Messages

316

Local Forecast / Re: General LF Discussion

« on: April 24, 2013, 12:23:12 AM »

How interesting!!  I live in Daytona Beach, but only for almost 2 years, so I've only ever seen the IntelliStar and IntelliStar 2 down here.  I did see a 4000 from Orlando on YouTube, but this is the first time I've ever seen any older Star from Daytona Beach.

Thanks for the share!

317

General Discussion / Re: The Front Porch

« on: April 15, 2013, 10:15:57 AM »

I hope Nintendo's not turning into EA, but this kind of stuff here is so much like something they would do.  EA has been known for shutting down online play for older Madden games, for example.  I just hope Nintendo's not following suit.

On the one hand, the Wii is 7 years old, and Nintendo wants to focus on its current systems - the 3DS and especially the Wii U, which hasn't been selling as well as they'd hoped.  On the other hand, the Wii has been Nintendo's best-selling console, and I think it goes without saying that the majority of Nintendo's customers currently use the Wii.  I think Nintendo is doing a huge disservice to its largest share of customers by ending the Wii's online connectivity features, which were a major selling point for the Wii in the first place.

Basically, Nintendo is saying, despite the large number of people still using the Wii, that they're going to arbitrarily and artificially make the Wii obsolete, so that if people want online connectivity again, they're going to have to spend $300 for a Wii U.  Yes, the Wii U will play all of the Wii's games (but not GameCube, which some versions of the Wii are backwards compatible with), but people don't want to spend $300 for an upgrade, especially those like me who only just recently bought a Wii.  After all, the Wii is still sold right alongside the Wii U in most stores, and, obviously, many people prefer to spend less money for the Wii instead of the Wii U.

Nintendo has already started selling the Wii Mini in some markets (such as Canada and the UK), with a top-loading disc drive, no SD slot, and, most importantly, no internet connectivity whatsoever.  (Ironically, it still has 48 slots on the Wii menu, which, without internet connectivity, will never get filled!)

What I want to know is... how many Wii users actually know about this change?  It was announced on Nintendo's webpage, and then picked up by many other tech and gaming sites, but it has yet to be announced (if it will be at all) anywhere on the Wii - on the message board, Nintendo Channel, or anywhere else.  I actually found out about it two days later only at random - I did a search for something with the word "channel" and Google gave me a link to Nintendo's announcement.

318

General Discussion / Re: The Front Porch

« on: April 14, 2013, 10:51:14 PM »

Wait, they're getting rid of their wifi service?

Unfortunately, yes.  Anything that depends on the WiiConnect24 to work will be disabled: the Forecast, News, Everybody Votes, Check Mii Out, and Nintendo Channels will stop working on June 28.  Also, the message board will stop working (except for your daily stats), since data/message transfers to other Wii users in your address book will be disabled, too.

Apparently, some games may still allow online connectivity, but no lists have been released yet.

319

General Discussion / Re: The Front Porch

« on: April 14, 2013, 10:49:30 PM »

I read about this game console several months back, I wish it luck if it's going to be competing with Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony though.

It's a competitor in one sense, but not a competitor in another.  After all, as far as I understand it, open source will be a big part of how the Ouya works.  Apparently, all games will be free to try, and can then be purchased to unlock the full game... though there may be games that will remain free.  Also, no discs or other physical media - all games will be downloaded to be saved in the console's memory or SD cards.

I think it's definitely worth the $99 to try it.  I'm looking forward to receiving it when it gets released.  I've already preordered it on Amazon.com, but I'm not paying extra to receive it on the release day.  I can wait another week or so for the free shipping. 

320

General Discussion / Re: The Front Porch

« on: April 14, 2013, 01:31:47 PM »

Apparently, the Wii U hasn't been selling as quickly as they've hoped.  I guess by shutting down the Wii's connectivity they're going to try to "encourage" people to spend $300 for a Wii U.

I just bought my Wii 8 months ago, and I'm certainly not going to upgrade.  I'll just miss what I'll be losing but get on with my life.  Oh, and I'll be getting an Ouya when it comes out.  Look it up on Wikipedia - it seems to be very interesting and promising.

321

General Discussion / Re: The Front Porch

« on: April 14, 2013, 12:57:06 PM »

I know I'm probably one of a quickly dwindling number of people who still own a Wii and enjoy the voting and Mii contests, but when I found out today that the WiiConnect24 service will be shut down at the end of June my reaction was a mix of sadness and shock.

I've only owned my Wii for 8 months, but it's the little things that one grows to enjoy, and I've really enjoyed these little features.  If nothing else, even on my busiest days, I've always been able to find a few minutes to spend voting, making a Mii for the contest, or even just reading the news.  In about 9 weeks I won't be able to do that anymore. 

322

Everything Else TWC / Re: General TWC Discussion

« on: April 14, 2013, 10:19:48 AM »

That was hilarious!!

323

Everything Else TWC / Re: General TWC Discussion

« on: April 13, 2013, 11:19:27 PM »

Next thing you know, prison and/or crime shows will pop up on TWC.  I can see it now: "Weather and Crime," a show that will detail how weather conditions influence crime rates and types.  (I hope I'm not being too realistic here (  ) )

Answer #1: Bwa-ha-ha-ha!

Answer #2: Just wait a year or so.

324

Everything Else TWC / Re: General TWC Discussion

« on: April 13, 2013, 11:42:26 AM »

I can only wonder where television goes from here.  I thought "Jersey Shore" was as low as it gets... until Honey Boo Boo came along.

325

Everything Else TWC / Re: General TWC Discussion

« on: April 13, 2013, 08:14:27 AM »

I feel disgusted.

As far as I'm concerned, a "news and information" network should not try to be an "entertainment" network, too.

Just a couple of evenings ago, I was discussing with people too young to remember the days when cable networks actually had unique purposes.  The Learning Channel, Bravo, The Weather Channel, even Discovery and History... they all had their own unique niches.  Now, everyone's trying to outcompete everyone else by being pretty much the same as everyone else, and it saddens me.  Not only that, but this competition through similarity just means that the quality of programming gets worse and worse with each season.

326

Local Forecast / Re: General LF Discussion

« on: April 10, 2013, 10:51:38 AM »

Are all 30-second LF's going by the zip code instead of a local name? That seems SO impersonal.

The DirecTV-generated local forecasts use ZIP codes, and regular Stars use location names.  I don't think I've ever seen ZIP codes used on a Star.  Unless you're talking about something else that I'm missing.

327

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: April 09, 2013, 10:40:16 AM »

Legacy STAR units are dead. Its only a matter of time, probably within the next 12-24 months before the old backend feed is killed. Most of the units are probably held together by dust and its frankly a miracle that they are still functioning as well as they are. I'm sad to see them go but servicing and running 20+ year old computers isn't practical, profitable or sensible. Even the current IS hardware will likely be revised in the coming years as that hardware is approaching nearly a decades worth of use.

Good point.  Remember the reasoning TWC gave for killing off the WeatherStar III several years ago.  The FCC required a warning tone to sound at the beginning of every instance of a weather advisory, and, without modification, the III was only capable of sounding a tone at the first instance.  TWC decided that, since the III was already a couple of decades old, grossly outdated in terms of capabilities, used in very few areas, and that the cost of making the modification would be needlessly expensive, they simply gave the order to cable companies using it to trash it instead.  Not even return it to TWC, as is the usual case when Stars are upgraded, but to simply trash it.

The WeatherStar Jr. is just a glorified version of the III, and the 4000 can also be described as "grossly outdated" by now.  In fact, if memory serves, it's already older than the III was when it was forcibly retired by the FCC's new requirements.  (And, truth be told, many 4000 units are seriously degraded by now due to age.)  The WeatherStar XL is also getting on in years, though its output can at least still be considered good by today's standards, though one wonders just how much it can be updated.  (As it is, it's not compatible with TWC's new LDLs and squeezebacks.)

328

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: April 06, 2013, 05:18:35 PM »

I think that TWC will probably just cue the legacy STAR units over the L-bar segments as before, without making any new L-bars for those units, like in this video clip:

Well, I guess that's truly the best they can do.  Certainly much better than nothing.

329

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: April 06, 2013, 12:37:34 AM »

An LDL will suffice just fine imo.

For space, maybe.  But for information... that's a different story.  The Weather Channel SHOULD have actual weather information.  The less there is in programming, the more there should be with LDL/LDA.

330

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: April 05, 2013, 11:13:14 PM »

If TWC is going to eliminate full screen LOT8s for IS and IS2 viewers, they would also have to think about adding new LDLs and squeezebacks for legacy STAR units that are still in use by some cable headends    Otherwise, XL, 4000 and Junior viewers won't be able to see their local weather anymore.

Unfortunately, I don't think that's ever going to happen.  TWC likely isn't interested in supporting new updates to technology that's, in some cases, approaching 20 years old.  The best they could do for the 4000 and the Jr., for example, would be an ugly opaque LDL, and I can't even imagine how they'd do a squeezeback for it.