media in the United States, isn't in business to "educate, inform, and entertain."  It's in business to make money, and it makes money by selling advertising time.  When you think about it, the commercials are the real reason for television, and any programming around it, which just might be "educational, informational, and entertaining," is just filler to make sure people watch the commercials.  That's why there's always so much uproar whenever some new piece of technology comes out to allow a viewer to bypass commercials.  First VCRs, then recordable DVDs, then DVRs... the more ways people have to not watch commercials, the less value advertisers think they get for their money, and the more worried the broadcasters get that they're not going to earn as much money as they have been previously.  (Many already aren't.)

I already mentioned how TLC used to be The Learning Channel.  There isn't a chance in heck they'd go back to showing educational documentaries and classroom-type programming.  Honey Boo Boo, pregnant teens, and couples rushing all over the place to get married make the network a heck of a lot more money than ad-free Cable in the Classroom programming and documentaries about the various kinds of rocks one finds underground, for example.  TLC has abandoned its roots so thoroughly I doubt too many people younger than I am even know what TLC originally stood for.  The Weather Channel seems to be veering ever closer to that same edge.  The day will come when it either just stops showing weather programming altogether and either changes its name to TWC, or The Weather Channel becomes a channel showing weather-themed reality shows, but no forecasts.  And then TWC will find its own Honey Boo Boo and be like every other network out there.

123

Programming and Graphics / Re: New TWC show: Fat Guys in the Woods

« on: June 19, 2014, 10:39:34 PM »

I agree. NBC/Comcrap just doesn't seem to care about improving TWC.

They don't.  Media companies today aren't that interested in very narrow topics for their channels.  They want as broad a base as possible to attract many different people, not only those who are interested in, in this case, weather forecasts.  More people = more advertising money.

Perhaps sports remain the only major exception.  Just think... TLC used to show educational programming, and now it's Honey Boo Boo and pregnant teenagers.  A&E used to be literally Arts and Entertainment.  Bravo - same thing.

124

Local Forecast / Re: General LF Discussion

« on: June 19, 2014, 12:20:21 PM »

I love it - it's the do-it-yourself forecast segment!  You're given the current conditions and a radar in motion, and it's up to you to figure out what comes next!

125

General Discussion / Re: HELP with make a software

« on: June 12, 2014, 01:39:57 AM »

Please don't yell and please don't beg.

If someone has the knowledge you're looking for and is willing to donate his or her time to assist you, great.  If not, I'm sure there are other people you can ask in other places.

Just keep in mind that the more you beg, the less likely people are going to be willing to help you.

126

General Discussion / Re: The Front Porch

« on: June 08, 2014, 09:53:05 AM »

So she dresses warmly but wants the air around her to be very cold?  Yikes.

127

General Discussion / Re: The Front Porch

« on: June 07, 2014, 10:08:53 PM »

If you split the electric bill 50/50, you might want to suggest that if she wants to keep the apartment colder than you'd like all the time, maybe she should pay a larger share of the electric bill since she's the one using the extra energy to keep things cold.

A more sensible position would be to simply split the difference between her ideal temperature and yours.  If she likes the apartment at, say, 70°, and you like it at 76°, then you should set the thermostat at 73°.

128

Your Local Weather / Re: Daytona Beach sunset

« on: June 04, 2014, 11:53:58 AM »

My computer faces a window, and as I was using it I just happened to notice a lot of red reflecting everywhere.  I looked up, saw this beautiful sunset, grabbed my camera, and ran (literally ran) outside and took a few photos.  This one came out the best, so it's the one I've been sharing everywhere.

129

Local Forecast / Re: 4000/XL/Jr. - The End Is Near

« on: June 04, 2014, 01:02:22 AM »

Nostalgia's all good and everything, but why is everyone crying over computers that are over 20 years old?  As much as I miss TWC's glory days, I'd be extremely upset if I woke up in the morning to find out that my cable operator's downgraded to anything less than an IntelliStar.  I like to look at up-to-date graphics generated by a modern-generation computer.

130

Your Local Weather / Daytona Beach sunset

« on: June 03, 2014, 10:10:52 PM »

I looked out the window earlier this evening and the sky was blood red.  I couldn't help but to run outside with a camera.

131

Everything Else TWC / Re: General TWC Discussion

« on: June 02, 2014, 12:02:45 PM »

There supposedly is a dual-feed for TWC viewers that have cable in an area that severe weather is occurring, but what about the many viewers that have satellite? Since those customers don't see local STARs unlike cable subscribers, I assume they're unable to receive the severe weather coverage. This dual-feed system definitely has some big flaws.

Not only do they need to have cable, but they need to have access to an IntelliStar and hope that the IntelliStar is properly configured to receive the proper dual feed signal.

You're right - the dual feed has serious issues.  I have no idea what the proportion is, but it would be interesting to know what percentage of TWC's viewers watch on satellite, or subscribe to a cable company that doesn't have Stars to begin with (is AT&T's one of them?), or have a Star that isn't an IntelliStar.

I can understand the rationale behind the dual feed: relevant breaking weather information gets sent to those who need to watch it while everyone else isn't "interrupted" with news about what isn't happening to them.  That said, there are actually plenty of people watching TWC who want to see news about severe weather, regardless of where it's happening.  And, given the very strict technical requirements for successfully getting a dual feed to the right audience, there are certainly plenty of people in an area receiving a dual feed at any given time who just aren't able to watch it, period.

132

Local Forecast / Re: 4000/XL/Jr. - The End Is Near

« on: June 02, 2014, 11:58:32 AM »

Maybe there's more sentimental employees at TWC than we realize.

I'm sure there has to be a legitimate business reason behind delaying cutting off the analogue feed other than that enough people at TWC are "sentimental" about the legacy STARs.  This is a large country with a huge number of headends, and, even with plenty of advance notice, chances are not everyone's going to be ready for such a major change.  Given the choice between meeting its deadline but losing viewers or quietly extending the deadline in the hope that those headends that haven't caught up to modernity yet eventually will, TWC would much rather retain viewers through the use of antiquated equipment.

I'm sure not every headend operator can easily afford to upgrade to new equipment to keep up with the rapidly-changing times, and The Weather Channel usually isn't at the top of the list of priorities for where a headend's money should be spent.  If money were no object, then every headend would be equipped with an IntelliStar 2.  My cable company is currently in the process of upgrading to an all-digital signal, years behind some of the bigger players in the cable TV field.  And there are plenty of cable companies smaller than mine that are lucky to still exist, basically.

133

Local Forecast / Re: 4000/XL/Jr. - The End Is Near

« on: May 12, 2014, 10:38:04 PM »

The documents I saw were a decade ago.  I'm sure they're out there somewhere, but I wouldn't know where to look.

As I understood it, it was possible to add a device to the III to make it sound a warning tone at every instance of a warning appearing, not just the first one, so that the unit would comply with the new FCC regulations, but TWC decided it was too much to have to worry about a 20-year machine.  Therefore, since the III would no longer be in compliance with the FCC regulations, it couldn't be used anymore.  The Jr. did get that upgrade, however.

According to what I saw back in 2004, the headends were at liberty to simply dispose of the III units instead of returning them, since TWC had no future use for them, anyway.  To be honest, I've heard no reports of a III being used beyond 2004.  Unless I missed something at the last minute, and haven't heard otherwise in the decade since, there were to be no exceptions to the rule discontinuing all III units by the end of 2004.

134

Local Forecast / Re: 4000/XL/Jr. - The End Is Near

« on: May 12, 2014, 02:51:10 PM »

I believe it's up to the headend on what they want to do. I'm sure a majority will scrap their STARs while some may go to eBay to sell theirs. However, I don't see why TWC would need them anymore if they're going to be out of service now.

But do they have the right to sell the old Stars, or even dispose of them in a manner that TWC doesn't specify?  I highly doubt it.  When the III was decomissioned I remember reading a document written by TWC specifically instructing the headends to dispose of the old units.

135

Local Forecast / Re: 4000/XL/Jr. - The End Is Near

« on: May 12, 2014, 01:33:00 PM »

I'm starting to wonder what will happen once the legacy STAR units are disconnected and decommissioned by the cable headends who still had them.    Perhaps maybe the headends are going to just throw the units away or even try to sell them to TWC fans? 

Previously, headends that upgraded were required to return the old Stars to The Weather Channel, which still owned them.  However, when the WeatherStar III was discontinued because of a change in FCC policy, headends were instructed to dispose of them.  I honestly don't know what the requirement will be for the 4000, XL, and Jr. Stars.  However, it's extremely unlikely that headends will have permission to sell them to the public - or anyone, for that matter.