Pinnacle Systems iNews Command - 1.1 User’s Guide
Avid® iNEWS® Command™
User’s Guide
make manage move | media
™
Avid
®
Legal Notices
Product specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part of Avid Technology,
Inc.
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.
Broadcast Products, including NewsCutter and AvidNews
Avid products or portions thereof are protected by one or more of the following United States Patents: 4,970,663; 5,045,940;
5,267,351; 5,309,528; 5,355,450; 5,396,594; 5,440,348; 5,452,378; 5,467,288; 5,513,375; 5,528,310; 5,557,423; 5,577,190;
5,583,496; 5,584,006; 5,627,765; 5,640,601; 5,644,364; 5,654,737; 5,715,018; 5,719,570; 5,724,605; 5,726,717; 5,729,673;
5,745,637; 5,752,029; 5,754,851; 5,799,150; 5,812,216; 5,828,678; 5,842,014; 5,852,435; 5,999,406; 6,038,573; 6,061,758;
6,141,007; 6,211,869; 6,532,043; 6,546,190; 6,596,031; 6,636,869; 6,747,705; 6,763,523; 6,766,357; 6,813,622; 6,847,373;
7,081,900; D352,278; D372,478; D373,778; D392,267; D392,268; D392,269; D395,291; D396,853; D398,912.
Other patents are pending.
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.
Copyright © 2008 Avid Technology, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The following disclaimer is required by Sam Leffler and Silicon Graphics, Inc. for the use of their TIFF library:
Copyright © 1988–1997 Sam Leffler
Copyright © 1991–1997 Silicon Graphics, Inc.
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.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS-IS” AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR
OTHERWISE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
IN NO EVENT SHALL SAM LEFFLER OR SILICON GRAPHICS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT
OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE,
DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER OR NOT ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGE, AND ON ANY THEORY OF
LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
The following disclaimer is required by the Independent JPEG Group:
This software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.
Adobe and Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States
and/or other countries. Apple and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other
countries. Windows is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other
countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
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.
2
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 Interplay Entertainment Corp.:
The “Interplay” name is used with the permission of Interplay Entertainment Corp., which bears no responsibility for Avid
products.
This product includes portions of the Alloy Look & Feel software from Incors GmbH.
This product includes software developed by the Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org/).
© DevelopMentor
This product may include the JCifs library, for which the following notice applies:
JCifs © Copyright 2004, The JCIFS Project, is licensed under LGPL (http://jcifs.samba.org/). See the LGPL.txt file in the Third
Party Software directory on the installation CD.
Avid Interplay contains components licensed from LavanTech. These components may only be used as part of and in
connection with Avid Interplay.
Attn. Government User(s). Restricted Rights Legend
U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS. This Software and its documentation are “commercial computer software” or
“commercial computer software documentation.” In the event that such Software or documentation is acquired by or on behalf
of a unit or agency of the U.S. Government, all rights with respect to this Software and documentation are subject to the terms
of the License Agreement, pursuant to FAR §12.212(a) and/or DFARS §227.7202-1(a), as applicable.
Trademarks
888 I/O, Adrenaline, AirPlay, AirSPACE, AirSPACE HD, AirSpeed, ALEX, AniMatte, AudioSuite, AudioVision, AutoSync, Avid,
Avid Advanced Response, Avid DNA, Avid DNxcel, Avid DNxHD, AVIDdrive, AVIDdrive Towers, Avid DS Assist Station,
Avid ISIS, Avid Learning Excellerator, Avid Liquid, Avid Mojo, AvidNet, AvidNetwork, Avid Remote Response, AVIDstripe,
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Digital Nonlinear Accelerator, DigiTranslator, DINR, DNxchange, do more, D-Verb, Equinox, ExpertRender, Face Robot,
FACE ROBOT, FASTBREAK, Fast Track, FieldPak, Film Composer, FilmScribe, FluidMotion, FXDeko, HIIP, HyperSPACE,
HyperSPACE HDCAM, IllusionFX, Image Independence, iNEWS, iNEWS ControlAir, Instinct, Interplay, Intraframe, iS9, iS18,
iS23, iS36, IsoSync, 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, MetaFuze, MetaSync, MicroTrack,
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, ScriptSync, SecureProductionEnvironment,
Show Center, Softimage, Sound Designer II, SPACE, SPACEShift, SpectraGraph, SpectraMatte, SteadyGlide, Symphony,
TARGA, Thunder, Thunder Station, TIMELINER, Trilligent, UnityRAID, Vari-Fi, Video RAID, Video Slave Driver, VideoSPACE,
Xdeck, and X-Session are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or
other countries.
Footage
Arri — Courtesy of Arri/Fauer — John Fauer, Inc.
Bell South “Anticipation” — Courtesy of Two Headed Monster — Tucker/Wayne Atlanta/GMS.
Canyonlands — Courtesy of the National Park Service/Department of the Interior.
Eco Challenge British Columbia — Courtesy of Eco Challenge Lifestyles, Inc., All Rights Reserved.
Eco Challenge Morocco — Courtesy of Discovery Communications, Inc.
It’s Shuttletime — Courtesy of BCP & Canadian Airlines.
Nestlé Coffee Crisp — Courtesy of MacLaren McCann Canada.
Saturn “Calvin Egg” — Courtesy of Cossette Communications.
“Tigers: Tracking a Legend” — Courtesy of www.wildlifeworlds.com, Carol Amore, Executive Producer.
"The Big Swell" — Courtesy of Swell Pictures, Inc.
Windhorse — Courtesy of Paul Wagner Productions.
3
Arizona Images — KNTV Production — Courtesy of Granite Broadcasting, Inc.,
Editor/Producer Bryan Foote.
Canyonlands — Courtesy of the National Park Service/Department of the Interior.
Ice Island — Courtesy of Kurtis Productions, Ltd.
Tornados + Belle Isle footage — Courtesy of KWTV News 9.
WCAU Fire Story — Courtesy of NBC-10, Philadelphia, PA.
Women in Sports – Paragliding — Courtesy of Legendary Entertainment, Inc.
News material provided by WFTV Television Inc.
GOT FOOTAGE?
Editors — Filmmakers — Special Effects Artists — Game Developers — Animators — Educators — Broadcasters — Content
creators of every genre — Just finished an incredible project and want to share it with the world?
Send us your reels and we may use your footage in our show reel or demo!*
For a copy of our release and Avid’s mailing address, go to www.avid.com/footage.
*Note: Avid cannot guarantee the use of materials submitted.
Avid iNEWS Command User’s Guide • 0130-07959-01 • March 2007• Created 3/7/08
4
Contents
Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
If You Need Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
How to Order Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Avid Training Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Introduction to iNEWS Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Architecture and Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Starting the Client Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
The User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Status Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Support Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Main Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Device Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Redundancy/Failover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Non-redundant services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Viewing Status of Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Starting and Stopping Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Working with Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Playlist Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Deleting Items in Inventory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Protecting Items in Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5
Alerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Media Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Displaying Thumbnails in Media Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Playlist Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Types of Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Overview of Playlist Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Hiding a Playlist’s Playout or Channel Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Channel Groups Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Customizing the Channel Toolbar for Tally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Viewing Playlist Items by Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Customizing the Playlist Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Customizing the Cursor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Customizing Playlist Clocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Customizing Columns in Playlist Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Resizing the Playlist Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Displaying Thumbnails in a Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Locking and Unlocking Playlists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Working with Channel Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Locking Channel Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Assigning Channels in Playlist Viewer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Setting the Graphics Environment for a Channel Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Working with Standalone Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Working with Embedded Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Editing Embedded Playlists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Using Time of Day Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Shotbox Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Overview of the Shotbox Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Configuring the Channel Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Customizing the Shotbox Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Customizing the Shotbox Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Customizing the Clocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
6
Resizing the Shotbox Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Displaying Thumbnails in a Shotbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Creating a Shotbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Deleting a Shotbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Working with Channel Groups in a Shotbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Locking a Channel Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Replacing a Channel Group in a Shotbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Assigning Channels in a Shotbox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Pinning Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Setting the Graphics Environment for a Channel Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
iNEWS Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Inserting Machine Control Events into Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Using Plug-Ins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Inserting Deko Select Events into iNEWS Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Editing Deko Select Events into iNEWS Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Using CG Title Entry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Template Ratios and Resizing the Title Entry Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
CG Title Entry Informational Graphics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Loading Rundowns to Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Loading and Unloading Playlists from iNEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Monitor LOAD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Monitor Off and Unload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Event List Queue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Composite Queue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Item Status After Load to Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Changing Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Working with Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Inserting New Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Deleting Stories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Updating Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Editing an Item’s Media ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
7
Rearranging Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Floating & Unfloating Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Playout Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
UI Controlled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Playout Media from Command Workstation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Resolving a Mismatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Disabling the Keyboard at the Command Workstation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
USB Keypad Controlled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Channel-Specific Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
GPI Controlled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Toggling Between GPI and UI Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Icon and Button Quick Reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Playlist and Shotbox Viewer Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Playlist Viewer Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Shotbox Viewer Icons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Channel Group Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Alerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Playlist Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Action Quick Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
8
Using This Guide
[This file is the starting point for any new Using This Guide file. Copy it to the appropriate
place in your file structure and rename it. Most of the content is conreffed from the
using_utility.fm master file, so when any of the boilerplate text changes in that file, it can
update in any instance of Using This Guide. You must get the latest version of using_utility
and then do InsetPlus > Update All Insets in Document to update the conrefs so their relative
path values are correct — see our structured writing documents. You might need to remove
some conreffed sections that do not apply to your product — just select the top-level element
and delete it. If you have other custom needs and are not sure how to achieve them, talk to a
structure committee member.]
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.
n
Therefore, your system might contain certain features and hardware that are not covered in
the documentation.
Symbols and Conventions
Avid documentation uses the following symbols and conventions:
Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action
n
c
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.
Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action
w
> This symbol indicates menu commands (and subcommands) in the
(Windows), (Windows
only), (Macintosh), or
(Macintosh only)
Bold font Bold font is primarily used in task instructions to identify user interface
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
If You Need Help
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.
This text indicates that the information applies only to the specified
operating system, either Windows or Macintosh OS X.
items and keyboard sequences.
Courier Bold font identifies text that you type.
mouse action. For example, Command+Option+C or Ctrl+drag.
10
If you are having trouble using your Avid product:
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 the latest information that might have become available after the documentation
was published:
- If the latest information for your Avid product is provided as printed release notes,
they ship with your application and are also available online.
If the latest information for your Avid product is provided as a ReadMe file, it is
supplied on your Avid installation CD or DVD as a PDF document
(README_product.pdf) and is also available online.
You should always check online for the most up-to-date release notes or ReadMe
because the online version is updated whenever new information becomes
available. To view these online versions, select ReadMe from the Help menu, or visit
the Knowledge Base at
www.avid.com/readme.
3. Check the documentation that came with your Avid application or your hardware for
maintenance or hardware-related issues.
4. Visit the online Knowledge Base at www.avid.com/onlinesupport. Online services 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 or join online message-board discussions.
How to Order Documentation
To order additional copies of this 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 Training Services
Avid makes lifelong learning, career advancement, and personal development easy and
convenient. Avid understands that the knowledge you need to differentiate yourself is always
changing, and Avid continually updates course content and offers new training delivery
methods that accommodate your pressured and competitive work environment.
How to Order Documentation
To learn about Avid's new online learning environment, Avid Learning Excellerator™
(ALEX), visit
For information on courses/schedules, training centers, certifications, courseware, and
books, please visit
(800-949-2843).
http://learn.avid.com.
www.avid.com/training or call Avid Sales at 800-949-AVID
11
12
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 works with Avid Interplay Framework applications and
services to insure you always have the best system
This chapter contains the following main sections:
• Overview
- Architecture and Workflow
- Features
• Starting the Client Software
• The User Interface
• Support Dialog Box
performance.
1 Introduction to iNEWS Command
Overview
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 graphics system. The system is designed to be an
extension of your current Avid system. It allows you to receive playlists from Avid iNEWS
(or a MOS-based newsroom computer system) while controlling your video and graphics
devices, or even create standalone playlists using drag-and-drop functionality from an
inventory of media items. The iNEWS Command system supports industry standard
protocols that make 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, 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 provided 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 in a variety of ways. For instance, machine control commands can be
entered using Deko Select or Thunder Select plug-ins. They can be entered manually or by
using a macro, or by using the iNEWS Title Entry tool. They might also include clips and
stills in their script by entering the ID 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
iNEWS Command playback application. 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.
An example of a basic Command system architecture is shown in the following illustration:
14
Overview
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, such as Deko Select.
Playlists can be saved to use later, standalone playlists can be created, and multiple playlists
can be embedded in a single running order. You can set a playlist to playback at a specified
time, or you can set groups of assets within a playlist to play in follow-on
mode.
A basic workflow is shown in the following illustration.
15
1 Introduction to iNEWS Command
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. You can also embed
within other playlists. This provides the flexibility to control event playout
locally, at the desktop, or from a rundown. It also allows seamless transitions
between shows or segments produced by separate editorial teams.
Manual and Automated
Triggering
Redundant Failover Mirrored playback allows a single Play command to initiate playback on two
Advanced Playback Feature You can cue items as needed if and when playlists change, and provide
Frame Accuracy Avid iNEWS Command provides frame accurate video playout for
16
Items can be played back manually by the operator, triggered via GPI, linked
with other clips to block play, or—as in the case of time of day
playlists—automatically played based on the time of day. This provides total
integration with the facility, its systems, processes, and staff.
channels simultaneously for seamless failover. All Command services are
redundant.
simultaneous playback while video files are still being transferred,
saving time.
follow-on items assigned to the same channel.
Starting the Client Software
Feature (Continued) Description (Continued)
Flexible Device Configuration Actual device channels can be configured into multiple virtual possibilities
through channel groups.
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 The Command user interface 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.
Starting the Client Software
Avid iNEWS Command client software 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.
The User Interface
The Avid iNEWS Command window is the graphical user interface that contains panels, a
menu bar, a status bar, and a workspace area.
17
1 Introduction to iNEWS Command
Inventory
Menu bar
Panels
Status bar
Playlist Viewer
Workspace
Not pictured is the Shotbox Viewer, which opens in the same area as the Playlist Viewer. For
more information, see
“Shotbox Viewer” on page 89. Also not shown are thumbnails in the
playlist. For more information, see “Displaying Thumbnails in a Playlist” on page 69.
Panels
Panels are components that appear in the application and 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 Explorer, used in iNEWS
Command, see
panel, Playlist Viewer, or both simultaneously. For more on them, see “Playlist Viewer” on
page 51 and “Shotbox Viewer” on page 89.
Menu Bar
The menu bar for iNEWS Command contains the following:
•File
•Edit
18
“Panels” on page 35. The workspace area contains either the Shotbox Viewer
The User Interface
•View
• Playlist
• Shotbox
•Media
• Tools
•Help
Each menu, its options and descriptions are described in the following tables:
Menu Option Shortcut Keys Description
File New Playlist Ctrl+Shift+N Opens the Create New Playlist dialog box.
Shotbox Ctrl+Alt+N Opens the Create New Shotbox dialog box.
File Import Playlist Imports a playlist to Command.
Shotbox Imports a shotbox to Command.
Export Playlist Exports a playlist from Command.
Shotbox Exports a shotbox from Command.
Exit Closes the Command program.
Edit Cut Ctrl+X Cut selection.
Copy Ctrl+C Copy selection.
Paste Ctrl+V Paste selection.
Delete Delete selection.
View Playlist Explorer Ctrl+Shift+E Displays or closes the Playlist Explorer.
Inventory Ctrl+Shift+I Displays or closes the Inventory.
Shotbox Displays or closes the Shotbox Viewer.
Clock Displays or closes the Clock.
Media Viewer Ctrl+Shift+M Displays or closes the Media Viewer.
Alerts Ctrl+Shift+A Displays or closes the Alerts.
Playlist View Next Ctrl+Tab Displays next playlist
Previous Ctrl+Shift+Tab Displays previous playlist
19
1 Introduction to iNEWS Command
Menu Submenu Menu Option Shortcut Keys Description (Continued)
Set Focus Ctrl+F Sets the keyboard focus to the active view.
Close Ctrl+W Closes the current playlist.
Close All Ctrl+Shift+W Closes all playlists.
Maximize Maximizes the Playlist Viewer.
Playlist Select Next item Ctrl+Down Select next item in current playlist.
Previous Item Ctrl+Up Select previous item in current playlist.
Next Row Alt+Down Select next item in current playlist.
Previous Row Alt+Up Select previous item in current playlist.
Item In
Ctrl+Page Down Select next item after story.
Following Story
Playlist Edit Properties Opens Playlist Properties dialog box.
Edit Selection Ctrl+E Edit current selection in playlist.
Edit Channel Ctrl+* (asterisk) Sets focus to current playlist item’s
Channel column so the user can manually
assign a channel.
Edit Trigger Ctrl+/ (slash) Sets focus to current playlist item’s Trigger
column so the user can select manual or
follow-on playout. For more information,
see “Playout Media from Command
Workstation” on page 141.
Edit Media ID Sets focus to the current playlist item’s ID
column so the user can alter the ID.
Cut Cut selection.
Copy Copy selection.
Paste Paste selection.
Delete Delete selection.
Playlist Show Inventory Ctrl+I Opens the Inventory panel.
Playlist Insert New Story Ctrl+N Insert new story.
New Break Insert new break.
20
The User Interface
Menu Submenu Menu Option Shortcut Keys Description (Continued)
New Item Insert new item.
Playlist Channels Assign Ctrl+R Assign channel.
Lock All Ctrl+L Lock all channels.
Unlock All Alt+L Unlock all channels.
Add Existing... Add an existing channel group.
Add New... Add a new channel group.
Playlist Playout Cue . (period) Cue media. Submenu options include:
Selection, Selection Cue All Channels, Last
Played.
Play Enter Play media.
Pause + (plus) Pause media that is playing. Submenu
options include: Selection and Last Played.
Stop 0 (zero) Stops media from playing. Submenu
options include: Selection and Last Played.
Shotbox View Next Ctrl+Alt+Tab Displays next shotbox
Previous Displays previous shotbox
Set Focus Ctrl+Alt+F Sets the keyboard focus to the active view.
Maximize Maximizes the Shotbox Viewer panel.
Close Ctrl+Alt+W Closes the current shotbox.
Close All Closes all shotboxes.
Shotbox Edit Selection Ctrl+Alt+E Edit current selection in shotbox.
Edit Channel Ctrl+Alt+*
(asterisk on
numeric keypad)
Sets focus to current shotbox item’s
Channel list so the user can manually
assign a channel. This “pins” the channel to
that item.
Unpin Channel Alt+Shift+*
(asterisk on
Removes pinned channel assignment from
all selected items in shotbox.
numeric keypad)
Cut Cut selection.
21
1 Introduction to iNEWS Command
Menu Submenu Menu Option Shortcut Keys Description (Continued)
Copy Copy selection.
Paste Paste selection.
Delete Delete selection.
Shotbox Show Inventory Ctrl+Alt+I Opens the Inventory panel.
Shotbox Insert Item Alt+Shift+Insert Inserts a new item in a shotbox.
Shotbox Playout Cue Cue media. Submenu options include:
Selection, Last played, or Items 01-12.
Play Play media. Submenu options include:
Selection or Items 01-12.
Pause Pause media that is playing. Submenu
options include: Selection and Last Played.
Stop Stops media from playing. Submenu
options include: Selection and Last Played.
Media Play Ctrl+Space Play media.
22
Go To Mark In Alt+Q Go to the marked In point.
Go To Mark Out Alt+W Go to marked Out point.
Set Mark In Alt+I Mark the In point.
Set Mark Out Alt+O Mark the Out point.
Forward One Frame Alt+. Move forward one frame.
Forward One
Ctrl+. Move forward one second.
Second
Forward ten
Ctrl+Alt+. Move forward ten seconds.
Seconds
Backward One
Alt+, Move backward one frame.
Frame
Backward One
Ctrl+, Move backward one second.
Second
Backward Ten
Ctrl+Alt+, Move backward ten seconds.
Seconds
The User Interface
Menu Submenu Menu Option Shortcut Keys Description (Continued)
Restart Alt+6 Restart media.
Eject Alt+J Eject media.
Tools Options Opens the Options dialog box. These
options apply to the workstation only and
are not system-wide settings.
System Settings Opens the System Settings dialog box.
These settings apply system-wide.
Enable GPI playout Ctrl+G If selected, it enables exclusive use of a GPI
keypad for playout control.
Help Contents Displays help information for users.
Support Opens the Support dialog box.
About Display information about iNEWS
Command.
Status Bar
The status bar provides status information regarding channels and channel groups. It also
shows an indication of GPI playout control and the name of the system’s alias.
For more information on the possible icons that appear on the status bar, see “Channel
Group Icons” on page 157.
Whether the status bar appears in the user interface is customizable.
To show or hide the display of the status bar and channels:
1. Select Tools > Options. If prompted for a password, you must provide it or contact your
system administrator.
The Options dialog box opens.
23
1 Introduction to iNEWS Command
2. In Category, select Status Bar.
3. Do any of the following:
t Select Show status bar to display the status bar in the Command window.
t Deselect Show status bar to hide the status bar in the Command window.
t Select Show channels to display status of channels on the status bar.
t Deselect Show channels to hide status of channels on the status bar.
4. Click OK.
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:
1. Select Help > Support.
2. Enter a description of the issue in the Support dialog box.
The following example shows a sentence regarding a GPI device:
24
Support Dialog Box
3. Click Save.
4. Select the name and 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 software versions, which enable support
personnel to troubleshoot the issue. This file can then be e-mailed to Avid Technical
Support.
25
1 Introduction to iNEWS Command
26
2 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.
This chapter contains the following main sections:
• Main Services
• Device Services
• Redundancy/Failover
• Viewing Status of Services
• Starting and Stopping Services
2 Services
Main Services
The main services are vital components that enable interfacing with a newsroom system, as
well as playlist control.
The following table lists services that pertain to newsroom computer system interfacing:
Service Name Description
Avid iNEWS Communication
Service
Avid MOS Communication
Service
Used by iNEWS Command system as the communication portal to
load and unload iNEWS rundowns from an iNEWS workstation.
The service receives playlist messages from the iNEWS monitor
server, 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 iNEWS
communication services for redundancy.
Used by iNEWS Command system 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 the newsroom computer system.
The following table lists services related to playout control of playlists:
Service Name Description
Avid Playlist Controller Drives playout of the media on locked channel groups 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 playlist controllers.
One playlist controller is necessary for each concurrent on-air
playlist. Separate controllers are not needed to control embedded
playlists.
28
Avid Playlist Manager 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 other channel groups of the playlist. 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.
Device Services
Service Name Description
Avid Playlist Store Data store or repository for all loaded (newsroom) playlists and
standalone playlists. It communicates playlist changes to other
Command components.
The following table lists services related to inventory:
Service Name Description
Avid Inventory Manager 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
primary Inventory Manager, but might have backups.
While an iNEWS Command system can have only one primary service of each Playlist Store,
n
Playlist Manager, and Inventory Manager, multiple instances of each service can be
installed and used as backups.
The following table lists services related to thumbnails:
Service Name Description
Avid Interplay Storage Server
Service
Avid Deko Renderer Service Manages the generation of thumbnails in iNEWS Command for
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.
Manages the generation of thumbnails in iNEWS Command for
video assets on an AirSpeed video server. It runs on the iNEWS
Command servers.
character generated graphics on a Deko. To avoid playout
interference, it runs on the iNEWS Command servers, not on the
Deko device.
29
2 Services
Service Name Description
Avid AirSpeed Device Service Provides control of a single AirSpeed high resolution video server.
Avid Deko Device Service Provides control of a single Deko device. One is required for each
Avid Thunder Device Service Provides control of a single Thunder device. One is required for
Avid GPI Service Interfaces to a GPI input card on the server.
Avid Maney Panel Service Interfaces to a Maney panel.
Redundancy/Failover
Avid iNEWS Command operates on a primary/backup basis. There can be only one primary
service, but there can be several backup services. It is best to dedicate a computer to be a
Command Server. Avid does not recommend running the Command services on a
workstation, Deko, or Thunder.
One is required for each AirSpeed. It runs on the iNEWS
Command servers, not on the device like other device services.
Deko device. It runs on the device.
each Thunder device. It runs on the device.
30
c
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.
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. 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.
For more information, see “Non-redundant services” on page 31.
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