Pinnacle Systems iNews Command - 1.0 Administrator’s Guide

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Avid® iNEWS® Command

Administration Guide

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The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement. You can obtain a copy of that license by visiting Avid's Web site at www.avid.com. The terms of that license are also available in the product in the same directory as the software. The software may not be reverse assembled and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the license agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement.

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This document is protected under copyright law. An authorized licensee of Avid iNEWS Command may reproduce this publication for the licensee’s own use in learning how to use the software. This document may not be reproduced or distributed, in whole or in part, for commercial purposes, such as selling copies of this document or providing support or educational services to others. This document is supplied as a guide for Avid iNEWS Command. Reasonable care has been taken in preparing the information it contains. However, this document may contain omissions, technical inaccuracies, or typographical errors. Avid Technology, Inc. does not accept responsibility of any kind for customers’ losses due to the use of this document. Product specifications are subject to change without notice.

Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software [i.e., the TIFF library] and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that (i) the above copyright notices and this permission notice appear in all copies of the software and related documentation, and (ii) the names of Sam Leffler and Silicon Graphics may not be used in any advertising or publicity relating to the software without the specific, prior written permission of Sam Leffler and Silicon Graphics.

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Portions of this software are based on work of the Independent JPEG Group.

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Portions of this software licensed from Paradigm Matrix.

The following disclaimer is required by Ray Sauers Associates, Inc.:

“Install-It” is licensed from Ray Sauers Associates, Inc. End-User is prohibited from taking any action to derive a source code equivalent of “Install-It,” including by reverse assembly or reverse compilation, Ray Sauers Associates, Inc. shall in no event be liable for any damages resulting from reseller’s failure to perform reseller’s obligation; or any damages arising from use or operation of reseller’s products or the software; or any other damages, including but not limited to, incidental, direct, indirect, special or consequential Damages including lost profits, or damages resulting from loss of use or inability to use reseller’s products or the software for any reason including copyright or patent infringement, or lost data, even if Ray Sauers Associates has been advised, knew or should have known of the possibility of such damages.

The following disclaimer is required by Videomedia, Inc.:

“Videomedia, Inc. makes no warranties whatsoever, either express or implied, regarding this product, including warranties with respect to its merchantability or its fitness for any particular purpose.”

“This software contains V-LAN ver. 3.0 Command Protocols which communicate with V-LAN ver. 3.0 products developed by Videomedia, Inc. and V-LAN ver. 3.0 compatible products developed by third parties under license from Videomedia, Inc. Use of this software will allow “frame accurate” editing control of applicable videotape recorder decks, videodisc recorders/players and the like.”

The following disclaimer is required by Altura Software, Inc. for the use of its Mac2Win software and Sample Source Code:

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Trademarks

888 I/O, Adrenaline, AirPlay, AirSPACE, AirSPACE HD, AirSpeed, AniMatte, AudioSuite, AudioVision, AutoSync, Avid, Avid DNA, Avid DNxcel, Avid DNxHD, AVIDdrive, AVIDdrive Towers, Avid ISIS, Avid Learning Excellerator, Avid Liquid, Avid Mojo, AvidNet, AvidNetwork, AVIDstripe, Avid Unity, Avid Unity ISIS, Avid Xpress, AVoption, AVX, CamCutter, ChromaCurve, ChromaWheel, DAE, Dazzle, Deko, DekoCast, D-Fi, D-fx, DigiDelivery, Digidesign, Digidesign Audio Engine, Digidesign Intelligent Noise Reduction, DigiDrive, Digital Nonlinear Accelerator, DigiTranslator, DINR, DNxchange, do more, D-Verb, Equinox, ExpertRender, Face Robot, FieldPak, Film Composer, FilmScribe, FluidMotion, HIIP, HyperSPACE, HyperSPACE HDCAM, IllusionFX, Image Independence, iNEWS, iNEWS ControlAir, Instinct, Intraframe, iS9, iS18, iS23, iS36, LaunchPad, Lightning, Lo-Fi, Magic Mask, make manage move | media, Marquee, Matador, Maxim, MCXpress, Media Browse, Media Composer, MediaDock, MediaDock Shuttle, Media Fusion, Media Illusion, MediaLog, Media Reader, Media Recorder, MEDIArray, MediaShare, MediaStream, Meridien, MetaSync, MissionControl, NaturalMatch, Nearchive, NetReview, NewsCutter, Nitris, OMF, OMF Interchange, OMM, Open Media Framework, Open Media Management, PCTV, Pinnacle MediaSuite, Pinnacle Studio, Pinnacle Systems, ProEncode, Pro Tools, QuietDrive, Recti-Fi, RetroLoop, rS9, rS18, Sci-Fi, SecureProductionEnvironment, Show Center, Softimage, Sound Designer II, SPACE, SPACEShift, SpectraGraph, SpectraMatte, SteadyGlide, Symphony, TARGA, Thunder, Trilligent, UnityRAID, Vari-Fi, Video RAID, Video Slave Driver, VideoSPACE, and Xdeck are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

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Footage

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Send us your reels and we may use your footage in our show reel or demo!*

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*Note: Avid cannot guarantee the use of materials submitted.

Avid iNEWS Command v1.0 Administration Guide • 0130-07913-01 Rev. A • June 2007

Using This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Who Should Use This Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

If You Need Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

How to Order Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Avid Educational Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Chapter 1 Introduction to iNEWS Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Overview of the System Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Architecture and Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Security via Administrator Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Starting Command at a Workstation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Overview of the User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Playlist Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Disabling a Command Workstation’s Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Chapter 2 iNEWS Command Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Main Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Device Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Redundancy/Failover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Non-redundant services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Viewing Status of Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Starting and Stopping Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Chapter 3 System Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Viewing System Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Channel Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Creating Channel Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Editing Channel Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Deleting Channel Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Indices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Programming the X-keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Assigning Channel-Specific Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Device Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

MOS Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Playlist Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Playout Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Autocue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

As-run Log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Inventory Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

GPI Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Mapping GPI Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Enabling the GPI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Importing and Exporting System Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Chapter 4 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Support Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Standard Information to Include Regardless of Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Failover and Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Miscellaneous Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Appendix A Avid Interplay Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Using This Guide

Congratulations on your purchase of your Avid iNEWS Command system.

Avid iNEWS Command offers a considerable amount of functionality for the state-of-the-art newsroom, including newsroom system integration and playout control. With Command, newsroom personnel can easily create and manage playlists.

This publication provides information on how to use the Command system.

The documentation describes the standard features of a basic system configuration. Therefore, your system might contain certain features and hardware that are not covered in the documentation.

Who Should Use This Guide

This guide is written for system administrators and various technical personnel responsible for managing the Command system in a broadcast newsroom. This guide is intended for advanced users.

It is strongly recommended that system users have prior experience in or classroom knowledge of Windows-based operating systems and networking.

About This Guide

This guide leads you through even the most complex procedures with task-oriented instructions, illustrated for a more realistic presentation of the actual icons and images you encounter. The information provides basic user procedures, while adding a complete explanation of all the tools and techniques required to create, apply, and adjust various settings, including useful tips, shortcuts, and custom options.

The Contents lists all topics included in the book. They are presented with the following overall structure:

• The Introduction helps you get oriented with beginning concepts and general workflow and provides valuable pointers to keep in the back of your mind as you proceed.

Using This Guide

• The main body of the guide follows the natural flow of your work, with clear and comprehensive step-by-step procedures.

• Finally, a detailed Index helps you quickly locate specific topics.

This guide provides instruction for your system in the following areas:

• An overview of system architecture, services, and workflow

• Various administrative procedures for iNEWS Command as well as other systems and devices with which it interfaces

Symbols and Conventions

Avid documentation uses the following symbols and conventions:

Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action

> This symbol indicates menu commands (and subcommands) in the

Italic font Italic font is used to emphasize certain words and to indicate variables.

Courier Bold font

Ctrl+key or mouse action Press and hold the first key while you press the last key or perform the

A note provides important related information, reminders, recommendations, and strong suggestions.

A caution means that a specific action you take could cause harm to your computer or cause you to lose data.

A warning describes an action that could cause you physical harm. Follow the guidelines in this document or on the unit itself when handling electrical equipment.

order you select them. For example, File > Import means to open the File menu and then select the Import command.

This symbol indicates a single-step procedure. Multiple arrows in a list indicate that you perform one of the actions listed.

Courier Bold font identifies text that you type.

mouse action. For example, Ctrl+drag or Ctrl+S. This also applies to Alt and Shift keys.

If You Need Help

If you are having trouble using the Avid iNEWS Command system:

1. Retry the action, carefully following the instructions given for that task in this guide. It is especially important to check each step of your workflow.

2. Check for the latest information in one of two locations:

- If release notes are available, they ship with your application.

- If ReadMe files are available, they are supplied in your Avid application folder.

If You Need Help

Release notes and ReadMe files are also available on the Avid Knowledge Base.

3. Check any printed documentation that came with your Avid application or your hardware for maintenance or hardware-related issues.

4. Visit the online Knowledge Base at are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Search this online Knowledge Base to find answers, to view error messages, to access troubleshooting tips, to download updates, and to read/join online message-board discussions.

5. For Technical Support, call 800-800-AVID (800-800-2843). For Broadcast On-Air Sites and Call Letter Stations, call

800-NEWSDNG (800-639-7364).

For the latest product information, see the Avid Knowledge Base:

www.avid.com/onlinesupport

How to Order Documentation

To order additional copies of any Avid documentation from within the United States, call Avid Sales at 800-949-AVID (800-949-2843). If you are placing an order from outside the United States, contact your local Avid representative.

Avid Educational Services

www.avid.com/onlinesupport

. Online services

For information on courses/schedules, training centers, certifications, courseware, and books, visit (800-949-2843).

www.avid.com/training

or call Avid Sales at 800-949-AVID

Using This Guide

Chapter 1

Introduction to iNEWS Command

Avid iNEWS Command is a device automation system that integrates with any iNEWS or MOS-enabled newsroom computer system (NRCS) and provides broadcasters precise control over a range of playout devices, including video servers, still stores, and character generators in a broadcast news environment. Backup services and mirrored playout make this system reliable while the user interface allows you to control multiple production devices. Avid iNEWS Command also works with Avid Interplay Framework applications and services to ensure you always have the best system performance.

This chapter contains the following main sections:

• Overview of the System Architecture

- Architecture and Workflow

- Features

• Security via Administrator Password

• Starting Command at a Workstation

• Overview of the User Interface

Chapter 1 Introduction to iNEWS Command

Overview of the System Architecture

The basic iNEWS Command system is comprised of iNEWS Command Servers, workstations that run the client software, and devices, such as Avid AirSpeed video servers, Thunder production servers and Deko character generators. The system is designed to be an extension of your current Avid system. It allows you to receive playlists from Avid iNEWS while controlling your video and graphics devices. The iNEWS Command system supports industry standard protocols making it compatible with many other products.

For newscast control your iNEWS Command system provides automated playlists, tracks script changes, and automates control of production and playback devices including video servers, still stores, and character generators. It integrates with the iNEWS rundown—or any other MOS-enabled newsroom computer system—allowing a producer to change a show while it is on air, and reflecting those changes in their iNEWS Command system. MOS commands are supported so that journalists can use MOS plug-ins within the newsroom computer system script. Production playout devices, including Avid Deko and Avid Thunder on-air graphics solutions and AirSpeed video servers, are triggered based on the events in the rundown.

News graphic and text templates for news elements can include logos and station IDs, lower-third captions or superimposed graphics, and full-screen backgrounds with text. Journalists, using iNEWS newsroom computer system, fill in the templates and insert them into their stories either manually, by using a macro, or by using the iNEWS Title Entry tool. They may also include clips and stills in their script by entering the ID of the of the graphic in the story as a production cue. At air time an iNEWS Command operator triggers the graphics playlist, which is synchronized with the iNEWS rundown.

Architecture and Workflow

Avid iNEWS Command is scalable and can adapt to work in traditional newsroom-based playlist creation to production-centric workflows where running orders are created inside the Command Workstation. All of the components can run on a single computer, or they can be spread out across multiple computers with redundant services configured to take control if the primary services should become unavailable.

Overview of the System Architecture

An example of a basic Command system architecture is shown in the following illustration:

In the most common news workflow, playlists are created using the iNEWS newsroom computer system and the video and graphic assets are referenced in stories using their IDs or by dragging and dropping them from an Active-X plugin.

Standalone playlists can be created and saved for later use. Multiple playlists can be embedded in a single running order. You can set assets within a playlist to playback at a specified time, or you can set groups of assets to play in follow-on mode.

Chapter 1 Introduction to iNEWS Command

A basic workflow is shown in the following illustration.

Features

The Avid iNEWS Command system provides the features described in the following table.

Feature Description

Playlist Functionality You can load a playlist from the newsroom computer system, or create the

playlist manually within Avid iNEWS Command. This provides the flexibility to control event playout locally, at the desktop, or from a rundown. You can also embed playlists within other playlists, which allows for seamless transitions between shows or segments produced by separate editorial teams.

Manual and Automated Triggering

Mirrored Playout This allows a single Play command to initiate playback on two channels

Advanced Playback Feature You can cue items as needed if and when playlists change, and provide

Items can be played back manually by the operator, triggered via GPI, or automatically played based on the time of day. This provides total integration with the facility, its systems, processes, and staff.

simultaneously. This functionality is essential for redundancy/failover operations.

simultaneous playback while video files are still being transferred, saving time.

Overview of the System Architecture

Feature (Continued) Description (Continued)

Flexible Integration You can configure the Avid iNEWS Command system to control any

combination of Avid Thunder, Avid AirSpeed, and Avid Deko systems that are operating in an Avid iNEWS, ENPS, or other MOS environment.

User Interface The intuitive user interface provides visual tools, including clocks that show

time elapsed and time remaining, channel assignments for easy identification of transmission paths, and color-coded status indicators that illustrate the inventory of assets based on availability and playability on all devices. This improves operation, reduces training time, and ensures complete synchronization of devices with the playlist

Status Updates Reflects playability status of inventory assets; display of playout and

channel group lock status; and status-based colors and fonts for stories and items at a glance. These status updates speed up decision-making saving time, while maintaining accuracy.

Chapter 1 Introduction to iNEWS Command

Security via Administrator Password

Modifying system settings in Avid iNEWS Command requires an administrator password (if set), which is configured through the Service Configuration application of Avid Interplay Framework. For more information about Avid Interplay Framework, see Appendix A.

To set up or change the system administration password:

1. Click the Start button and select Programs > Avid > Interplay Framework > Avid Interplay Service Configuration.

2. On the Hosts tab, navigate to and select the Avid System Configuration Service.

3. Select the Administrator Password tab.

4. Type in an alpha-numeric password and retype it.

5. Click Apply.

Click the Reset button to restore the default “blank” password.

Starting Command at a Workstation

While some administration tasks require a password—if the administrator password is set up—the Avid iNEWS Command client application at a workstation requires no password to log in and is easy to start.

To start iNEWS Command at a workstation:

1. Do one of the following:

t Double click the iNEWS Command icon on the desktop.

t Click the Start button and select Programs > Avid > Avid iNEWS Command.

The iNEWS Command window opens as shown in the following illustration:

Menu bar

Panels

Status bar

Playlist Viewer

Workspace

Inventory Explorer

Chapter 1 Introduction to iNEWS Command

Overview of the User Interface

The Avid iNEWS Command window is the graphical user interface that contains , the Playlist Viewer, panels, a menu bar, status bar, and a workspace area.

Playlist Viewer

The Playlist Viewer is a customizable area of the window used to view and manage playlists for on-air playout. The window can also have different playlists open simultaneously. All are accessible through tabs located at the top of the Playlist Viewer.

For more information about the Playlist Viewer used in iNEWS Command, see Avid iNEWS Command User’s Guide.

Panels

Panels are components that provide information in various ways.The iNEWS Command window contains panels that you can dock, undock, move, resize, or even hide from view. Each panel is easily identified by the name appearing in its title bar.

For more information about the panels, including the Inventory panel and Playlist Explorer, used in iNEWS Command, see Avid iNEWS Command User’s Guide.

Menu Bar

The menu bar for iNEWS Command contains the following:

•File

•Edit

•View

• Playlist

•Item

• Tools

•Help

Each menu, its options and descriptions are described in the following tables:

Menu Submenu Menu Option Description

File New Playlist Opens the Create New Playlist dialog box.

Overview of the User Interface

Menu Submenu Menu Option Description (Continued)

Story Opens a Create New Story dialog box.

File Exit Closes the Command program.

Edit Cut Cut selection.

Copy Copy selection.

Paste Paste selection.

Delete Delete selection.

View Playlist Explorer Displays or closes the Playlist Explorer.

Inventory Displays or closes the Inventory.

Shotbox Displays or closes the Shotbox displayed at the top

of the Workspace.

Clock Displays or closes the Clock.

Media Viewer Displays or closes the Media Viewer.

Alerts Displays or closes the Alerts.

Playlist View Next Displays next playlist

Previous Displays previous playlist

Set Focus Sets the keyboard focus to the active view.

Close Closes the current playlist.

Close All Closes all playlists.

Playlist Select Next item Select next item in current playlist.

Previous Item Select previous item in current playlist.

Next Row Select next item in current playlist.

Item After Story Select next item after story.

Playlist Edit Edit Selection Edit current selection in playlist.

Edit Story Edit story in playlist.

Playlist Insert New Story Insert new ptory.

New Break Insert new break.

Playlist Channel Assign Assign channel.

Chapter 1 Introduction to iNEWS Command

Menu Submenu Menu Option Description (Continued)

Playlist Playout Cue Cue media in a playlist.

Play Play media in a playlist.

Pause Pause media playing in a playlist.

Stop Stops media from playing.

Media Go To Mark In Go to the marked In point.

Go To Mark Out Go to marked Out point.

Set Mark In Mark the In point.

Set Mark Out Mark the Out point.

Forward One Frame Move forward one frame.

Forward One

Move forward one second.

Second

Forward ten

Move forward ten seconds.

Seconds

Backward One

Move backward one frame.

Frame

Backward One

Move backward one second.

Second

Backward Ten

Move backward ten seconds.

Seconds

Restart Restart media.

Tools Options Opens the Options dialog box.

Settings Opens the System Settings dialog box.

Help About Display information about iNEWS Command.

Contents Displays help information for users.

Support Opens the Support dialog box.

Disabling a Command Workstation’s Keyboard

Some sites use alternative devices to control playout from Command, such as a GPI device or an X-keys USB keypad, and therefore do not want the computer keyboard at the workstation enabled.

To enable or disable the keyboard:

1. Select Tools > Options.

2. In Category, select Keyboard.

3. Do one of the following:

t Select Enable keyboard. t Deselect Enable keyboard.

4. Click Apply.

5. Click OK.

If the keyboard is disabled, the numeric keypad cannot be used to control playout from the Command Workstation. Disabling the keyboard does not affect the use of the keyboard for software on the workstation PC unrelated to the Command client software.

Chapter 1 Introduction to iNEWS Command

Chapter 2

iNEWS Command Services

The services for iNEWS Command enable it to interface with newsroom computer systems as well as providing for playlist control. Some of the services can be defined as Main services—those responsible for communicating with newsroom computer systems and for playlist control. Other services are known as Device services—those responsible for controlling other devices, such as video servers, still stores, and character generators in a broadcast news environment.

Avid iNEWS Command uses Avid Interplay Framework applications and services to monitor and manage Command services.

This chapter contains the following main sections:

• Main Services

• Device Services

• Redundancy/Failover

• Viewing Status of Services

• Starting and Stopping Services

Chapter 2 iNEWS Command Services

Main Services

The main services are vital components that enable interfacing with a newsroom system, as well as playlist control.

It is best to dedicate a computer to be a Command Server. Avid does not recommend running the main services on a workstation, Thunder, or Deko. See “Redundancy/Failover” on

page 25 for more information.

The two services that pertain to newsroom computer system interfacing are:

• Avid iNEWS Communication Service—An iNEWS Command system uses this

service as the communication portal to load and unload iNEWS rundowns from an iNEWS workstation. The service receives playlist messages from iNEWS, distributes them to the appropriate Command components, and reports item status and inventory messages back to iNEWS. A single iNEWS Command system can have multiple Communication services for redundancy.

• Avid MOS Communication Service—An iNEWS Command system uses this service

to load and unload rundowns from a MOS-compliant newsroom system, such as ENPS. The service receives MOS playlist messages from the newsroom computer system, distributes them to the appropriate Command components, and reports item status and inventory messages back to newsroom computer system. A single iNEWS Command system can have multiple MOS services. This service is server specific, meaning that services on different computers act independently. In a failover scenario, if the Command playlist becomes disconnected, users can continue playout functions. To get an updated playlist, the user must perform a MOS redirection in the MOS-based newsroom computer system to the Command Server running the now primary MOS Communcation service.

The services related to playlist control are:

• Avid Playlist Controller—The playlist controller drives playout of the media on a

locked channel group from the playlist it controls. When one or more channel groups are locked, a playlist controller is allocated by the Playlist Manager. A single iNEWS Command system can have multiple primary playlist controllers and several backups. One playlist controller is necessary for each concurrently loaded playlist. Separate controllers are not needed to control embedded playlists.

• Avid Playlist Manager—This service assigns a playlist controller (and its backup, if

any) to a playlist when the first channel group is locked. It also manages the locks on channel groups. Playlists that have locked channel groups are prevented from being deleted. An iNEWS Command system can only have one primary Playlist Manager, but might have others as backups.

• Avid Pl a y l ist Store—This service is the data store or respository for all loaded

(newsroom) playlists and standalone playlists. It communicates playlist changes to other Command components. An iNEWS Command system can only have one primary Playlist Store, but might have others as backups.

The services related to inventory are:

• Avid Inventory Manager—This service maintains an inventory of media metadata for

all physical devices connected to any channel group in an iNEWS Command system. This inventory is sent to the Inventory Manager via the individual device services. An iNEWS Command system can only have one active Inventory Manager, but might have backups.

Device Services

The Device services are those services responsible for controlling other devices, such as video servers, still stores, and character generators in a broadcast news environment.

• Avid AirSpeed Device Service—This service provides control of a single AirSpeed

high resolution video server. One is required for each AirSpeed, but a site can also have multiple backups. It runs on the iNEWS Command servers, not on the device like other device services.

Device Services

• Avid Deko Device Service—This service provides control of a single Deko device. One

is required for each Deko device. It runs on the device (Deko Server).

• Avid Thunder Device Service—This service provides control of a single Thunder

device. One is required for each Thunder device. It runs on the device (Thunder Server).

• Avid GPI Device Service—This service interfaces to a GPI input card on the server.

• Avid Maney Panel Service—This service interfaces to a Maney panel.

Redundancy/Failover

Avid iNEWS Command services operate on a primary/backup basis. There can be only one primary service, but there can be several backup services. Avid does not recommend running the Command services on a workstation, Deko, or Thunder. It is best to have a dedicated computer be a Command Server and, for additional system integrity, use multiple Command Servers—one running all of the primary services while the backup services run on other backup servers.

Command determines primary and backup based on the length of time the service has been running. The server that has been running longer is the primary. Therefore, to get all primary services on one server, it is necessary to start the primary server first; when all services have

Chapter 2 iNEWS Command Services

started, start the backup servers. This is the only way to ensure all services on the primary server take on the primary role, which allows for more consistent behavior during times when redundancy is needed, and it helps simplify any necessary troubleshooting efforts.

When a primary service goes down, Command conducts an election, and changes the backup service to primary. The new primary service will remain primary until it goes down. When the old primary service comes back up, it becomes the backup service. If the primary Command Server were to go down, all of the services on the backup server would become primary.

If you were to lose network connectivity to the primary Command Server, the services do not actually go down, and so their duration remains longer than the backup. After the network connection is restored, those services become primary again.

If you have an on-air failover on the primary Command Server due to a loss of network connectivity, you must stop the services on the primary server. Otherwise, those services will once again become primary when the connection is restored, which will interrupt on-air playability. After the connection is restored, and at a non-crucial time, you should start those services again.

Non-redundant services

There are some services that are not redundant:

• Lookup Service — This Command service acts independently. If a second one is running, it is doing the same work; they basically work as two primary services. In a failover scenario, the second lookup service is already working, and services would continue seamlessly.

• iNEWS Communication Service— This Command service is server specific, meaning that services on different computers act independently. In a failover scenario, the Command playlist will become disconnected, users can continue playout functions. To get an updated playlist, the user can reload the iNEWS rundown to the second Command Server and continue.

• Deko & Thunder Device Services— These Command services must run on the Deko and Thunder respectively, and you cannot install a second service on a device.

• Service Starter Service, Machine Monitor Service, Time Synchronization— These Avid Interplay Framework services are computer specific, so redundancy does not apply.

Viewing Status of Services

Avid iNEWS Command uses Avid Interplay Framework as its structure for discovering and communicating with services. For more information, see “Avid Interplay Framework” on

page 77.

To view status of services:

1. Click the Start button and select > All Programs > Avid > Interplay Framework > Avid Interplay Workgroup Properties.

The Avid Interplay Workgroup Properties window opens.

Viewing Status of Services

When you start the Interplay Workgroup Properties application, the Services tab appears by default displaying the name of the workgroup, to which this computer belongs, in the Workgroup text box. Also shown, in the Status text box, is the status of all Avid services running on the local computer.

The Interplay Workgroup Properties application uses colored icons—in combination with text—on the Services tab to show the status of all Avid services. A user can click the Advanced button to see more information about individual services. The icons displayed provide fast, easy identification of the current status of an Avid service.

Chapter 2 iNEWS Command Services

Status Icon Status Icon Description

When all of the enabled Avid components are running on the local machine a green circle with a check mark in the center is shown next to the Status text box and the sentence—All enabled services are running—is displayed.

When some of the enabled Avid components are running on the local machine a caution symbol (yellow triangle with an exclamation mark in the center) is shown next to the Status text box and the sentence—Some services are enabled but not running—is displayed.

When none of the enabled Avid components are running on the local machine a red square is shown next to the Status text box and the sentence—No services are running—is displayed.

For more information on viewing Avid services using the Interplay Workgroup Properties application, see the Avid Interplay Framework User’s Guide.

Starting and Stopping Services

The Services tab allows you to edit the workgroup to which the computer belongs, view the status of all the Avid services running on the local computer, or start, stop, and restart the local Avid workgroup services.

The Advanced button on the Services tab opens the Avid Interplay Services dialog box. This dialog box allows you to stop, start, enable, or disable individual or multiple Avid services running on the local computer.

Starting and Stopping Services

To stop, start, enable, or disable Avid services:

1. From the Services tab in the Avid Interplay Workgroup Properties window, click the Advanced button.

The Avid Interplay Services dialog box opens.

2. Select a service to stop, start or enable. Multiple rows can be selected.The Start button changes to Restart if all of the services

are running.

3. Do one of the following:

t Click Start to start the selected service(s). t Click Stop to stop the selected service(s). t Click Enable to enable the selected service(s).

For more information on starting and stopping services using the Interplay Workgroup Properties application see the Avid Interplay Framework User’s Guide.

To disable a service:

1. Click the Start button, and then select All Programs > Avid > Interplay Framework > Avid Interplay Workgroup Properties.

2. Click the Advanced button.

Chapter 2 iNEWS Command Services

The Avid Interplay Services dialog box opens.

3. Select the service you want to disable and click Stop.

4. After the service stops, click the Disable button to disable the service.

5. Click Exit to close the Avid Interplay Services dialog box.

6. Click OK to close the Avid Interplay Workgroup Properties window.

Chapter 3

System Settings

System settings can be accessed through the Command user interface at any Command Workstation. System settings are used to configure channel groups, GPI keypads, MOS integration with third-party newsroom systems such as ENPS, and so forth.

Modifying system settings in Avid iNEWS Command requires an administrator password (if set). For more information, see “Security via Administrator Password” on page 16.

This chapter contains the following main sections:

• Viewing System Settings

• Channel Settings

• MOS Settings

• Playlist Settings

• Playout Settings

• Inventory Manager

• GPI Settings

• Viewing System Settings

Chapter 3 System Settings

Viewing System Settings

The system settings for Command can be accesses at any Command Workstation.

To view system settings:

1. Select Tools > System Settings. The System Settings dialog box appears.

2. Click any category to access the settings related to that part of the Command system.

3. When finished, click the X button to close the dialog box.

Channel Settings

The first category in the System Settings dialog box pertains to channels. It is used to map device channels to channel names, as well as configuring indices and channel groups.

This section covers the three sub-categories in the order they appear within the software:

• Groups

• Indices

• Device Channels

Before you assign groups, the actual device channels should be mapped to a channel name. This is done in the System Settings dialog box. See “Device Channels” on page 47 for more information.

Groups

A channel group is a cluster configured with one or more device channels composed from compatible video servers or character generators. Many channel groups can be created from the same pool of resources, and different groups can use the same resources to serve different operational needs.

Channel Settings

Each channel group must contain a single “type” of device. For instance, a channel group called AS is a grouping of channels from two or more AirSpeed video servers, while a different channel group named CG is a grouping of channels on a Deko character generator. All channel names within a single device type must be unique.

AirSpeed channels provide one of the best examples of the way in which channel groups provide control configurations; they do not guarantee media availability, which is the role of the AirSpeed studio configuration. For example, a station has two AirSpeed video servers, each with two channels that are numbered 2 and 3. (With AirSpeed video servers, the first channel is reserved for ingest.) Let’s call the first AirSpeed AS1 and the second one AS2. With channel groups on Command, the station’s system administrator can set up numerous different channel groups and call them anything, such as:

Channel Group Channel Names Actual Device Channels Purpose

AS-Noon A

B C

AS1 - channel 2 AS1 - channel 3 AS2 - channel 2

Playout Playout Browse

Chapter 3 System Settings

Channel Group Channel Names Actual Device Channels Purpose

AS-5PM A

B C D

AS-10PM A

C B D

AS1 - channel 2 AS1 - channel 3 AS2 - channel 2 AS2 - channel 3

AS1 - channel 2 AS2 - channel 2 AS1 - channel 3 AS2 - channel 3

Playout Playout Playout Playout

Playout Mirrored Playout Mirrored

The following graphic shows a more visual example of how multiple channel groups can be created from the same four AirSpeed video server channels.

The first group shows a single channel group configured to create four playback channels called A, B, C, and D. The next set shows two groups, representing control rooms, with two playback channels each. Alternatively, the groups can be created from any combination of channels and used to support simultaneous two-channel playout from two control rooms sharing the same resources. The last set shows four channel groups, each controlling a single channel.

Channel Settings

The following graphic shows a more visual example of how channel groups are used to mirror playout for redundancy.

The first group creates a two channel playout solution with both channels mirrored on a secondary video server for maximum reliability. Whenever a video clip is cued and played on either of the primary channels, the same clip is also cued and played on the corresponding secondary channels. The other two groups depict single channel solutions with redundancy.

All of these channel groups can exist at the same time, although they cannot necessarily all be used simultaneously.

Creating Channel Groups

Channels must be created before they can be assigned to channel groups. For more information on how to create channels, see “Device Channels” on page 47.

The first eight (8) characters of a channel group’s name must be unique to match the eightcharacter device name in the iNEWS newsroom computer system. For instance, a channel group name in Command that is ASNoonMirrored will appear as ASNoonMi in iNEWS.

Chapter 3 System Settings

System administrators can create channel groups via the System Settings dialog box.

To create channel groups:

1. Select Tools > System Settings. The System Settings dialog box appears.

2. Expand Channel.

3. Select Groups.

4. Click Add.

The Add New Channel Group to Playlist dialog box opens.

Channel Settings

5. Enter the name of the new channel group and any notes you want. Names of channel groups can be upper or lowercased and contain any alpha-numeric character. Avoid using spaces before or after the name.

6. Click Add to add a channel to the group.

If channels have not been created, they cannot be assigned to channel groups; therefore, the Add button will be disabled if no channels exist in the system. For more information on how to create channels, see “Device Channels” on page 47.

Chapter 3 System Settings

7. In the Channel Detail section, select the following:

Channel Detail Description

Channel Type Select the appropriate channel type, based on:

Primary Select the channel designated as the primary playout channel for the

Mirrored (Optional) If mirrored playout is necessary, select the device’s channel

Preview (Optional) Select which device channel to use for displaying the

8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 as needed. You can use the Up and Down buttons to rearrange the order of channels in the group.

Standard - This is the channel type selected for playout. Browse - This is the channel type selected for changing In and Out points

of pre-existing clips for preview or editing purposes only. This does not apply to playout operations.

Hotswap - This is the channel type selected for emergency backup channel assignment.

device.

designated for mirrored playout.

headframe of the next media event in the playlist.

9. Click OK. This will close the Add New Channel Group to Playlist dialog box. The new channel group will appear in the System Settings dialog box.

10. Click Apply (if you want the System Settings dialog box to remain open after settings are applied) or OK. The system will prompt you for the administrator password.

11. Enter the administrator password and click OK.

Until the Apply or OK button is clicked and administrator password supplied, the channel group(s) are not created.

12. Close all workstation sessions and restart all Command and Avid Interplay Framework services throughout the environment.

Editing Channel Groups

Should it become necessary to modify a channel group, you can do so from any Command Workstation via the System Settings dialog box.

To edit a channel group:

1. Select Tools > System Settings. The System Settings dialog box appears.

Channel Settings

2. Expand Channel.

3. Select Groups.

4. Select the channel group from the list on the right.

5. Click Edit. The Edit Channel Group dialog box appears.

Chapter 3 System Settings

6. You can rename the channel group, add notes, rearrange the order of channels by using the Up and Down buttons, add or delete channels, or alter the channel details for each channel in the group.

7. After editing the channel group, click OK.

8. Click Apply (if you want the System Settings dialog box to remain open after settings are applied) or OK. The system will prompt you for the administrator password.

9. Enter the administrator password and click OK.

Channel Settings

Deleting Channel Groups

Until the Apply or OK button is clicked and administrator password supplied, the changes in the system settings are not saved.

Should it become necessary to delete a channel group, you can do so from any Command Workstation via the System Settings dialog box.

To delete a channel group:

1. Select Tools > System Settings. The System Settings dialog box appears.

2. Expand Channel.

3. Select Groups.

4. Select the channel group from the list on the right.

5. Click Delete.

Chapter 3 System Settings

6. Click Apply (if you want the System Settings dialog box to remain open after settings are applied) or OK. The system will prompt you for the administrator password.

7. Enter the administrator password and click OK.

Indices

Until the Apply or OK button is clicked and administrator password supplied, the channel group(s) are not deleted from the system settings.

Channel indices are a configuration feature used to map an index integer (1-16) to a channel name, which can be alpha or numeric, to enable assignment of channel-specific actions to certain keys on a keypad.

This pre-configuration can be done before assigning the channel-specific actions to any keys on playout control keypads, such as the X-keys connects to the USB port the Command Workstation and offers up to twenty userreprogrammable keys for one-button access to playout functionality.

USB keypad. An X-keys USB keypad

X-keys is an optional third-party hardware solution, so for more information on the X-keys USB keypad, see that manufacturer’s documentation on www.xkeys.com.

Ensuring the successful integration of an X-keys keypad to control playout through Command requires the completion of the following tasks:

Tasks Refer to...

Channel Settings

(Optional) Disable the keyboard at the Command Workstation.

Verify installation of the keypad on the Command Workstation.

Map Indices to Channel Names. See procedure on page 44.

Program the keypad. “Programming the X-keys” on page 45

(Optional) Assign channel-specific actions to keys.

“Disabling a Command Workstation’s Keyboard” on page 21

See the Avid iNEWS Command Installation and

Configuration Guide.

“Assigning Channel-Specific Actions” on page 47

Another alternative keypad is one that connects to a GPI card. For more information on GPI integration, see “GPI Settings” on page 63.

Chapter 3 System Settings

To map an index to a channel name:

1. Log in to a Command Workstation.

2. Select Tools > System Settings. The System Settings dialog box appears.

3. Expand Channel.

4. Select Indices.

5. Enter the channel’s name in the Name column next to the appropriate index.

Avid recommends that if a channel name must be numeric, such as is the case whenever the ActiveX plug-in Avid Deko Select is used, assign it to the same Index number to avoid confusion.

6. Click Apply (if you want the System Settings dialog box to remain open after settings are applied) or OK. The system will prompt you for the administrator password.

7. Enter the administrator password and click OK.

Programming the X-keys

The following procedure should be conducted at the Command Workstation to which the X-keys USB keypad is installed.

To program the X-keys from the Command Workstation:

1. Select Tools > Options.

2. In Category, expand Actions and select X-keys.

Channel Settings

3. Select Enable X-keys.

Chapter 3 System Settings

4. Set the de-bounce period. Designed to avoid inadvertent repetition, this is the span of time (in milliseconds) during which the system should ignore duplicated signals.

If you find that you are having problems with “double-hits” when you press a key, increase the de-bounce period.

5. Click on a gray box that represents (or corresponds to) the key on the keypad.

Some sites might use key caps that cover 2 or 4 buttons on the keypad, turning a set of buttons into a single key. If that is the case, select the left box to set the “2-button” key. For 4-button keys, select the upper left box.

6. Assign an action to the key by selecting it from the list of those available in the Choose Action dialog box. The most commonly used actions will appear open for your selection already.

- The Playlist > Channel Group actions refer to channel group commands.

- The Playlist > Selection actions refer to selected items on the playlist.

- The Playlist > Channel actions refer to specific channels that correspond to a

particular index as configured in the procedure on page 44 and explained in

“Assigning Channel-Specific Actions” on page 47.

7. Click OK.

8. Repeat steps 5-7 as needed.

9. Click Apply.

10. Click OK.

The following graphic shows a closeup of the first row of keys after they were assigned to the four playout control options of play, cue, pause, and stop.

Assigning Channel-Specific Actions

Keys can also be assigned to an action associated with a specific channel on a device. An example of this would be for a key to initiate a play command on a single channel. Assigning the channel-specific actions affects only the keypad attached to the workstation at which the assignments are programmed.

To assign channel-specific actions to a key:

1. Complete steps 1 - 5 of the procedure to program X-keys on page 45.

Channel Settings

2. In Category, expand Actions and select Playlist, then Channel.

3. Select the action, such as Play.

4. Select the index, such as 01, that corresponds to the device channel.

5. Click Apply.

6. Click OK.

Device Channels

The Device Channels section of the System Settings dialog box enables system administrators to map actual channels from a device, such as an Avid Deko or AirSpeed video server to a name of your chosing. This name can then be used to create channel groups or assign channel-specific actions to keys on a USB keypad at the Command Workstation.

For more information on channel groups, see “Groups” on page 33. Also, see “Assigning

Channel-Specific Actions” on page 47 for more information on assigning channel-specific

actions to keypad keys.

To map device channels to names:

1. Log in to a Command Workstation.

2. Select Tools > System Settings. The System Settings dialog box appears.

Chapter 3 System Settings

3. Expand Channel.

4. Select Device Channels.

5. Click Add.

6. Enter the channel’s name, which can be any alpha-numeric character(s), based on the following guidelines:

Channel Settings

Device Type Channel Index Channel Name Description

Deko 0 1 Avid Deko devices begin channel designations

Deko 1 2

Both channel names must be numeric, though, to match the channel selection available

through the Deko Select plug-in inside of the iNEWS newsroom computer system.

AirSpeed 2 A AirSpeed video servers begin channel

AirSpeed 3 B

Thunder 1 aPlay Avid Thunder begins channel designations at

Thunder 2 bPlay

at zero (0); however, the name of the first channel can be one.

designations at one (1); however, the first channel is reserved for video ingest. So the first available channel for playout or browse purposes would be channel 2.

one (1). The channel names must be in the following format: aPlay, bPlay, cPlay, and so forth. Although it is possible to name the channels 1, 2...8, or pgm (for program), Avid recommends against using numeric names to avoid confusion with channel names for any Avid Deko device.

7. Select the name and type of the device from the lists. The device name is the machine name for the device, such as deko3000. If it does not appear in the list, you must enter it. If the device is on a different subnet, you will need to enter the full domain name for the device, such as deko3000.avid.com.

8. Select the channel, using the Channel index spinbox.

9. Enter any notes you want, which can help identify the device should future alterations be necessary.

10. Click OK.

11. Repeat steps 5 through 10 for each device, as needed.

12. Click Apply (if you want the System Settings dialog box to remain open after settings are applied) or OK. The system will prompt you for the administrator password.

Chapter 3 System Settings

13. Enter the administrator password and click OK.

MOS Settings

The MOS category in the System Settings dialog box allows system administrators to configure the Command system to integrate with a MOS-enabled newsroom computer system, such as ENPS. A MOS-enabled newsroom computer system can send playlists to Command.

MOS (Media Object Server) is an industry-standard, XML-based protocol that is primarily used by a newsroom computer system (NRCS) to maintain running orders on a video server. MOS also enables servers to update the newsroom computer system with changes to the server’s media inventory. Command’s MOS support enables communication between the newsroom computer system and AirSpeed video servers, as shown in the following illustration.

NRCS

MOS

messages

MOS does not provide a means of controlling playout from a video server. Command supplies this function.

Under the MOS category are three subcategories:

• General - used to configure MOS and graphics environment settings.

• Channel Groups - used to create channel groups for integration with MOS-based newsroom computer systems.

• Advanced - used for advanced MOS feature configuration.

Avid strongly recommends contacting Customer Support before altering any of the advanced settings.

Command

AirSpeed

MOS Settings

To configure Command’s system settings to work with a MOS-based newsroom computer system:

1. Select Tools > System Settings.

2. Expand the MOS category.

3. Select General.

4. Edit the MOS settings accordingly:

MOS Setting Description

iNEWS Command MOS IDThe ID that enables enables bidirectional communications between a

MOS-based newsroom computer system and Command. The ID must be all lowercased and adhere to the following format:

the Command system>.mos

For instance:

Newsroom NCS ID Usually, this is set to the host name of the newsroom computer system’s

server.

avid.command1.mos

avid.command2.mos

avid.<name of

Chapter 3 System Settings

MOS Setting Description

Newsroom Host Name Host name of the newsroom computer system’s server. The name entered

Newsroom BuddyID Usually, this is set to host name of the newsroom computer system’s

in this field must be resolvable via the Domain Name Service (DNS); otherwise, an IP address can be used instead.

“buddy” or backup server. The name entered in this field must be resolvable via the Domain Name Service (DNS); otherwise, an IP address can be used instead.

Newsroom Buddy Host Name

MOS version Determines which version of MOS protocol Command will use.

Host name of the newsroom computer system’s “buddy” or backup server.

5. Set the default graphics environment for playlists loaded from a MOS-based newsroom computer system, if necessary.

Graphics environments, known as styles in Avid Deko, are added via the Playlist category in the System Settings dialog box. If none are added, then the list in the MOS > General category will appear blank. See “Playlist Settings” on page 55 for more information.

6. Select Channel Groups.

7. Click Add. The Channel Groups dialog box appears.

8. Select a channel group.

MOS Settings

9. Click OK. The chosen channel group will appear in the list on the right side of the System Settings

dialog box.

10. Click Apply (if you want the System Settings dialog box to remain open after settings are applied) or OK. The system will prompt you for the administrator password.

11. Enter the administrator password and click OK.

Chapter 3 System Settings

To view advanced MOS settings:

1. Select Tools > System Settings.

2. Expand the MOS category.

3. Select Advanced.

While a newsroom computer system can use non-standard ports for the incoming and outgoing sockets and the advanced settings can be customized, Avid recommends that the default settings be used.

Avid strongly recommends contacting Customer Support before altering any of the advanced settings.

The first four settings specify the port numbers for the sockets used to communicate with the MOS-based newsroom computer system. The defaults, as defined in the MOS protocol specifications, are: 10541 (upper) and 10540 (lower).

Playlist Settings

Playout of items in a playlist can be set to either to manual playout or to automatically occur immediately following the completion of the previous item. This latter functionality is called follow-on playout and is indicated by an icon that looks like a bent blue arrow in the playlist at a Command Workstation.

While a user at a Command Workstation can change individual items in a playlist from one playout type to another, the system administrator can set the default condition for items added to playlists in the System Settings dialog box. This default applies to both standalone and newsroom playlists.

To set the playout default for new items:

1. Select Tools > System Settings.

2. Select Playlist.

Playlist Settings

3. Ensure the checkbox called New items are follow-on by default is selected.

Chapter 3 System Settings

4. Click Apply (if you want the System Settings dialog box to remain open after settings are applied) or OK. The system will prompt you for the administrator password.

5. Enter the administrator password and click OK.

Environments

Graphics environments, known as styles in Avid Deko, are added to the system via the Playlist category in the System Settings dialog box. This category allows you to specify the set of graphics environments that will appear as options in various parts of the user interface, such as: the Default environment list (shown below), in the MOS category of the System Settings dialog box (see page 51), and in the Playlist Properties dialog box .

To add an environment:

1. Select Tools > System Settings.

2. Select Playlist.

3. Click the Add button. An environment will appear in the list as shown:

Click here to rename the environment.

After multiple environments are added, use this list to select which one the system should use as a default.

Click here to add an environment.

Playout Settings

4. By default, the name of any added environment is changed. To do so, double-click on the name in the list and retype the new name.

5. Click Apply (if you want the System Settings dialog box to remain open after settings are applied) or OK. The system will prompt you for the administrator password.

6. Enter the administrator password and click OK.

For more information on environments, known as styles, see the Avid Deko Select User’s

Guide.

Playout Settings

The Playout category of the System Settings dialog box provides a variety of settings related to autocueing of items, channel assignment, playout behaviors, and the as-run log.

Environment

, but that can be

To access the playout settings:

1. Select Tools > System Settings.

2. Select Playout.

Chapter 3 System Settings

Autocue

The Playout category contains settings in three distinct sections:

• Autocue

• Behavior

• As-run Log

Options in the Autocue section are described as follows:

Autocue enabled When autocue is enabled, video clips are cued

automatically whenever the playlist’s channel groups are locked and when the preceding item is played. If this checkbox is not selected, events must be cued manually.

When the Autocue enabled checkbox is selected, the other options in the Autocue section are enabled for selection as well; when it’s not, the rest appear grayed out.

Playout Settings

Single channel Applies autocue to single channels only.

For example, the first three items (1, 2, and 3) in a playlist are cued in order on channels A, B, and C, respectively when the playlist’s channel group is locked. The next four items (4, 5, 6, and 7) are assigned to A, B, C, and A. If this setting is enabled, then should a user manually play item 4 on channel A, item 7 instead of item 1 would then be cued on A, while items 2 and 3 would remain cued on B and C.

If this setting is not enabled, then when item 4 is played on channel A, items 5, 6, and 7 would be cued on channels B, C, and A respectively, while items 1, 2, and 3 would no longer be cued for playout.

Skip items that are not playable If selected, the system will skip over any items that are

unavailable for playout.

Cue automatically after playlist changes Expands the autocue functionality to include automatic

cueing of items whenever the playlist is altered by the newsroom computer system.

Auto-assign channels If selected, channels are assigned automatically whenever

the channel groups are locked.

Strong channel assignment If selected, channels are also re-assigned automatically

When strong channel assignment is enabled, any channel assignment made by the newsroom computer system is ignored.

Behavior

The Behavior section supplies configuration options for integration between Command and playback devices, such as the automated graphic triggering functionality available through the Avid Deko Select plug-in that opens inside the iNEWS newsroom computer system. With the plug-in, a user can set a character-generated graphic to automatically go on-air at a specific time and for a specific duration during a video event. This is known as Totally Automated Graphics (TAG). Timecode information specified in the plug-in is forwarded to the Command Workstation and appears in the playlist so that the operator knows when this automatic event will occur.

Administrators at sites that want to take such events to air manually can turn off the automatic functionality by modifying the system setting in Avid iNEWS Command. This

when a playlist is altered to maintain their sequence, such as ABAB, etc. Assignment only applies to unplayed items in the playlist or below any manually cued item.

Chapter 3 System Settings

does not disable the ability of a user to enter an start time or duration in the Deko Select plug-in. If entered, the times would still appear as information only for the Command operator.

To turn on or off automatic graphic triggering:

1. Select Tools > System Settings.

2. Select Playout.

3. Do one of the following:

t Ensure the Automatic Graphic Triggering checkbox is selected to turn it on. t Uncheck the Automatic Graphic Triggering checkbox to turn it off.

4. Click Apply (if you want the System Settings dialog box to remain open after settings are applied) or OK. The system will prompt you for the administrator password.

5. Enter the administrator password and click OK.

The other settings available in the Behavior section of the System Settings dialog box are explained in the following table:

Hold last frame time Sets a delay that determines how long the last frame of a

clip is held on the channel before it is ejected. When using clips that are less than 10 seconds in duration, specify a value that is less than the duration of the events in the playlist. For example, when using clips that are five seconds in duration, specify the value to any positive integer less than five.

Eject previous items Stops an item that would normally continue to play after a

As-run Log

The As-run log is used to keep records of playout data for traffic-related purposes.

To enable the as-run log:

1. Select Tools > System Settings.

2. Select Playout.

3. Select the As-run log enabled check box.

Inventory Manager

new item is sent to air. For example, a two-minute clip is playing in channel A but, after only one minute, you play the next item on air on channel B. Without this setting enabled, the clip on channel A would continue to play for the remaining minute, unless you manually stop it. If you set the Eject previous item time greater than zero, any events that are playing when you send the next item to air are stopped automatically after the designated time interval has elapsed.

4. Enter a network-shared location accessible to the Command Servers running the Avid Playlist Controller services.

Inventory Manager

Avid iNEWS Command supports placeholders that can be used to associate media with a newsroom story before the media is actually available.

The iNEWS newsroom computer system can request placeholders from the Command system. Placeholder creation is also a feature of MOS-based ENPS systems and is invoked as part of the AutoCreate feature.

Each placeholder must have a unique ID to avoid playback of the wrong media. In Avid iNEWS Command, the prefix for such placeholders can be configured.

Chapter 3 System Settings

To configure placeholder defaults:

1. Select Tools > System Settings.

2. Expand the Inventory Manager category.

3. Select Placeholder.

4. Set the prefix. The format for placeholders, by default, is:

<prefix>MMDDYY-<8digits>

The prefix can be set by a system administrator to any alpha-numeric sequence of digits,

such as a station’s call letters. If set to of the week is used based on the day when the placeholder was created, such as

TUE, WED, THU, FRI, SAT

, or

SUN. MMDDYY

, a three letter, all-cap representation of the day

MON

represents the month, day, and year. It is

followed by a hyphen (-) and 8 randomly generated, lowercased alpha-numeric digits.

5. Set the number of days after which any unused placeholders are deleted from the system. To disable this feature, set the number to zero (0).

6. Click Apply (if you want the System Settings dialog box to remain open after settings are applied) or OK. The system will prompt you for the administrator password.

7. Enter the administrator password and click OK.

GPI Settings

A GPI panel is another alternative keypad device that can be used to control playout through Command. The GPI panel, such as a Maney panel (shown below), connects to a GPI card installed in the Command Server.

GPI Settings

The GPI panel allows a user to select up to four channels, with each channel having its own set of Control buttons for play, cue, pause, and stop functionality.

Configuring the system to work with a GPI panel requires defining certain parameters through the system settings in Command and through the Avid Interplay Service Configuration application.

Chapter 3 System Settings

To ensure successful GPI integration, complete the following tasks in the order that they are listed. If you are viewing this checklist online, you can easily link to a topic that provides procedural details for the task. Return to this main checklist after you have completed each task.

Tasks Refer to...

Verify installation of Avid Interplay Framework,

as well as installation of the GPI card and GPI device service on the Command Server.

Verify proper configuration of the GPI card. The Avid iNEWS Command Installation and

The Avid iNEWS Command Installation and Configuration Guide and the installation

instructions that came with your GPI card

Configuration Guide

" Ensure that the GPI device service is running. The Avid iNEWS Command Installation and

Configuration Guide

Map Indices to Channel Names. The procedure on page 44

" Map events to an actions. “Mapping GPI Events” on page 64

" Enable the GPI panel for playout. “Enabling the GPI” on page 67

Mapping GPI Events

After you configure the GPI card and restart the device service, the GPI events must be mapped to playout actions. This is done at a Command Workstation in the System Settings dialog box.

The channel number selected in step 6 of the following procedure corresponds to an index, which must be configured for this mapping to work. For more information on mapping indices, see the procedure on page 44.

To map GPI events to actions:

1. Log in to a Command Workstation.

2. Select Tools > System Settings. The System Settings dialog box appears.

GPI Settings

3. Select GPI.

4. Expand the panels to view each panel’s GPI events.

5. Double-click on an event. The Choose Action dialog box appears with the GPI options expanded by default.

Users can select any of the actions in the dialog box, such as selecting Playlist > Selection > Next Item, which would configure a GPI button to advance the cursor in the user interface. However, Avid recommends mapping GPI events to GPI > Channel actions because these actions are communicated directly to the Playlist Controller, bypassing the user interface. Similar actions, such as Cue, Pause, Play, and Stop, also appear under Playlist > Channel, but those are provided for USB keypads, such as X-keys.

Chapter 3 System Settings

6. Expand the action, such as Play, and select a channel number, such as 01.

7. Click OK.

8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 as needed.

9. Click Apply (if you want the System Settings dialog box to remain open after settings are applied) or OK. The system will prompt you for the administrator password.

10. Enter the administrator password and click OK.

Enabling the GPI

After configuration of the GPI card for the Avid iNEWS Command system is complete, the GPI panel must still be enabled to control a playlist. A user can do this at any Command Workstation.

To enable a GPI panel to control a playlist:

1. At the Command Workstation, select Tools > Options.

2. In Category, expand Actions and select GPI.

GPI Settings

3. Select a GPI panel from the list.

4. Click Apply.

5. Click OK.

System administrators must configure system settings to provide a list of GPI panels in the Options dialog box. For more information, see “Mapping GPI Events” on page 64.

Chapter 3 System Settings

Importing and Exporting System Settings

Should it become necessary to change computers, Command offers a way to export system settings from one PC to another. It’s located on the System Settings dialog box in Command.

To import or export system settings:

1. Select Tools > System Settings. The System Settings dialog box appears.

2. Do one of the following:

t Click Export to export the current system settings as an XML file. Go to step 3. t Click Import to import system settings. Go to step 4.

3. When the Export Studio Settings dialog box appears (as shown below), type a name for the XML file and select a directory where you want the file to be saved. Then click Save. You can disregard the rest of this procedure, which applies to importing settings.

Importing and Exporting System Settings

4. The system will prompt you for the administrator password.

5. Enter the administrator password and click OK.

6. Navigate to and select the XML file you want to import. Then click OK.

Chapter 3 System Settings

Chapter 4

Troubleshooting

Avid iNEWS Command is a system that offers redundancy in case of failover and a method for system administrators or users to keep track of issues for troubleshooting purposes.

When attempting to troubleshoot any problem, it is best to have the latest version of release notes available, which are available as free downloads on Avid’s Knowledge Base at:

http://www.avid.com/onlineSupport/browse.asp?productID=203&topicID=301

This chapter contains the following main sections:

• Support Dialog Box

• Failover and Recovery

• Miscellaneous Issues

Chapter 4 Troubleshooting

Support Dialog Box

The Support dialog box is provided for Command users to log information about any issues encountered that might require contacting Avid Customer Support.

To log support information at a Command Workstation:

1. Select Help > Support.

2. Enter a description of the issue in the Support dialog box. For instance, the following example shows a sentence regarding a GPI device:

3. Click Save.

4. Select the location where you want the zipped file to be saved.

5. Click OK.

The system saves your comments inside a zipped file that also contains other vital information, such as system settings and event logs, which enable support personnel to troubleshoot the issue. This file can then be sent to Avid Customer Support. For more information, see “If You Need Help” on page 5.

Standard Information to Include Regardless of Issue

The following is a list of information you should have when contacting Avid Customer Support, regardless of the type of issue your system is experiencing:

• The version of Avid iNEWS Command

• The version of Avid Interplay Framework

• The Command system name

• How many and what type of devices are being controlled by Command

• Detailed summary of the problem.

Failover and Recovery

This section provides various failover scenarios, the symptoms seen at a Command Workstation that would indicate such problems, and the recommended procedures for recovery.

Failover Scenario Symptoms Recovery Procedure

Failover and Recovery

Primary device channel failure

Mirrored device channel failure

If the hotswap channel is needed due to device channel failure

Status bar indicator for that device channel shows disconnected and playability icon appears as shown:

Status bar indicator for that device channel shows disconnected and the playability icon appears as shown:

Alert message is sent to the workstation, playability should remain available, and the user can continue to play.

The person running the switcher must take the mirrored channel to air.

No recovery needed.

The person running the switcher must take the hotswap channel to air.

Chapter 4 Troubleshooting

Failover Scenario Symptoms Recovery Procedure

Power outage or a restart of the server with the primary Command services.

Power outage or a restart of the server with the backup Command services.

Loss of network connectivity on the server with the primary Command services.

Alert message is sent to the workstation saying that it can’t find the Playlist Store and other services. Any video playing at present will continue to play, but there is no playout control.

Nothing seen. No recovery needed.

Alert message is sent to the workstation saying that it can’t find the Playlist Store and other services following a loss of playout control.

Wait. The services running in a backup role will trigger an election and take over as primary and resume functionality. Alerts will appear when the services are back online. If the alerts recommend closing and reopening the Playlist Viewer, do that, after which you can resume playout control.

If a newsroom playlist was being controlled at the time, the rundown will need to be reloaded to the redundant server now running primary services; however, the disconnected playlist can be played out prior to loading the newsroom playlist.

The services running in a backup role will take over as primary and resume functionality.

If a newsroom playlist was being controlled at the time, the rundown will need to be reloaded to the redundant server now running primary services.

Loss of network connectivity on the server with the backup Command services.

If possible, have someone restart the server before network

connectivity is restored. After the show, the system administration might want to restart services so the original primary server is again running the service in a primary role.

No effect when connectivity is lost.

No effect when connectivity is lost. Allow Command to automatically recover if and when the network connectivity is restored.

Miscellaneous Issues

Failover Scenario Symptoms Recovery Procedure

If the network disconnection is discovered and connectivity has

yet to be restored, it’s best to turn the server with the backup services off until any on-air newscasts are complete to avoid the potential for playout interruption. For instance, after the network connection is restored, playlist items will be unavailable and playout control lost before normal functionality automatically returns.

iNEWS loses connectivity with the primary Avid iNEWS Communication service where the monitor server is loaded at present.

iNEWS loses connectivity with the backup Avid iNEWS Communication service.

ENPS loses connectivity with the primary Avid MOS Communication service.

ENPS loses connectivity with the backup Avid MOS Communication service.

The iNEWS Workstation shows the monitor server in an ERROR state. Command shows the playlist as disconnected (red bar across top of Playlist Viewer). Any updates to the Avid iNEWS rundown while disconnected will not be reflected in Command.

Nothing seen. No recovery needed.

Command shows the playlist as disconnected (red bar across top of Playlist Viewer). Any updates to the ENPS running order while disconnected will not be reflected in Command.

Nothing seen. No recovery needed.

Reload the monitor server to the Command Server running the redundant Avid iNEWS Communication service. Afterwards, when convenient, unlock the channel groups in the disconnected playlist and lock them for the reloaded playlist, then continue playing to air.

In ENPS, perform MOS redirection to the Command Server running the redundant Avid MOS Communication service.

Miscellaneous Issues

This section provides various troubleshooting scenarios and the recommended procedures for recovery.

Chapter 4 Troubleshooting

Scenario Recovery Procedure

Failed communication between Interplay Framework and Command services

Dual network card enabled on server

Ensure that the DNS entries are accurate and have reverse lookup enabled. Also verify that your TCP/IP settings have the correct primary and alternate DNS addresses.

Avoid using host files.

You must disable the unused connection.

Appendix A

Avid Interplay Framework

Avid Interplay Framework consists of applications and services which provide dynamic discovery and lookup mechanisms, a scalable notification system, a centralized configuration tool, diagnostic logging for workgroup-enabled applications and services, system health monitoring, and so on. Some of the services are known collectively as Support services. The Support services are viewed, monitored, and configured using the Interplay Framework applications. Those most vital to iNEWS Command are:

Major Services Description Installed on

Server

Core Components These services run behind the scenes and are

required for any computer or device running any service in the Avid Interplay environment.

Avid Lookup Service This service enables communication between all

Command and Interplay services running in the workgroup. Without it, there is no communication between services. At least two should be installed in a workgroup.

System Configuration This service sets the configuration settings for all

configurable services. The Avid Interplay Service Configuration application is used to enter configuration information that the System Configuration service will carry out and set in the registry. Without it, the workgroup cannot function. At least two should be installed in a workgroup.

For more information, see the Avid Interplay Framework User’s Guide.

Installed on Workstation

Appendix A Avid Interplay Framework

The following table includes additional applications and services that are installed on the server—since they do not take up any overhead and are useful in troubleshooting situations.

Applications and Services

Configuration Utility This selection installs the Avid Interplay Service Configuration

Health Viewer This selection installs the Avid Interplay Health Monitor application,

Diagnostic Log Viewer This selection installs the Avid Interplay Diagnostics application, which is

Machine Monitor This service reports machine information to the Health Monitor, including

Time Synchronization This service should be configured to synchronize the PC clocks of

Description

application, which is used to configure settings and host names for Interplay and Command services in the workgroup. For instance, configuring the Command system to work with a GPI panel requires defining certain parameters through the Avid Interplay Service Configuration application. Avid recommends installing this application on the Command Server.

which allows you to see the status of Command and Interplay services health statistics throughout the workgroup. Avid recommends installing this application on the Command Server.

.aif

used to view Avid log files ( recommends installing this application on the Command Server.

disk, memory, and network status. You can also monitor specific services on that local machine. Avid recommends installing this service on the Command Server.

machines in the workgroup.

) when troubleshooting. Avid

The following table describes some minor services that are generally considered optional. These minor services are usually not installed on systems when overhead is a concern.

Minor Services Description

Multicast Repeater This service is required when a workgroup must span subnets or domains.

It is seldom installed on the Command Server.

Email Alerter This service sends a notification email if one of the services in the

workgroup has a warning or critical status. It is seldom installed on the Command Server.

SNMP Gateway This service provides an interface to send health monitoring information to

industry standard SNMP manager applications. It is seldom installed on the Command Server.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Index

Index

AirSpeed

channel designations 49 channel groups 33

device service, defined 25 As-run log 61 Auto-assign channels 59 Autocue 58 Automated graphic triggering 59 Avid

educational services 9

Knowledge Base 9 Avid Deko

channel designations 49

device service, defined 25

styles aka environments 56 Avid documentation 9 Avid GPI Device Service 25 Avid iNEWS

Communication service 24 Avid Interplay Diagnostics 78 Avid Interplay Framework 27, 77

core components 77

Diagnostic Log Viewer 78

Email Alerter 78

Lookup Service 77

Machine Monitor 78

Multicast Repeater 78

nonredundant services 26

Service Configuration 78

Services dialog box 28

SNMP Gateway 78

System Configuration service 77

Time Synchronization 78 Avid Interplay Health Monitor 78 Avid Interplay Service Configuration application 77,

Avid Inventory Manager 25

Avid MOS Communication Service 24 Avid Playlist Controller 24 Avid Playlist Manager 24 Avid Playlist Store 25 Avid Thunder Device Service 25

Backup server 52 Behavior, configuring 59

Channel groups

creating 36 defined 33 deleting 41 examples of 33 redundancy 35

Channel-specific actions 47

assigning 47 Choose Action dialog box 66 Command Server

GPI card 63

services for 24 Command Workstation

alternative keypad device 63

disabling keyboard 21

starting application 17

using X-keys 42 Core components 77 Customer Support

contact information 9

logging support issues 72

Deko 26

device service, defined 25

Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Deko Select

tagged events 59

Device services 25

viewing status of 27 Diagnostic log viewer 78 Dialog boxes

Avid Interplay Services 28

Choose Action 46, 66

System Settings 36, 64

Eject previous items 61 Email Alerter service 78

Failover 25

scenarios and recovery 73

GPI card 63 GPI device service 25 GPI events, mapping 64 GPI integration checklist 64 GPI panel, configuring 63 Graphics environments 56

setting default 52

Health Monitor 78 Hold last frame time 60 Hotswap 73

iNEWS Command

defined 11

features of 14

MOS ID 51

MOS support 50

overview of system 12

overview of user interface 18

services 23

starting software 17 system architecture 13 training 9 workflow 12

workflow illustration 14 iNEWS Communication Service 24, 26 Interplay Framework 77 Interplay Workgroup Properties 27 Inventory Manager 25

Keyboard, disabling 21 Keyboard alternative 63 Keypad, GPI device 63 Knowledge Base 9

Lookup Service 26, 77

Machine Monitor service 26, 78 Maney panel 25, 63 Maney panel service 25 Mapping GPI events to actions 64 Menus, described 18 Mirrored playout 14, 38

channel groups 35 MOS Communication Service 24 MOS protocol

described 50

version 52 MOS settings 54

editing 51 MOS version 52 MOS, defined 50 Multicast Repeater service 78

Newsroom buddy host name 52 Newsroom buddyID 52 Newsroom host name 52 Newsroom NCS ID 51 Non-redundant services 26

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Index

Online support 9

Panels, defined 18 Placeholders 61 Playlist Controller 24 Playlist Manager 24 Playlist settings 55 Playlist Store 25 Playlist Viewer 18 Playout settings 57 Procedures

access the playout settings 57 add an environment 56 assign channel specific actions to a key 47 configure placeholder defaults 62 configuring Command for MOS-based NRCS 51 create channel groups 36 delete a channel group 41 disable a service 29 edit a channel group 39 enable a GPI panel to control a playlist 67 enable or disable Avid services 29 enable or disable the keyboard 21 enable the as-run log 61 import or export system settings 68 log support information 72 map an index to a channel name 44 map GPI events to actions 64 programming X-keys 45 set the playout default for new items 55 start iNEWS Command at a workstation 17 stop or start Avid services 29 turn on or off automatic graphic triggering 60 view advanced MOS settings 54 view status of services 27 view system settings 32

Service Starter Service 26 Services

defined 23 Interplay Framework 77, 78 starting and stopping 28 types of 24

viewing status 27 SNMP Gateway 78 Strong channel assignment 59 System Configuration service 77 System settings 31

device channels 47

import and export 68 System Settings dialog box 36, 64

TAG 59 Thunder 26

device service defined 25 Time Synchronization 26 Time Synchronization service 78 Totally Automated Graphics 59 Training, ordering courses 9 Troubleshooting 9, 71

information to send Avid 72

logging support issues 72

miscellaneous issues 75

USB keypad 42

Video server

channel designations 49

channel groups 33

Recovering from failovers 73 Redundancy 25

channel groups 35

Workflow, illustration 14 Workgroup Properties

starting the application 27

status icons 27

Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

X-keys 42, 65

channel-specific actions 47 integration checklist 43

XML-based protocol 50

Pinnacle Systems iNews Command - 1.0 Administrator’s Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Using This Guide

Who Should Use This Guide

About This Guide

Symbols and Conventions

If You Need Help

How to Order Documentation

Avid Educational Services

Overview of the System Architecture

Architecture and Workflow

Features

Security via Administrator Password

Starting Command at a Workstation

Overview of the User Interface

Playlist Viewer

Panels

Menu Bar

Disabling a Command Workstation’s Keyboard

Main Services

Device Services

Redundancy/Failover

Non-redundant services

Viewing Status of Services

Starting and Stopping Services

Viewing System Settings

Channel Settings

Groups

Creating Channel Groups

Editing Channel Groups

Deleting Channel Groups

Indices

Programming the X-keys

Assigning Channel-Specific Actions

Device Channels

MOS Settings

Playlist Settings

Environments

Playout Settings

Autocue

Behavior

As-run Log

Inventory Manager

GPI Settings

Mapping GPI Events

Enabling the GPI

Importing and Exporting System Settings

Support Dialog Box

Standard Information to Include Regardless of Issue

Failover and Recovery

Miscellaneous Issues

Index