Meet The IntelliSTAR
Wind River, Inc. and The Weather Channel began deployment of the super computer of all WeatherStars, the IntelliStar.
This new WeatherStar has the built in capacity to receive two video feeds. During times of severe weather, the IntelliStar can break in with live TWC coverage airing only on IntelliStars in the area of the severe weather, meanwhile outside the affected area, TWC's normal broadcast programming continues.
The IntelliStar's dual video feed isn't only used during severe weather events; if its cold outside, its smart enough to play commercials for soup, outwear, skiing, cold remedies, etc. It's programmed to play commercials on your local IntelliStar specific to the weather conditions in your neighborhood!
This is a huge benefit for advertisers nationwide. A May 2004 TWC press release put it best by saying "The architecture of the IntelliStar is flexible and extensible enough to accommodate more innovative advances over the years ahead.
For example, it is capable of receiving multiple feeds from The Weather Channel; one feed for standard national weather coverage and other feeds for late-breaking weather news or events exclusive to a cable operator in a particular area."
The XL started the concept of the Local Forecast reading you information, the IntelliStar's narration capacity has taken that concept even further.
Severe weather bulletins, 48 hour forecasts, and more are read to the viewer with a clearer sound.
IntelliSTAR Timeline
July 2004
- Allen Jackson's narration is updated to begin reading the wind information during the 36 Hour Forecast product, and Weather Bulletin data from the National Weather Service.
August 2004
- Each cable company headend's TWC identification number (which each WeatherStar has been programmed to display since the early 90's during TWC station identifications in the upper right hand corner of the screen) begins displaying during the local forecast on the black bar, as "Local weather ID". The annoying part is that this screen's duration is longer and more frequent than the actual weather data.
Mid September 2004
- The School Day Weather, Outdoor Activity Forecast, AM and PM Commute maps are created.
- Communities that have been without a Regional Forecast map since the WeatherStar XL's revamp in the summer of 2002 once again welcome back their Regional Forecast maps to the IntelliStar, now in addition to the Regional Forecast's 2002 replacement, the Metro Area Forecast maps, AM and PM.
- The 36 Hour Forecast is replaced with a 48 Hour Forecast.
- Related note: To make room for all the new screens on the IntelliStar, TWC discontinued the 1 minute and 30 second K flavor Local Forecast, which had a run of almost 20 years.
- Time Warner Cable reaches a corporate agreement with TWC to replace their WeatherStar XL's with the IntelliStar, and their headends nationwide begin deployment of the new IntelliStar.
November 2004
- Reports of minute long black out's are reported nationwide when TWC would break to commercial at :17 and :47 after each hour.
- Reports of "buzzing" audio interference are widely reported nationwide at the beginning of each local forecast and for the first second or so of each School Day Weather and Outdoor Activity Forecast product.
January 2005
- More cities are introduced to the Metro Area Forecast maps (ex. Lincoln/Omaha, NE).
April 27, 2005
- Traffic Pulse begins beta testing in Atlanta.
May 3, 2005
- Allan Jackson's narration is changed: He now uses "Our" in place of "Your" in each applicable product's narration. I.E. "Our local Doppler radar", "Our week ahead".
Mid May 2005
- Traffic Pulse is added to 18 other large markets, Chicago, New York, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Miami, etc.
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