Messages

196

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: November 13, 2013, 12:22:47 AM »

Is the local radar always going to show now regardless if there's precip or not? What happened to the forecast maps we saw in the previews?

The local radar always showed, whether there was precipitation or not.  At least in Daytona Beach, as well as the videos I've seen posted here, the metro radar has only shown when there was precipitation in the area.  As far as the forecast maps on the local forecast, I do miss those.  I suppose time is a factor, and TWC doesn't seem to be interested in making local forecasts longer than 60 seconds anymore.   Oh, to go back to the days of 3 minute local forecasts...

197

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: November 13, 2013, 12:20:55 AM »

Is it true that our local forecasts on The Weather Channel are getting shorter and local forecasts on Canada's Weather Network are getting longer? These new local forecasts on The Weather Channel do remind me of The Weather Network as there are maybe only two songs that are played and each one has a few variations to them.

Today, The Weather Network remains an informational channel, while The Weather Channel is trying to become an entertainment channel.  Big difference in terms of the remits the two channels give to themselves.  It's a shame.

Even when The Weather Network used the WeatherStar 4000 they got so much more out of it in terms of graphics capabilities.  The way they did this was nationally-broadcast backgrounds, so the WS simply had to cue the graphics and text over them without drawing any backgrounds of its own.  The graphics and text looked much better than The Weather Channel's output, too, though TWC gave a small preview of what the 4000 was capable of in other modes during "Prime Time Tonight" - same WeatherStar, different fonts.  On the other hand, satellite viewers of The Weather Network, or those with a malfunctioning (or no) Star, just got to watch nothing but empty boxes on the screen during the entire local forecast segments.  TWN got national forecasts much, much later...

198

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: November 13, 2013, 12:13:36 AM »

There's something I wanted to have clarified about the IS2, did the design remain the same as before or did it also get graphically overhauled like it's IS counterpart?

The LDL and local forecast segments on the IS2 are identical to the IS.  So identical, in fact, that the IS2 local forecast just has a lot of empty space on the right third of the screen, since there's nothing extra (yet) in the widescreen space that the IS doesn't have.

The only difference between the two is that the IS2 overlays local information on the lower half of the new sidebar.

199

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: November 13, 2013, 12:11:54 AM »

I was getting tired of it, I mean, Come on! 5 years of the same thing! Unacceptable!

The original WeatherStar lasted, what, five years?  Then the WeatherStar III came out with expanded products, and that lasted about another couple of years to a few years, depending on when you got the 4000.  Then the 4000 lasted most of the '90s until the XL came out, followed by the IntelliStar.  Systems weren't so easy to update, so what was released had to last for a while with very few cosmetic changes.

As another example, during the "Weather You Can Always Turn To" era, fonts, graphics, maps, title banners, etc., stayed pretty much the same for years with hardly any changes at all.

It's really only lately that people demand constant changes, everything new, and everything now.  Unfortunately for the broadcasters, it's their job to keep up with public demand, so they have to spend money making changes, releasing updates as soon as possible, and so on.  We saw the little glitches that plagued The Weather Channel throughout the day today.  Microsoft Windows is guaranteed to never be in 100% working condition when a new version is released because they're so anxious to get something new on the market as soon as possible.

Sometimes change for the sake of change isn't necessarily the best thing.

200

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: November 12, 2013, 08:53:54 PM »

So, are you saying TWC can't show anything on Satellite?

Dish and Direct TV can use their own Stars to overlay their Stars' output over the national LDL, as in the past.  There's bound to some difficulty at first.

The whole system has had a few hiccups, but has otherwise been pretty successful for a flash-cut at 4:00 this morning, and with, apparently, rather little preparation time.  (The worst blooper I saw was at 5:00 this afternoon when the squeezeback didn't happen and the LDL/sidebar just got switched off after a few minutes.)

Just give it a little time.  Once things get ironed out, you might see some improvements.

201

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: November 12, 2013, 08:51:07 PM »

Still no LDL as of 7:20PM CT during longform! Could someone let TWC know so they can look in to this? This isn't Weather All The Time. Why should DISH and DTV?? be left out?

If they're still having problems I apologize, but how do we know?

http://feedback.weather.com/knowledgebase/topics/5017-tv-local-on-the-8s-local-forecast

202

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: November 12, 2013, 08:49:42 PM »

Okay, is it just me, or are the jokes getting annoying now? They were funny at first, now it just seems unfitting.

...
Memphis, here's your morning weather

That's what is seen on the IS2 apparently in place of the jokes

As I said earlier, the jokes are only on the SD IS.  The IS2 just says "Hello [city name], this is your weather."

The Daytona Beach IS2 has the jokes.

203

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: November 12, 2013, 07:32:44 PM »

This might have already been asked or stated, but what are the XL/4000/Jr. viewers seeing during the LOT8's? Was the graphics update expanded to the legacy STAR's as well, or are they just receiving the national/satellite feed?

Viewers with an XL/4000/Jr. see the national LDL, but unchanged full-screen local forecast segments.  In other words, viewers with legacy Stars see their old-fashioned local forecasts which have nothing in common with The Weather Channel's new look.

204

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: November 12, 2013, 09:49:39 AM »

Why are some people saying its letterboxed?  The DISH SD channel is not letterboxed shouldn't all SD feeds be the same way?

It depends on the cable company.  My cable company replaced the SD feed with the IS with a letterboxed version of the HD feed with the IS2 a few months ago.

205

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: November 12, 2013, 04:24:47 AM »

Daytona Beach has had a few teething troubles, but that's to be expected.

Starting at 4:00 the local LDL was transparent, so you could see both the local and national LDLs.  The sidebar was national.  Then came the local forecast, then only the local LDL and sidebar.  Then the next local foreacst, and, after a couple of seconds of local over national LDL, we're back to only national LDL and sidebar.

Comparing the new local forecast segment, I'm not terribly impressed.  A lot of empty, wasted space, and I'm not a fan of the über-minimalist graphics.  The LDL is a good start, but I'd like to see some tweaking here and there.  Better than the old IS LDL, but I miss the old IS2 LDL.  The sidebar is a good idea, but largely wasted right now.

And, for some reason, the local forecast segment has a desert background... in Daytona Beach, Florida.

206

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: November 11, 2013, 05:45:44 PM »

I'm assuming the promo was just to give a taste of what's to come, not show the new format in its entirety.

207

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: November 10, 2013, 10:12:37 AM »

I wonder... if the lion's share of programming is supposed to be longform, they're spending an awful lot of time, effort, and money on upgrading studios that wouldn't be used so much.

208

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: November 09, 2013, 10:50:04 AM »

Why do I have the feeling there's more live weather programming in that short video clip than we'll see on a typical programming day when the new format begins?  I would give an arm and a leg to go back to the days before all this longform.  Not only that, but weather programming ("Weather Center," "Your Weather Today," "Good Morning Forecast," etc.) was a million times better than the pseudo-tabloid weather programming they have now, where so much time is taken up with Twitter, videoclips, and empty discussion.  Show a freaking weather map once in a while, whydontcha?!

209

General Discussion / Re: The Pot Belly Stove

« on: November 07, 2013, 12:47:42 PM »

On the one hand, I'm surprised they lasted this long.  On the other hand, not everybody can afford digital cable, an internet connection fast enough to stream/download movies, or even devices on which to do so.  For them, Blockbuster was really their last choice for watching movies "on demand."  I guess the digital divide is only going to widen, and they'll be left with no other choices now. 

210

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: November 07, 2013, 01:29:57 AM »

Also Jim Cantore mentioned he liked that you get your local forecast all the time, you don't have to wait for your local on the 8s. Not groundbreaking... just thought provoking.

An LDL, even an always-on and expanded LDL, is still just an LDL.  There's so much more that an actual local forecast segment can provide, assuming TWC gives that segment an appropriate amount of time.  (One minute just does not cut it.)  I sincerely hope that the new LDL isn't seen as a replacement for actual local forecasts and for actual weather programming, but, sadly, I think that's the new direction TWC is going in.