Channel Setup

Channel Setup requires admin-level privileges.  Use the options in this section to name and edit output channels, configure streaming, transitions, or continuity over a network channel, set the video format, or set the multicast TTL format.

Channel Setup

To name output channels or configure streaming, transitions, or continuity over a network channel, click on the channels option. The application displays the Channel Setup page with a list of all channels on this system.

Click on the channel name or edit icon to edit. The application displays the Edit Channel screen. The following fields are editable. To cancel any unsaved changes and return to the Config page, click the Cancel button at the bottom of the screen.

Attributes

The Attributes box will display whether this channel is analog or digital, but the information will vary by type of server. Two examples are illustrated.

Analog IPTV

• Name – Enter a short, descriptive name for the channel.
• Description – Enter a longer description about the channel that will distinguish it from the others at your installation.
• TV Guide Station ID – If your installation submits schedules to TV Guide in X-List format, enter your station ID.
• Video Output Format – (Analog channels with CVII cards) Select Composite or Component (YPbPr).
• Video Output Standard – (Analog channels with CVII cards) Select NTSC or PAL.
• Switch Output – (For systems with a switch) Select a switch output for this channel from the drop-down list.
• Switch Input – (For systems with a switch) Select a switch input for this channel from the drop-down list, if applicable.
• JPG Duration – (Analog) This is set to 10 seconds (00:00:10) at installation. To change it enter thedefault length of time you want jpg files to play on this channel in HH:MM:SS format.You can override this default by setting a runtime for a jpg file or setting a duration when you schedule the jpg file.
• Output Format – (HD-SDI) Select an output format from the drop-down list.
• Destination IP Address – (IPTV) This is initially blank or set to a local IP address.  Enter the IP address of the device where you want the stream to play.
• Destination IP Port – (IPTV) Enter a port number not used by any other streaming applications that may send networked data to the video server.
• Bit Rate – (ASI and IPTV) You can select a bitrate standard, or enter your own choice for the bit rate. The bitrate you select or enter is displayed in the box. Files that exceed this rate as their total mux rate cannot be played on the channel. The options you can pick from for a pre-defined bit rate standard include:
  • CableLabs SD: 3.75 Mbps
  • CableLabs HD: 19 Mbps
  • ATSC: 19.396285 Mbps

When you have finished entering attributes for this channel, click the Save button at the bottom of the section.

Properties

The Properties box displays for analog and HD-SDI servers.

• Enable Auto Fade? – To enable auto fade for this channel, check this box and click the Save button. This directs the application to fade gracefully from one playout to the next, rather than jumping abruptly to the next playout.
• Audio Volume – The strength of the audio volume. On HD-SDI servers choose a setting between -48 dB and 12 dB. The default is 0.  On other servers, 0 is mute and 100 is the loudest.  The default is 50.
• AC-3 Bypass? – (HD-SDI) To place audio decoded from AC-3 into Group 2 on the SDI embedded audio channels, check this box. To place audio in Group 1, leave AC-3 bypass unchecked.

When you have finished entering the properties information for this channel, click the Save button at the bottom of the section.

Monitoring

The monitoring box is displayed on analog servers to configure network streaming and webstreaming.

• Enable Network Streaming? – To enable network streaming for this channel, check this box and enter the IP address and port number of the application where the stream will be displayed. This allows high-quality MPEG-2 packets to be transmitted over UDP to the IP address and port specified. It also enables remote monitoring.
• Warning: Network streaming can send large amounts of data across your network. This can cause network congestion if not coordinated with your IT department. Please confirm with your IT department before enabling.
• Generate Webstream – (analog servers) To configure a webstream from this channel, check this box.  The system prepopulates the IP address and port fields.  If you uncheck this box, you can change the IP address and port for network streaming, but you will not be able to generate a webstream.
• Webstream –(analog servers) link to your webstream, such as a feed on Windows Media Player.
• Network Streaming IP – the IP address to which the network stream will be transmitted using UDP.  If you are generating a webstream you must use the default setting.
• Network Streaming Port – the port number to which the network stream will be transmitted using UDP. If you are generating a webstream you must use the default setting.

When you have finished entering the monitoring information for this channel, click the Save button at the bottom of the section.

Continuity

Continuity is a file or feed that plays when no other programming is scheduled for a channel. For example, some installations play a bulletin board when no other programming is scheduled.  If you enable continuity, choose one of the sources: file, switch, feed, or playlist.  Only one source may be selected; selecting another will automatically cancel a previously selected source.  On a multi-channel system, you can have different continuity on different channels.

• Enable Continuity? – To enable continuity for this channel, check this box.
• Continuity Resume – Continuity resume controls where in a file or stream the continuity begins to play again after scheduled programming finishes. Checking continuity resume will prevent viewers from seeing the same piece of the continuity clip over and over again.

To restart the continuity at the beginning after the scheduled programming finishes, leave the box unchecked.

Note: If continuity is a playlist, then unchecking the Continuity Resume box means the playlist will resume at the start of the next item on the list.  A playlist does not resume at the very beginning.

To resume the continuity at the point where it left off, check the box.

Note: If the continuity file or playlist does not support random access (playing a file at any point), then checking the Continuity Resume box means the continuity will resume at the beginning of the file or the current item on the playlist.

Each channel’s continuity may come from one source: a file, a switch, a feed, a playlist, or a WEBUS channel.  When you choose one source, the others will be blanked out. Only continuity options that are available for your system will be displayed.

• Continuity File – If your continuity comes from a file, select it from the drop-down list. This file will play when nothing else is playing on this channel.
• Continuity Switch – If your continuity resides on a DVD player, satellite, or other device, use this drop-down list to select the switch through which the continuity file will play. If breakaway is enabled, select both the video and audio inputs.
• Continuity Feed – If your continuity comes through a feed, such as a live source, select the feed from the drop-down list.  Only one channel on your system can receive continuity from a feed.
• Continuity Playlist – If your continuity is a playlist of files, select it from the drop-down list. If breakaway is enabled, you can select the audio feed – such as a radio station – separately.  To enable breakaway, go to the Switch Configuration section.
• Continuity WEBUS– If your continuity is a WEBUS channel, select it from the drop-down list.  WEBUS® Inside is an option on B100 broadcast servers.

When you have finished entering the continuity information for this channel, click the Save button at the bottom of the section.

To return to the Configuration menu page without making changes beyond what you have already saved, click the Cancel button or the Config tab.

Set Multicast TTL

If the system is configured to use the Linux Multicast TTL, this option will be displayed in the Channel Setup section.  To change the setting, click on the Multicast TTL option.  The IP Multicast TTL Configuration screen is displayed. Enter the number of router hops the system should attempt when forwarding a multicast packet and click the Save button. Entering 0 has the same effect as pressing the Cancel button. The change will take effect next time the server is rebooted.