What is Skycaster?
Skycaster is weather broadcasting software for TV and radio stations: a weather data API, a live weather map builder, HTML graphics templates and a rendering client that puts weather maps on air.
Skycaster in one paragraph
Broadcasters use Skycaster to put accurate, good-looking weather on air without building their own weather system. Stations choose the cities and data they need in a web dashboard and pull it into their graphics, playout and automation systems as JSON or XML. The same dashboard builds live weather maps, which the Skycaster Rendering Client turns into broadcast video — as MP4 files or live over SDI and HDMI. Every weather condition and alert can be worded in the station's own language.
Key facts
| What it is | Weather broadcasting software: weather data API, live maps, graphics templates and a rendering client |
|---|---|
| Built for | TV stations, radio stations, regional broadcasters and media networks |
| Operated by | Hitex World Operations SA, Route d'Amont 14, 1720 Corminboeuf, Switzerland |
| Data formats | JSON and XML |
| Forecasts | Current conditions, hourly and daily forecasts up to 16 days ahead |
| Data fields | 80+ — temperature, wind, precipitation, clouds, pressure, UV, radiation, soil, air quality, pollen and weather alerts |
| Coverage | Worldwide — any city in the database or any coordinates |
| Weather data source | Open-Meteo (ECMWF, DWD, NOAA and other national weather-service models); radar and satellite from RainViewer |
| Languages | Unlimited — your own wording for every weather condition and alert, in any language or script |
| Video output | Rendering client for macOS and Windows: MP4 files, or live SDI and HDMI through Blackmagic DeckLink cards |
| Pricing | From €500 per month; three plans (Station, Regional, Global), monthly or annual |
| Documentation | https://docs.skycaster.tv |
What Skycaster does
- Weather data API with current conditions, hourly and daily forecasts up to 16 days, as JSON or XML.
- 80+ weather, air-quality and pollen fields per city.
- Weather alerts for thunderstorms, wind, heat, cold, heavy rain, freezing rain, snow, UV and fog.
- Named presets: save cities, fields and units and request them with one parameter.
- Custom wording for every weather condition and alert, in unlimited languages.
- Live weather maps: animated wind streams, heatmaps, rain radar, satellite imagery, borders, city labels and terrain.
- Hour-by-hour time scrubbing and playback on the map.
- 3D Earth flyover map videos.
- HTML broadcast graphics templates for CasparCG and browser-based playout.
- Rendering client for macOS and Windows with MP4, SDI and HDMI output.
- API key management with per-key request counts and last-used times.
Who uses Skycaster
Skycaster is built for TV stations, radio stations, regional broadcasters, media networks and commercial weather operations — anyone who presents weather on air or feeds a broadcast production pipeline. It is a professional tool for broadcasters, not a consumer weather app.
How much does Skycaster cost?
Skycaster has three plans, billed monthly or annually in euros. Every plan includes the full data API, live maps and the rendering client.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | API requests / min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skycaster Station | €500 | €5,000 | 10 |
| Skycaster Regional | €1,000 | €10,000 | 30 |
| Skycaster Global | €1,500 | €15,000 | 60 |
Who makes Skycaster?
Skycaster is operated by Hitex World Operations SA, Route d'Amont 14, 1720 Corminboeuf, Switzerland. Support is available at support@skycaster.tv.
Skycaster, Skycasters and SkyCaster
Skycaster (skycaster.tv) is a weather data and graphics platform for broadcasters, operated by Hitex World Operations SA in Switzerland. It is not related to Skycasters, the US satellite internet provider, or the SkyCaster tethered drone.