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BBC Launches Linux Powered Weather Format
nzkaha writes "BBC launches new weather format using Weatherscape XT. This may be one of the higher profile deployments of Linux based systems. Weatherscape XT supplies weather graphics for all UK BBC channels plus the BBC World Service. The system relies completely on openGL graphics and there are demonstration clips of the system in use at Metra.info . Developed in NZ by MetService as a cross platform system for Linux, OS X and Windows, the BBC solution has been deployed on Linux with MySQL DB. Data is replicated to remote studios and displayed live by the Weatherscape application using Nvidia Graphics and drivers. Future deployment options will depend on customer choice and platform support."
a linux system also renders the red+black graphical intro to bbc news. there are many linux systems in use at the beeb. why so surprised ?
$ strings FTP.EXE | grep Copyright
@(#) Copyright (c) 1983 The Regents of the University of California.
... even the BBC have admitted that they have had hundreds of complaints about the look of the new service already. They had to tweak it once already because the north of England, and Scotland, were disproportionately small.
People preferred the old format because it was clearer, didn't swoop around, and conveyed all the relevant information quickly and effectively. This new system is unnecessarily complicated and confusing.
Why use web based Weather feeds when you can pick the data off the satellite's directly???
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Connect a 137-138MHz FM communications receiver or scanner to your soundcard and get colour images directly from overhead weather satellites. You can either build your own like I did or just buy a receiver.
For an explanation try:
http://www.emgola.cz/www_fa/meteosat_englisch_how
and for a great tool: http://www.wxtoimg.com/
PORN
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the beeb's new weather graphics have been controversial. a lot of people don't like the dark muddy colours. plus Scotland was really pissed because the way the map was angled meant you could hardly see it. this has now been changed, but the new map still doesn't show wind direcion or isobars.
from the few times I've seen it I haven't been impressed. it looks like a nice virtual atlas, but I never seem to come away with any actual info from it.
never mind, nowadays I get my weather from the OSX Dashboard widget.
Oh great, Linux weather. I was quite pleased with Microsoft's pleasant Blue Sky of Death.
xkcd.com - a webcomic of mathematics, love, and language.
Why is 2D insufficient? I much prefer the non-distorted 2D weather map, even if it means I don't get to see as much area. That's usually ok.
2D seems much more precise. Where are all those raindrops falling? You can't tell from a still image.
It's always 72 degrees, humid, partly cloudy fluorescent and (perhaps) stinky in said ecosystem.
... not MetaService.
You know, met as in meteorological, as in that wet stuff we tend to call weather in New Zealand.
There were a lot of complaints when they started using it on TV in New Zealand too, but now everybody's pretty much used to it. Really it was just an attempt to make the "boring weather bit" on the nightly news into something a bit more interesting from a visual point of view.
When Google Weather (beta) finally goes live, they will present it it four dimensions. For a lot of folks, the internet is actually a vast improvement over cable "local on the 8's" and the 3D stuff will die its own death if it does not actually add info. I agree that the floating clouds are not instructive. Pointless must be a Kiwi euphonism for useless...
Nonono, not "the government", Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum (R) wants private industry to have a monopoly on distribution of weather data. And that's because he took campaign contributions from AccuWeather.
See here on the BBC News site for more comments.
(PS - Go Liverpool for the cup)
The new graphics sure are pretty and I love to see Linux deployed, but it's now not possible to enterpret the map.
The graphics move constantly, so by the time you've looked in the corner to see that the map is talking about mid-day on tuesday, the map has moved again. Also, the forecasts no longer include important information like isobars or wind speeds.
MacBook Pro. Worst name since the Bicycle
For those in the know; is it true that for a company like the BBC, adding another format like OGG considerably takes resources and time? If this is the case, slashdotters in the UK could volunteer valuable time and intellectual capital.
The NZ version is used on TV 1 and TV 3 here.
People have mentioned a lack of isobars, wind direction, strength, muddy colours etc.
On our version we get an isobar map first, which shows the bars changing, fronts coming through etc. Then a broad sweep over the country showing weather effects like cloud/rain + temperature/wind info overlayed by town.
Then a close up on the major centres (6 are shown).
The weather is very nice showing what the temperature will go down to tonight, in the morning, and afternoon.
Perhaps the BBC is doing something different and leaving out some of the info we see here. That would be their decision.
As for the muddy colour of the map. Perhaps the British should wake up and realise that their green-and-pleasant land isn't a vibrant shade of green any more. AFAIK it uses true colour satillite images of the landscape. So that mud colour is what your country looks like.
Yes I think they need a big overhaul on it. You shouldn't dumb down TV just because you think the masses would understand it more - fuck the masses, if they can't handle seeing isobars on screen for 10 seconds then they need to be put down. TV should be at a higher level to encourage people to learn.
This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
TWW
"Encyclopedia" is to "Wikipedia" what "Library" is to "Some people at a bus stop"
The 3D animated weather map has been hugely successful in New Zeland, it is very clear and shows what the weather will be like as the day goes on, complete with cloud, rain and wind (and sun!). It is far, far more useful than a static map.
It is also very reliable, I can only remember a few times when it failed to work properly, mainly due to poor operators rather than a machine crashing.
The BBC has done a terrible job of it- they have made Britain a dull brown colour, (its is quite a green and pleasant land outside London!) the animation is hard to follow and they don't show clouds- just their shadows.
They are about to fine tune it tomorrow from the feedback they have received, so we'll see what they come up with. In any case its a vast improvement from the "sunny, with some rain" forecasts of old...
"BBC Launches Linux Powered Weather Format"
Linux users rejoice at finally knowing what the weather's like outside!
"Derp de derp."
The recasting of the weather forecast has been a deeply disheartening experience. For those not familiar with the problems of the new (linux powered! I would keep quiet about that if I were an linux advocate) forecast -
(1) Even by its own criteria it does not work well. In terms of presenting information it is a disaster. Masterfully clear and concise icons evolved over decades have been ditched for a series of children's animations that manage to be both impenetrable and suggestive of absurd accuracy at the same time.
(2) Worse though is the BBC's retreat from providing an informative and educational forecast. Over decades skilled forecaster-presenters subtlety explained synoptic charts and the large scale weather story so that the UK weather - and the uncertainty in that forecast - was skillfully conveyed. This meant that you were never in dark - rain not arrived by lunchtime? the front must have slowed, it will be along later.
Now there is no structure or intelligence to the forecast - it is a goldfish view of the weather. One result of this was that, regardless of education, many could make a basic interpretation of isobars, etc: quite possibly the only scientific chart they would encounter. I am not sure that losing this literacy is a good thing.
And why have they done all this? It is a puzzle: the bbc web page condenses the rationale to "Today's media industry is like a shark, either you keep moving forward or you are dead in the water.". Perhaps the weather forecast, previously a high point of the BBC's output - has been handed over those who design programme idents and trailers.
"The Gnoth-eastern cold front is pushing this Kloud front into our area... it's gonna be Kold enough for the penguins folks! Be sure to wear your Red Hats tomorrow."
"Have a Sun-ny day! I'm Richard Stallman, and now for Mac Sports... take it away, Steve!"
Same Name maybe, everything else is totally differrent, TVNZ's was running on an IndigoII MaxImpact until last week, when it switched to Linux also. :) ( XT does a vast amount more UI wise & they had some smart AGP->PCIX video transfer, pity the FX4400SDI came along ). :), I used that alot & would not change it.
The big difference is the code base & design philosophy.
The TVNZ one is the original & alot older ( '96 written ), based on a web UI, using perl scripts to start up & trigger events ( unix signals ) & hand drawn regions for clouds, able to be tweaked every hour, generally every 6, then interpolated in real time. It also is tightly coupled data & presentation, which was my fault, but it was built in under 3 months from memory by one person ( me ), 4 years 5 odd people for the WeatherscapeXT
The TV3's Weatherscape XT integrated UI gives a heap more control & flexibility. TV3 WeatherscapeXT is also using modelled clouds.
To even the screwup's equation, they used opengl lines for rain ( it looks that way anyway ), whereas I used antialiased lines on poly's, mine scale width with distance, theirs don't
Nigel