IntelliStar

IntelliStar is the fifth generation successor to the WeatherStar systems used by the American cable TV and satellite TV channel The Weather Channel (TWC), for inserting local forecasts and current weather information (such as the "Local on the 8s" portion of their program schedule) into TWC's programming. Like the WeatherStar, it is installed as well at the cable TV company's headend.

The IntelliStar has many enhanced features over its predecessor, the Weather Star XL. Like all other WeatherStars, the IntelliStar receives its data over a satellite connection and over the Internet. However, unlike the rest, it has the capability to receive more complex information, more efficiently. It also has a DualFeed feature, which allows a selection of two different video feeds. In the event of inclement weather, the DualFeed option would switch from the first (network) feed, to a second (localized) feed, providing weather information to a specific STAR or network of STARs. By doing this, the specified network of STARs could be addressed with weather updates, versus the entire national network of STARs (where such information would be irrelevant).

It also has improved display graphics, dynamic radar capabilities, and improvements to the forecast-reading feature called Vocal Local (which uses TWC voiceover artist Allen Jackson's narration on TWC and more simplified female narration on Weatherscan). The IntelliStar removes the 3-day extended forecast narration (as of March 20, 2008) but adds narration for the 36-hour forecasts and Weather Bulletins, and also ducking for lowering the level of the background music when playing Vocal Local files. (The Weather Star XL just cuts into the music to play Vocal Local files.). HiRAD (High Resolution Aggregated Data) technology, added to the IntelliStar in 2006, allows The Weather Channel to choose any city, town, or landmark as an observation/forecast site and provide data. Occasionally, HiRAD will fail, in which case the old NWS sites are used (Only the Current Conditions, 8 city product, and Regional/Metro products are affected significantly).