Local on the 8's come to Direct TV

[J Kinkaid]

They should be adding more HD not this trash



Q: What new features from The Weather Channel are now available to viewers of DirecTV?
A: Powered by The Weather Channel’s patented technology and trusted meteorologists, DirecTV viewers will soon have convenient access to the most accurate and up-to-date local weather in three ways:

*On the 8s: For the first time, DirecTV viewers will be able to enjoy a truly local “local on the 8s†which until now has been only available to cable TV subscribers. Presented six times each hour, viewer will get up-to-date details on their current conditions, a radar view of what’s brewing nearby, the seven day forecast and local weather alerts and advisories.
*On Demand: Can’t wait for the 8s? Viewers of The Weather Channel can simply click on the red button on their remote to get a quick menu of interactive weather features, including current conditions, the five day forecast, weather for up to five other saved cities and weather alerts – all while continuing to watch live programming on the same screen.
*On DirecTV “Activeâ€: The Weather Channel is now the featured provider of personalized weather content on the newly designed Active portal. All the content you receive in the On Demand service is also available via this portal.
* DirecTV and The Weather Channel are introducing another innovative interactive feature with this launch: the Weather Alert Tracker. If the National Weather Service issues a warning about a major weather event in your area – including flash flooding, thunderstorm, or a tornado – an interactive alert ticker will appear on The Weather Channel prompting viewers to click the red button on their remote for more details.

All the new features are available only on the “standard definition†version of The Weather Channel (Channel 362). The features are made possible by the same innovative DirecTV technology which has enabled DirecTV viewers to enjoy live interactive sports programming, including the NFL Sunday Ticket, PGA Golf and the U.S. Open and Wimbledon tennis tournaments.

 

[rdale]

They should be adding more HD not this trash

Are you serious? You are calling local info instead of generic national weather -- a bad thing? And sending people warnings is trash?

"If the National Weather Service issues a warning about a major weather event in your area – including flash flooding, thunderstorm, or a tornado – an interactive alert ticker will appear on The Weather Channel prompting viewers to click the red button on their remote for more details."

 

[Damon Poole]

That's good, now let's see them do the same for Dish Network customers. We get local conditions, forecasts, and radar, but the warnings would be a most welcome addition.

 

[Chris Kennedy]

That's really interesting that cable gets warnings but not satellite

 

[Joel Wright]

As a Dish Network subscriber, I'm hoping they try to compete with Direct and get us the same thing. I would trade in some of my HD channels to have it. Even with all the info available on the net, it would still be nice to be able to flip to TWC and see the local stuff. I could always go back to cable, but there's also a lot of positives about Dish.

 

[Kevin Crawmer]

rdale, I agree with you. That is all GREAT news. I think there are plenty of people who don't have a weather radio or access to the internet at all times that would love these options. Believe it or not, we are very much in the minority in the way we observe severe weather. I've talked to a lot of people during High Risk days that literally didn't know there was a chance of storms....meanwhile emergency management officials are on conference calls preparing for death and destruction. That magenta screen with the loud beeps calling attention to the bulletins when someone is reading the paper in the morning could save someone's life.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

That's good, now let's see them do the same for Dish Network customers. We get local conditions, forecasts, and radar, but the warnings would be a most welcome addition.

Q: Isn't it necessary for all broadcast networks to comply with FCC reg's to do just that?

 

[rdale]

Nope. Common EAS myth. The only thing required by law is a national attack alert from the President, which would be issued if the Russians send an all-out, War Games-style, nuclear bombardment.

Thank the FCC for their forward thinking in that regards Kind of stupid if you ask me, but they know what's best for us...

 

[Damon Poole]

Q: Isn't it necessary for all broadcast networks to comply with FCC reg's to do just that?

Not for weather alerts on TWC. TWC just needs to give Dish Network a compatible version of their software to incorporate with Dish receivers. Then you could enter your zip code, or select your city with the receiver list and the red screen could alert you and provide localized radar, just like on cable.

By the way, I work at an EAS LP-1 or Local Primary 1 radio station. As a Local Primary 1, we receive and retransmit EAS alerts to other stations in our EAS coverage area. In addition to the Presidential Messages, we are also mandated to run the required weekly and monthly tests that everybody is familiar with. We also run local Severe Thunderstorm, Tornado, and Flash Flood Warnings for our EAS coverage area, as sent via NOAA Weather Radio, which are the most common EAS activations. These warnings automatically override our normal programming.

 

[rdale]

Sorry - I forgot to mention the test requirement. But severe weather bulletins, hazmat evacuations, etc are not required.

 

[J Kinkaid]

What's the point if Direct tv still can not get out eas alerts ?

 

[rdale]

So because they can't get out chemical release warnings and evacuate in place messages, they shouldn't send out Tornado / Severe T-Storm / Flash Flood Warnings? I don't see where you are coming from...

I don't know the last time I heard EAS activated which was NOT a weather reason.

 

[John MacKay]

Regardless, the local warnings for DirecTV customers is a step in the right direction. Dish or TWC need to get out a compatible version for the Dish receivers.

When my parents transitioned from cable to Dish in 2001, I told them to get a weather radio since they used the antenna to get the local channels (which will still be the case when the local channels go digital since they have an HDTV with a digital tuner). That means whenever they switched to satellite, they would have been clueless to any weather alerts if it weren't for the weather radio.

Still, in my life in AZ, I've blown off the T-Storm warnings on TWC because of how large the county is (Maricopa). It's still nice to know because the monsoon storms are mostly popcorn-type and can sneak up on you easily.