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Thursday, March 27, 2008
Time Warner’s Weather Radar Channel moving to digital-only tier
Weather nerd alert!
Time Warner Cable is moving the Color Weather Radar Channel to the digital-only tier, effective April 10.
Why? Allegedly to add lots of bells and whistles to the previously basic Sven-narrated radar picture. But it doesn’t take a genius to know that this is just another nudge by Time Warner to move customers from basic service to digital. More channels, yes; more money, you bet.
To make the move even more annoying, Cable Channel 44, where weather radar currently resides, will be blank after the new-and-improved weather radar channel moves to Digital 355.
Why not just leave the old-fashioned weather radar on the soon-to-be-empty Channel 44? Time Warner spokesman Roger Heaney, who is always polite and pleasant, didn’t know but figured it was a “technical problem.”
What’s the big deal with the digital-level radar channel?
“We’ll be able to provide customized, community-level imagery,” Heaney said. “The enhancements they’re making requires it to be on digital.”
Heaney said the digital weather radar channel will customize the radar image right down to your neighborhood and, through the miracle of digital transmissions, automatically know where you are — or at least where your cable box is.
Heaney also said moving the weather radar channel off the lower tier opens up the possibility of adding three or four HD channels in the future, for which he says customers are clamoring. More HD, less weather. Really?
Time Warner customers who are not on digital service, Heaney says, can still catch weather updates every 10 minutes on Time Warner’s local cable news channel, News 8. And, of course, weather radar is plentifully available on various Web sites.
But that’s not exactly the same as watching the big red and purple storm blobs roll in as Sven calmly describes “possible tornadic activity in the area.” Those of us already on digital no doubt will relish the fancy technology, but we’ll miss Sven’s comforting monotone and the hypnotic images of Central Texas weather.
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