First Look: The New Weather Channel Interactive

[Stargazer]

This is one of the best features that Dish Network is adding in a long time and most will agree with me. I'd say that this would easily become the best feature of the year which got added. This is, of course, if it does not take a long time to load. Who wants to wait and wait for the info to load? They should, as someone else mentioned, make it to where it loads automatically when you turn it to the channel. I think they should automatically load it onto the receiver no matter what channel you are on so that it will be there and ready.

Not only does this match the cable's version of this, it surpasses it. So they go from having a weather feature that is inferior to cable to superior. NICE JOB DISH!

I already have a feature request for this. How about making this feature accessable from any channel that you are on. The question is how would they implement this? Let's give Dish Network some ideas for this. To go a step further, why shouldn't they be able to offer any opentv interactive application windows in a partial window view even if you are watching another channel? Perhaps press the * then a number to access certain opentv applications?

 

[Foxbat]

I see another way this will be better than the "Locals on the 8s" on cable: When TWC is showing yet another "When Tornadoes Attack" hour-long historical weather show, Dish subscribers with TWC Weather ITV will still be able to get the current conditions/forecast/radar.

It hasn't shown up yet on our 942 or 811 yet. I'm looking forward to it!

 

[bhawley]

Looks better then I'm getting on TWC.

BTW: Bhawley---great, great avatar!

BB season is just around the corner

 

[RIRWIN1983]

how will this be handled/work with people that have the at&t homezone?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

As long as they have an interactive receiver it will work for them as well.

 

[RIRWIN1983]

i ask because i havent yet called up to come back to dish and also get the homezone through at&t, so im wondering a( if it would work with it and b) does dish classify it as an "interactive" reciever

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Hmm thats a good one, not sure if the homezone has the Dish Home feature or not. I will contact Elias from Homezone and find out.

 

[chuckf1]

BB season is just around the corner

As is the end of football season!

 

[cdru]

I know that, but I am can't make myself exicited about weather channel anymore. Maybe because of all that local stations abuse of weather related updates, like THUNDERSTORM WATCH, THUNDERSTORM IS COMING, IT CAN PRODUCE TORNADO, when there is no real threat around. And I am not against real severe weather alerts. I am just against this system abuse.

Many of those watches and "false" warnings are not generated by the local station but by the national weather service. They probably have no choice but to display the watches/warnings but they don't have to go into the 5 minute mini-newscast to talk about the upcoming sprinkle.

I'm looking forward to getting the radar. Yes I can look it up online, but sometimes I'm too lazy for that and want it on my TV. Since I don't have a HDTV (yet), I don't get the digital subchannel radar for my area so this will be a nice addition. It's one of the last things cable offered that Dish didn't.

 

[FunkyBoss]

So I assume the weather info will come from the satellite. Which means every time it rains here or gets really cloudy out, I won't be able to get a forcast along with not getting any TV signals. So the trick will be to always check the weather forcast before it starts to rain.

 

[Stargazer]

I am wondering if we need the phoneline to get this information or if we just need a satellite connection to get it (which would be my guess).

Also if a storm comes and it knocks out the signal would be be able to see the last information that was brought in for the radar, watches, warnings, forecast, etc (is it stored on the receiver) or do you have to access that information when you have a satellite signal? If you press rewind when the signal was coming in do you get the current weather information or do you get weather information from the an hour ago if you rewound it an hour? My guess is you get the current/last information received.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

No phoneline will be needed for the weather feature to work (although per Dish Networks user agreement you should always have your phoneline plugged in)

I have restored this for all to see, there is now plenty of information about this on the net including screen shots on DishNetwork.COM.

 

[Foxbat]

I have restored this for all to see, there is now plenty of information about this on the net including screen shots on DishNetwork.COM.

But, does anyone have it yet?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Yes some folks do.

Of course they are testers.

 

[cobra2225]

3:30am no itv weather on the weather channel,just guide update.

 

[angiecopus]

our 301s don't have it yet. hopefully it will be up soon. don't really much like the instant weather we have now.

 

[jrbdmb]

Does anyone (other than beta testers) have this app yet?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Not yet.

 

[jhamps10]

correct me if I am wrong here, but was a software release for some recievers to get this feature supposed to happen this morning? Which if so, I'd expect to see this working later this afternoon or tomorrow. Oh and Scott, great inside look at this. this was the one thing that kept me from jumping from cable a few months ago, and on satellite i've really missed this local info. This will be a great service, looks like the first thing that dishnetwork has ACTUALLY done to help out the subs.

 

[dhageremtp]

This is one of the best features that Dish Network is adding in a long time and most will agree with me. I'd say that this would easily become the best feature of the year which got added. This is, of course, if it does not take a long time to load. Who wants to wait and wait for the info to load? They should, as someone else mentioned, make it to where it loads automatically when you turn it to the channel. I think they should automatically load it onto the receiver no matter what channel you are on so that it will be there and ready.

Not only does this match the cable's version of this, it surpasses it. So they go from having a weather feature that is inferior to cable to superior. NICE JOB DISH!

I already have a feature request for this. How about making this feature accessable from any channel that you are on. The question is how would they implement this? Let's give Dish Network some ideas for this. To go a step further, why shouldn't they be able to offer any opentv interactive application windows in a partial window view even if you are watching another channel? Perhaps press the * then a number to access certain opentv applications?

It would be nice if they can scroll the local weather warnings/watches even when watching another channel, or if not scroll them, then put up a different icon or banner. It would be very helpful in Tornado Land!