# favorite TV APPS removed



## wxguy (Feb 17, 2008)

I started my TV Apps to look at the radar and all I got was a 404 banner. I checked the programmer's web site yauws.com and he had a post there saying he has permanently removed his programs from Directv.

What Happened? The radar was one of the most useful apps on the system...maybe not the most popular, but when you live in tornado alley keeping up with developing weather is vital.

I'm sad to see him go.


----------



## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

I thought it was said here that App were going the way of the DoDo


----------



## Pepe Sylvia (May 10, 2010)

Tvapps is the biggest POS software. Nice idea, but awful execution.


----------



## loudo (Mar 24, 2005)

Our family used the Forecast and Radar App, two or three times a day, it was very handy. We miss it, and would like to see it back, or similar App.


----------



## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

Not only am I getting the 404 banner for NOAA Weather Forcast and Weather Radar my local weather app is now displaying Invalid City. Back to relying on the Bing Bar Local Weather App.


----------



## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

With smartphones, tablets & computers always within arms reach of 99% of the population there are lots of other (faster) ways to get virtually instant weather without apps that look like they came out of my first Apple ][ (would have said TRS-80 but that was B&W).


----------



## I WANT MORE (Oct 3, 2006)

I used the weather apps daily. I would like to see them return.


----------



## sweep49 (Jul 15, 2008)

Me too on the weather apps. Rest is worthless imho, so perhaps this is the precursor to killing the whole thing.


----------



## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

I, too, miss the NOAA apps, and share with *MysteryMan* the invalid zip code warning on the Weather Channel app.

I also lost all of the webcam apps I had. Some of them, like Yosemite, hadn't worked for a while but others did. Now they all are gone.

Why do I think that the apps are either going away for good or will receive a much needed overall update? It's one or the other: no apps at all or much better apps.

The current situation is bush league and not worthy of DirecTV's support.


----------



## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I think you're on the right track, Mr. Spock. I can tell you that I've seen some of the upcoming stuff and it's a massive improvement. I haven't seen everything, so I won't promise that anyone's personal favorite will be back better than ever, but at least I can tell you better stuff is coming.


----------



## loudo (Mar 24, 2005)

Stuart Sweet said:


> I think you're on the right track, Mr. Spock. I can tell you that I've seen some of the upcoming stuff and it's a massive improvement. I haven't seen everything, so I won't promise that anyone's personal favorite will be back better than ever, but at least I can tell you better stuff is coming.


I for one will be looking forward to it. I use the weather and sports apps daily.


----------



## Huskie_2009 (Jan 12, 2009)

Carl Spock said:


> ...
> 
> The current situation is bush league and not worthy of DirecTV's support.


Totally agree. I updated my Forecast App over a year ago that included new interactive features. DirecTv chose to not activate it until well over a year because they "had to update the Weather Channel App first". 
Gee, thanks DirecTv. So glad I helped you work the bugs out the new features.



Stuart Sweet said:


> I think you're on the right track, Mr. Spock. I can tell you that I've seen some of the upcoming stuff and it's a massive improvement. I haven't seen everything, so I won't promise that anyone's personal favorite will be back better than ever, but at least I can tell you better stuff is coming.


Since I saw nothing I would have to conclude that my Apps or my development are not worthy of the new stuff.
Just posting my reply to you to prevent others from thinking that my Apps are part of this new massive improvement that you are seeing.



I WANT MORE said:


> I used the weather apps daily. I would like to see them return.


Thanks but mine are not returning. At least not to the DirecTv platform. Android? I already made the radar one for myself. Forecast one is next. Don't know if I'll be putting it on the market. Maybe if there is enough interest but that is for another place/topic, not this one.

Thank you to everyone that has used my Apps for the last few years, especially the over 283,000 users of the radar app alone. Never expected to have so many.


----------



## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Darn. I liked the radar!

Oddity: when I started reading this thread a few minutes ago, I hit right arrow, and the apps came up. Hit weather and it came up, showed the week. Quit, reloaded for further testing. A dark vertical panel loaded, then disappeared and then the message they were unavailable. Repeated several times. 

And now they're back, five minutes later. Oh, I see now "Social TV" Now I can have my friends see what I am watching every single minute, no? NOW my life is complete....:eek2:


----------



## loudo (Mar 24, 2005)

Laxguy said:


> Darn. I liked the radar!
> 
> Oddity: when I started reading this thread a few minutes ago, I hit right arrow, and the apps came up. Hit weather and it came up, showed the week. Quit, reloaded for further testing. A dark vertical panel loaded, then disappeared and then the message they were unavailable. Repeated several times.
> 
> And now they're back, five minutes later. Oh, I see now "Social TV" Now I can have my friends see what I am watching every single minute, no? NOW my life is complete....:eek2:


I think you are looking the other weather app, not the Yauws apps. They are still showing not available. As stated earlier, it show on the yauws.com web site, they have been taken down.


----------



## BuffaloDenny (Mar 19, 2007)

I guess I'm the only one who liked the digital clock, though it was acting quirky lately. Any trick play button push would cause it to disappear.


----------



## PK6301 (May 16, 2012)

As long as they do not take down my NFL "Green Bay Packer" App than life will be good..The weather app is nice also.


----------



## ciurca (Apr 14, 2009)

Put me down as a sports team app user.


----------



## stevester23 (Sep 4, 2011)

however, some of the Apps are pathetic. The NCAA Basketball Team app this past season was a joke. More often than not the games had been over 2-3 hours and the app still showed scores with 10 minutes left in the 1st half?
:nono2:


----------



## steelerfanmike (Jun 18, 2007)

Kevin, Hope things work out!!!! I miss all your apps, everytime I hear Thunder in the distance, I turn to your radar app .... 
Thats if Directv can get them right.. service unavailable (5)


----------



## codespy (Mar 30, 2006)

Put our household down as 'many times during the day' users of the NOAA weather radar and the NOAA forecast. I just got a wireless CCK for the Radar App istelf for our camper when we are there because of bad storms. The local OTA radar and my phone have terrible graphics compared to the App.

If DirecTV has a replacement in the works, I would have liked the current ones to remain until the new ones launched.

-Lost our Comedy Central for a while....
-Lost my monthly HD credit....
-Lost my favorite TV Apps....

What's next DirecTV?


----------



## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

any idea why YAUWS took his stuff offline? To me, they were the only decent TV Apps.


----------



## FussyBob (Jan 11, 2009)

Huskie_2009 said:


> Totally agree. I updated my Forecast App over a year ago that included new interactive features. DirecTv chose to not activate it until well over a year because they "had to update the Weather Channel App first".
> Gee, thanks DirecTv. So glad I helped you work the bugs out the new features.
> 
> Since I saw nothing I would have to conclude that my Apps or my development are not worthy of the new stuff.
> ...


I read all this and I still don't understand why you pulled the most popular weather apps?

Bob P.


----------



## loudo (Mar 24, 2005)

Now the Apps have been removed from the DirecTV App line up.


----------



## codespy (Mar 30, 2006)

Just talked to a retention CSR and she confirmed the removal, but indicated new TVApps should be ready any day now and available for download.

She is escalating my issue and said I would be contacted via email with more answers. She was very courteous.

Huskie is probably taking the high road right now and not saying anything.


----------



## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

loudo said:


> Now the Apps have been removed from the DirecTV App line up.


Yup, they pulled the NOAA Apps and my 5 Day Local Weather App still says "Invalid City".


----------



## loudo (Mar 24, 2005)

MysteryMan said:


> Yup, they pulled the NOAA Apps and my 5 Day Local Weather App still says "Invalid City".


What I meant was they are no longer on the Apps menu, to select. Before they were there and we got the gray box when we selected them.


----------



## codespy (Mar 30, 2006)

Do a "search" for Radar and that still comes up on tvapps.directv.com, but when you click on it, you get the IE Webpage error.


----------



## mrphil (Dec 11, 2011)

loudo said:


> What I meant was they are no longer on the Apps menu, to select. Before they were there and we got the gray box when we selected them.
> 
> Originally Posted by *MysteryMan*
> Yup, they pulled the NOAA Apps and my 5 Day Local Weather App still says "Invalid City".


Same here. If I'm presistent, I can bring up the forecast app after a few attempts.


----------



## johnchart (Sep 17, 2006)

I still have some of them but several are missing


----------



## loudo (Mar 24, 2005)

johnchart said:


> I still have some of them but several are missing


Just these were removed:
*Biorhythm
Twitter
NOAA Weather Radar ver 1.2
NOAA Weather Forecast ver 1.2
Calendar
Digital Clock *


----------



## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

At precisely 3:26:12 PM PDT on Tuesday, July 24, 2012, TV apps won't load at all.


----------



## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

Laxguy said:


> At precisely 3:26:12 PM PDT on Tuesday, July 24, 2012, TV apps won't load at all.


They're working now.


----------



## Daggett (Mar 20, 2008)

That's a real shame, those were the only good apps and they were more convenient than having to start my computer just to check the weather.


----------



## HarleyD (Aug 31, 2006)

Daggett said:


> That's a real shame, those were the only good apps and they were more convenient than having to start my computer just to check the weather.


I don't understand the reasoning behind taking them down. Well I do. Huskie is obviously unhappy with DirecTV and perhaps justifiably so however, DirecTV doesn't really appear to be the one that is being harmed by taking the apps down. It's you and I...the ones who used them. I think it's safe to say DirecTV doesn't really care, which from what little has been shared may be the root of the problem.

But I don't actually know what went on between them so I don't want to speak too far out of turn.


----------



## wxguy (Feb 17, 2008)

Daggett said:


> That's a real shame, those were the only good apps and they were more convenient than having to start my computer just to check the weather.


I agree. I could start up my computer or load my phone program to directly access my radar data. This NOAA Apps were direct images from the local radar, not the (over) processed images from the weather channel. It was just very convenient to pop it over the screen, at least on those occasions when the apps would actually load. Seems to go through spells of getting broken fairly easily.

The work being done by this independent programmer was noteworthy, in spite of being ignored or disrespected by Directv. His history showed several programs he wrote that were cutting edge that the company decided to not implement. Even worse, the stuff with authorship by Directv seems to be getting dumped on by the company, so who knows where these are going.

If one of the other providers put the local radar on a channel, we'd probably sign up with them.


----------



## HarleyD (Aug 31, 2006)

wxguy said:


> I agree. I could start up my computer or load my phone program to directly access my radar data. This NOAA Apps were direct images from the local radar, not the (over) processed images from the weather channel. It was just very convenient to pop it over the screen, at least on those occasions when the apps would actually load. Seems to go through spells of getting broken fairly easily.
> 
> The work being done by this independent programmer was noteworthy, in spite of being ignored or disrespected by Directv. His history showed several programs he wrote that were cutting edge that the company decided to not implement. Even worse, the stuff with authorship by Directv seems to be getting dumped on by the company, so who knows where these are going.
> 
> If one of the other providers put the local radar on a channel, we'd probably sign up with them.


I'm fortunate in that where I am at I can pick up both the Tampa and Orlando OTA channels and that provides me with access to two dedicated 24-hour weather channels that have the radar on the screen over 90% of the time. Channel 10.2, WTSP Weather Now in Tampa and Channel 9.2 WFTV Severe Weather Center 9 are both full-time weather channels that I can resort to on the HR20 or the R22 w/AM21.

But I can't get a zip-code specific forecast on-demand from those sources. I have to sit and wait for it to rotate through all the cities in the area and can end up waiting several minutes for the forecast in my city.

Bottom line...even with those OTA weather channels I sill miss the YAUWS apps.


----------



## codespy (Mar 30, 2006)

HarleyD said:


> I'm fortunate in that where I am at I can pick up both the Tampa and Orlando OTA channels and that provides me with access to two dedicated 24-hour weather channels that have the radar on the screen over 90% of the time. Channel 10.2, WTSP Weather Now in Tampa and Channel 9.2 WFTV Severe Weather Center 9 are both full-time weather channels that I can resort to on the HR20 or the R22 w/AM21.
> 
> But I can't get a zip-code specific forecast on-demand from those sources. I have to sit and wait for it to rotate through all the cities in the area and can end up waiting several minutes for the forecast in my city.
> 
> Bottom line...even with those OTA weather channels I sill miss the YAUWS apps.


I get two OTA weather channels too, but they are animated blotches compared to the precise radar images found with the NOAA app. To me, there is absolutely no comparison. The old TVApp ruled our household, even for my 6 and 8 year old kids who are infatuated about storms approaching.


----------



## HarleyD (Aug 31, 2006)

codespy said:


> I get two OTA weather channels too, but they are animated blotches compared to the precise radar images found with the NOAA app. To me, there is absolutely no comparison. The old TVApp ruled our household, even for my 6 and 8 year old kids who are infatuated about storms approaching.


I agree on the clarity, although the animation is nice so you can tell if the storm is moving toward you.

Here in Florida, a storm front could be moving in any direction. In NE Ohio where I come from it was almost always moving West to East. Not so here.


----------



## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

D* really needs to provide a good wx radar app - It's almost important enough to be called a public safety issue. 

Ideally, they also need a way to let viewers know if the NWS issues a severe wx alert for my county.


----------



## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

wilbur_the_goose said:


> D* really needs to provide a good wx radar app - It's almost important enough to be called a public safety issue.
> 
> Ideally, they also need a way to let viewers know if the NWS issues a severe wx alert for my county.


Aren't there better services on the internet? This isn't a rhetorical question, as I don't know that there are, nor where to find them off hand. But I can't agree that DIRECTV® needs to provide it.


----------



## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

wilbur_the_goose said:


> D* really needs to provide a good wx radar app - It's almost important enough to be called a public safety issue.
> 
> Ideally, they also need a way to let viewers know if the NWS issues a severe wx alert for my county.


That's what weather alert (SAME) radios are for. We have 3 in the house.

Nevertheless, I would love an App that could do the weather alert by county function...the problem being the weather alert philosophy is to warn, therefore the app has to be running all the time...there aren't any provisions for an App for the D* boxes to do that.

I agree that a good wx radar app (with motion) should be provided. They can add graphics to indicate alerts (it's done on line all the time). The one thing they can't do is associate any of the app's functions with public safety. They wouldn't work until invoked...that's not safety, it's a recipe for disaster.

Living in a high frequency and intensity storm area, there is no substitute for a fully functional SAME weather alert radio with battery backup built in, like the Midland models. Wally World sells them for $30.00, and I've seen them on close out at end of season for $15.00. I bought two of them that very day.

I will say that I used both the forecast and radar app by yauws far more often than I did my computer....until the storms were getting close. Then, for safety purposes, we needed full motion doppler radar, updated by the minute or at least every 5 minutes, which our local nws shifts to when severe storms are active.


----------



## loudo (Mar 24, 2005)

Laxguy said:


> Aren't there better services on the internet? This isn't a rhetorical question, as I don't know that there are, nor where to find them off hand. But I can't agree that DIRECTV® needs to provide it.


Yes there are better services on the Internet, but having it at the touch of a button is really convenient, and I consider a great bonus feature. I have Google TV but DirecTV Apps is still quicker and more convenient just to be able to push the ">" button and see it.

Weather radios are great, but they don't show the radar when you want to look at it before you go out to mow the lawn.


----------



## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

loudo said:


> Yes there are better services on the Internet, but having it at the touch of a button is really convenient, and I consider a great bonus feature. I have Google TV but DirecTV Apps is still quicker and more convenient just to be able to push the ">" button and see it.
> 
> Weather radios are great, but they don't show the radar when you want to look at it before you go out to mow the lawn.


I think the wx radar app is a great convenience feature of the sat boxes (or at least it was). I used it all the time, many times daily, as well as the forecast a couple times per day (cuz I kept forgetting what I read)

My comments about weather radios was/is confined to safety...a stagnant radar picture that you have to seek out is not "public safety", it's a death trap. That's where my "that's what wx radios are for" comment came from.


----------



## loudo (Mar 24, 2005)

hasan said:


> My comments about weather radios was/is *confined to safety*...a stagnant radar picture that you have to seek out is not "public safety", it's a death trap. That's where my "that's what wx radios are for" comment came from.


Got to agree with you there. That is why we have two on 24/7 in our house.


----------



## itzme (Jan 17, 2008)

Regardless of better technologies, Huskie's apps were useful and often-used at my house. I really miss them. I do know that Huskie has a true developer's and DBStalk ethical spirit, so I respect his decision. But I hope it all gets worked out and we get those apps back, or even better ones.


----------



## V'ger (Oct 4, 2007)

i will miss the weather apps. My big use was convenience. When I start seeing glitches on the TV or hear thunder, it was easy to press a button or two on the remote, bring up the radar, and predict if and when and even perhaps how long the satellite receiver would be out.


----------



## wxguy (Feb 17, 2008)

V'ger;3066679 said:


> i will miss the weather apps. My big use was convenience. When I start seeing glitches on the TV or hear thunder, it was easy to press a button or two on the remote, bring up the radar, and predict if and when and even perhaps how long the satellite receiver would be out.


I've given up on seeing a decent display on TV like Husky provided, so my fallback is now to punch up my phone to take a look or just keep on. Doesn't help my spouse who loved the tv version since she won't give up on her dumb phone.

I use the PYKL3 android app on my phone and tablet. Downside is you have to buy it, but it is the next best thing to sitting at the radar console. Looping, velocity data, warning areas all give me a one step up from anything the tv thing did. I use it professionally, but it works good for a casual user who doesn't want to get surprised by a storm or gives you something to look at while the satellite receiver has lost signal.


----------



## CopyCat (Jan 21, 2008)

V'ger;3066679 said:


> i will miss the weather apps. My big use was convenience. When I start seeing glitches on the TV or hear thunder, it was easy to press a button or two on the remote, bring up the radar, and predict if and when and even perhaps how long the satellite receiver would be out.


I miss the NOAA Weather Radar ver 1.2 also, but found MyRadar for free to use on my Iphone. Had to load it on my wife's phone also as she used the radar app more than I did.


----------



## codespy (Mar 30, 2006)

CopyCat said:


> I miss the NOAA Weather Radar ver 1.2 also, but found MyRadar for free to use on my Iphone. Had to load it on my wife's phone also as she used the radar app more than I did.


http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?product=N0R&rid=mkx&loop=yes


----------



## loudo (Mar 24, 2005)

codespy said:


> http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?product=N0R&rid=mkx&loop=yes


Works good on IPhones, but useless on a DirecTV receiver. It would be nice if there was an App that would allow you to link to any page you wanted. I remember during the test days of the TV Apps there was one that allowed you a to select what you wanted, but when the final copy of the Apps came out, it was no longer on the list of Apps to choose from.

From a few posts here and other comments I have seen, I think we night see the next generation of Apps coming soon.


----------

