First Look: The New Weather Channel Interactive

[Scott Greczkowski]

For years now one of the big complaints posted by folks new to Satellite TV is the lack of local weather information on the Weather Channel.

Well all that is about to change as Dish Network is getting ready to roll out its new Weather Channel Interactive service!

SatelliteGuys.US is proud once again to give you another first look at the exciting new enhanced interactive service coming soon from Dish Network and The Weather Channel.

The new interactive service will use Overlays and full screen slideshows to give you your local weather information from over 19,000 cities and over 33,000 zip codes throughout the US, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. What is neat is that your receiver will automaticlly default to your zip code based on your Dish Network account. (Yes you can change this in the settings)

Users will be able to store up to 5 favorite cities in their settings.

In addition for the first time ever Satellite viewers will be able to view their full local weather information on the Weather on The 8's!

Dish Network viewers will be presented with a banner prompting them to press SELECT for their local weather. When the viewers presses SELECT, the Locals on the 8s slideshow presentation begins. The information presented in the slide show consists of: Current Conditions, Severe Weather Alerts, Local Observations, Regional Radar, Daypart Forecast, Short Term Forecast, 5-Day Extended Forecast. The information is presented with the stame style and look that cable tv viewers enjoy today.

In addition the new TWC Interactive can alert viewers of area Weather Alerts for their area.

Unlike the old OpenTV Interactive Weather application the new Weather Channel Interactive supports 12 regional radar maps. And more importantly the forecast information and regional radar maps are updated approximately every 15-20 minutes instead of only a few times a day.

When the new TWC Interactive rolls out (and the rollout is expected within the next few days) viewers will be able to access the new TWC Interactive a few ways.

The first being by going to Channel 100 (Dish Interactive) and Selecting The Weather Channel from the News Category.

The second being by going to the Weather Channel (Channel 214) and by pressing select on your remote when an icon or banner appear.

Our thanks to the folks at Dish Network for once again giving SatelliteGuys members another First Look!

 

[bhawley]

Any info on what receivers get this?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Any reciver that can get Dish Home Interactive (Channel 100) will get this.

 

[SummitAdvantageRetailer]

Whoo hoo! Great way to apply local weather information by utilizing The Weather Channel (funny how TWC also stands for Time Warner Cable which I didn't want to give credit for this new service)! It'd be much, much, much better than the archaic Interactive Weather we have going right now. I can't wait to have this. This is one of the shortcomings of satellite providers not providing localized TWC in different cities/counties. I wonder if D* will adopt a similar approach/deal with TWC.

 

[Poke]

WOW!! That looks really cool!!

 

[Minsk1]

OK, another weather channel in addition to all existing local OTA weather subchannels.

 

[Mr Tony]

sweet

What is neat is that your receiver will automaticlly default to your zip code based on your Dish Network account. (Yes you can change this in the settings)

I hope so. This would work then for "movers"

 

[jamesalan9]

This is definatly good. TWC on the cable systems was so much better because they show the local area's radar and forecast when they show the local on the 8's. The satellite one just shows a national one and doesnt get much out of it.

 

[bgsmallwood]

I am glad to see this. While I will still probably use my local weather subchannels to get my local weather info it will be nice to add other cities( where friends and relatives live )

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

This honestly is one of the first interactive applications for which I am truely excited to see. And its also one that I will actually use.

Now I would like to see the same sort of application for Bloomberg, where I can have my own stock ticker on the screen. (You use to be able to do this on DirecTV with a Wink Enabled box)

 

[korsjs]

good job dish.

 

[SummitAdvantageRetailer]

OK, another weather channel in addition to all existing local OTA weather subchannels.

I guess you don't know that not everyone can get OTA weather subchannels? And even if you can, wouldn't you welcome it being available on TWC when you're looking at the beach or travel forecast on TWC that the local weather forecast sometimes doesn't even show? Or watch during hurricane alerts?

 

[Poke]

Yeah that would be cool! Anyway Scott when do you think this will go live??

 

[BFG]

Wow!

 

[cforrest]

Interesting, too bad TWC now does their own forecasts and sucks. As for the warnings, just get a NWSR and put your SAME code in, which this interactive feature is doing. Then you'll get the warning regardless of the tv being on or not, which could be a matter of life or death depending on the warning issued.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

It was supposed to go live on Wednesday. However it has been delayed a few days as some receivers need a software update to make this new content work correctly on their receivers.

 

[dendavis]

This is outstanding Exactly the type of service one should be getting for the technology that is available, and the fees we pay.

 

[Poke]

Ok Thanks For The Info Scott..

 

[jlhugh]

Great move Dish. This is something that I will actually use also.

 

[leo250]

Thanks for the heads up Scott. I am looking forward to this new feature.