TelVue HyperCaster User Manual

HyperCaster®

User Manual

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

The TelVue HyperCaster® is an IP broadcast server with advanced features to adapt to the different

needs of individual broadcast operations. This manual covers basic set-up configurations, as well as content management, scheduling, and workflow features, typical use cases, and some popular options such as Traffic & Billing system integration. HyperCaster settings can be managed through a userfriendly browser interface, which is illustrated throughout the manual.

This manual applies to all three Generation II HyperCaster models:

• B1000: up to 20 HD/SD channels

• B100: up to 4 HD/SD channels

• Virtual HyperCaster

This manual is also available on the TelVue website: http://www.telvue.com/support/product-

documentation/telvue-hypercaster-user-manual/

You can access a series of online Training videos here:

http://www.telvue.com/support/training/

Table of Contents

Safety Requirements ..................................................................................................................... 3!

Network and Security ................................................................................................................... 4!

Preparing Content for the HyperCaster ..................................................................................... 6!

Organize and Add Content .......................................................................................................... 7!

Transmux!to!TS!and!Import!DVD!...............................................................................................................!12!

The Dashboard ............................................................................................................................ 13!

Server!Health!.............................................................................................................................................!14!

Field!Descriptions!......................................................................................................................................!15!

Content Management ................................................................................................................. 18!

Import!Content!..........................................................................................................................................!18!

Previews!....................................................................................................................................................!20!

Show!Content!Page!....................................................................................................................................!21!

Content!File!Actions!...................................................................................................................................!24!

Searching!and!Browsing!.............................................................................................................................!28!

Thumbnails!and!Table!Views!.....................................................................................................................!29!

Bulk!Actions!...............................................................................................................................................!30!

Add!Program!–!Using!TBD!..........................................................................................................................!31!

Playlists!......................................................................................................................................................!34!

Playlist(Actions(........................................................................................................................................(35!

Archiving!....................................................................................................................................................!37!

Export!........................................................................................................................................................!38!

Content!RSS!Feed!......................................................................................................................................!38!

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

Record .......................................................................................................................................... 39!

Tasks ............................................................................................................................................ 39!

Programming ............................................................................................................................... 40!

Classic!View!...............................................................................................................................................!40!

Field(Descriptions(and(Display(Options(...................................................................................................(41!

Search(Filters(and(Event(Functions(.........................................................................................................(42!

Programming(Functions:(Add(Switch(Event(............................................................................................(43!

Programming(Functions:(Add(Playout(Event(..........................................................................................(44!

Programming(Functions:(Add(Overlay(....................................................................................................(46!

Programming(Functions:(Add(Capture(Event(.........................................................................................(47!

Programming(Functions:(Add(Stream(Event(...........................................................................................(49!

Scheduling(Conflicts(and(Ripple(..............................................................................................................(50!

Programming(Functions:(Unschedule(an(Event(......................................................................................(51!

Programming(Functions:(Block(Copy(......................................................................................................(51!

Programming(Functions:(Import(and(Export(events(...............................................................................(52!

Native!CSV!Formatting!...............................................................................................................................!53!

Event!Actions!................................................................ .............................................................................!54!

Calendar!View!............................................................................................................................................!56!

Scheduling(..............................................................................................................................................(57!

Views(......................................................................................................................................................(57!

Reports Tab ................................................................................................................................. 59!

As(Run(Report(.........................................................................................................................................(59!

Missing(File(Report(.................................................................................................................................(61!

Program(Guide(Report(............................................................................................................................(61!

Config Tab ................................................................................................................................... 63!

Channel!Setup!............................................................................................................................................!65!

Continuity(...............................................................................................................................................(66!

Content!Management!...............................................................................................................................!67!

External!Devices!........................................................................................................................................!71!

Feed!Setup!.................................................................................................................................................!72!

Graphic!Overlays!........................................................................................................................................!74!

“Tickers”:(Creating(a(Text(Crawl(.............................................................................................................(74!

“Bugs”:(Inserting(a(logo(or(station(ID(.....................................................................................................(76!

Snipes(.....................................................................................................................................................(77!

Emergency(Notification(Console(.............................................................................................................(80!

ProVue!Integration!....................................................................................................................................!81!

Remote!Server!Configuration!....................................................................................................................!82!

Schedule!Configuration!.............................................................................................................................!83!

!Security!Configuration!..............................................................................................................................!84!

Server!Management!..................................................................................................................................!85!

SNMP(Support(........................................................................................................................................(90!

Switch!Configuration!.................................................................................................................................!91!

User!Management!.....................................................................................................................................!94!

Version!and!Configuration!.........................................................................................................................!95!

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

Backups ........................................................................................................................................ 96!

Typical Use Cases ........................................................................................................................ 96!

Controlling!What!Appears!in!the!Program!Guide!......................................................................................!96!

Extending!an!IP!Capture!without!ReXEntering!Metadata!..........................................................................!96!

Live!Streams!...............................................................................................................................................!97!

Publishing!Your!Schedule!to!Other!Media!.................................................................................................!97!

Scheduling!a!Live!Switch!Event!whose!Actual!Duration!Varies!.................................................................!98!

Using!ThirdXParty!Editing!Software!............................................................................................................!99!

Appendix: Guide to CCMS Plus .............................................................................................. 100!

Technical Support ..................................................................................................................... 104!

Safety Requirements

The following safety instructions apply to TelVue’s server products.

1. Read and follow all warning notices and instructions marked on the product or included in this manual. Opening or removing covers and/or components may expose you to dangerous high voltage points or other risks. Qualified personnel should perform all servicing.

2. The maximum ambient temperature for the server is 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Care should be given to allow sufficient air circulation or space between units when the server is installed in a closed or multiunit rack assembly.

3. Installation of the server in a rack without sufficient airflow can be unsafe.

4. If the server is installed in a rack, the rack should safely support the combined weight of all equipment it supports.

5. The server’s internal AC power supply input is intended for use with the three-wire grounding type plug (a plug that has a grounding pin). This is a safety feature. Do not defeat the purpose of grounding type plugs by modifying the plug or using an adapter.

6. Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not locate the product where persons can walk on or come in contact with the power cord.

7. Determine that the cumulative power requirements of the server plus other equipment in the rack do not overload the supply circuits and/or wiring.

8. If using a power strip or similar supply, make sure the power requirement of the chassis, plus the cumulative power draw of any other equipment in the rack, do not overload the supply circuit.

9. There is danger of explosion if the motherboard battery is incorrectly replaced. A lithium battery on the server motherboard provides backup power for its internal clock. The battery has an estimated life expectancy of ten years.

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

Network and Security

The HyperCaster is a networked digital-video appliance with Ethernet connections and a number of integrated IP-based services. Prior to powering on your server please read the Getting Started document that contains information such as power requirements and instructions on how to set your IP address.

TelVue HyperCaster Getting Started [PDF]

Core Networking Requirements

• IP Address – A static or Dynamic (DHCP) IP will work, but a Static IP is highly recommended.

• Subnet Mask

• Gateway Address – The IP address of your router.

• DNS Address – At least one Domain Name Server (DNS) address.

• NTP Address – Public or private Network Time Protocol (NTP) server address.

Optional Networking Configurations

• Port Forwarding

If your HyperCaster will only be available on your Local-Area Network (LAN), then no ports need to be opened on your hardware firewall (router). If your HyperCaster will be accessible from outside your firewall, then certain ports will need to opened on your router. Exactly how to do that is different for every router and is beyond the scope of this document, but looking up “Port Forwarding” online, for your router brand and model, will help.

Ports marked “optional” mean the function is optional. If you want to use that function, you must forward port access.

TelVue highly recommends that customers:

• Place the HyperCaster behind a firewall device to avoid Denial of Service (DoS)-type attacks or

brute force login attempts on the various services.

• Never enable Samba for external access.

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

Consider locking down remote access to service ports to known IP addresses. For example, if you would like to access your HyperCaster from home and your flat in Paris, you could limit remote access via your router firewall to IP sources coming only from those two locations.

Consult your IT department for standard networking security practices including establishing a firewall and remote access.

Map the Samba Network Drive

If your server will not be used on a network, skip to Configure the User Interface.

Configure the User Interface

Start the User Interface

TelVue recommends:

• Mozilla Firefox, version 14 or higher

• Microsoft Internet Explorer, versions 8 or higher

• Google Chrome, version 16 or higher

• Apple Safari, version 4.0 or higher

1. Using a PC or Mac on the same network as your HyperCaster, open a browser window.

2. Enter http://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn:3000 where nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn is the IP address of your HyperCaster. If your HyperCaster is not connected to a network, enter http://1.1.1.1:3000. The login screen is displayed.

3. The first time you login, enter psgadmin for the username and password to display the Dashboard.

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

4. Click on the Config tab to display the Configuration screen.

5. Configure the channel(s) for your HyperCaster by editing the channel configuration.

6. If this HyperCaster is connected to a switch, edit the switch configuration. You can name the devices on the input and output ports.

7. If your HyperCaster is connected to an encoder or stream source, edit the feed setup.

8. If your HyperCaster is connected to a remote server, edit the remote server configuration

The HyperCaster is now connected to your broadcast network and ready to receive content.

Preparing Content for the HyperCaster

The TelVue HyperCaster® transmits compressed video content over UDP packets. Content must be already multiplexed into an MPEG-2 Transport Stream, and that transport stream often must have a constant multiplex rate (note however that does not mean the video elementary stream must have a constant bit rate). The 4.0 version of the TelVue HyperCaster software supports variable mux rate Transport Streams, however other equipment in your setup may not, so you may need to investigate whether your full playout chain can support variable mux rate content.

The equipment receiving these streams can and often will have more stringent requirements. TelVue® servers can aid with these downstream requirements by changing Program ID values as the MPEG-2 TS is transmitted. However, other requirements, such as bit rate, frame rate, profile and level, GOP structure, and more, must be set at the time of file creation or by transcoding or multiplexing.

CableLabs and ATSC

Two common standards that broadcast video equipment will adhere to are the CableLabs set of specifications for VOD, and the ATSC broadcast specifications. If your downstream equipment requires your files to adhere to either specification, you should select a program that the provider has verified is compliant to these specifications. If your downstream equipment does not require these

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

particular specifications, you may be able to use any of the programs discussed in this section that are listed as HyperCaster compatible.

H.264

The TelVue HyperCaster is optionally capable of sending Transport Streams that use the H.264 video codec. However, no specific sub-standard similar to the CableLabs or ATSC standards has yet emerged for H.264 settings. Most systems using H.264 will have specific requirements for things such as profile, level and bit-rate. All of the transcoding and multiplexing programs mentioned below are capable of working with Transport Streams that include H.264, though this sometimes requires an upgraded version of the utility. If you are working with H.264 video, you should start from the Transport Stream presets provided in the transcode programs below and then tailor it to your system’s specific requirements. If you have any questions on H.264 presets for your HyperCaster, please contact TelVue Support.

Programs for Creating Files for the TelVue HyperCaster

The simplest way to ensure that all files in your media library are compatible with the TelVue HyperCaster is to use TelVue® Connect™ for ingest and transcoding. TelVue customizes your TelVue Connect transcoding profile to your station’s requirements, and files can be distributed directly from the TelVue Connect service to your HyperCaster.

There are other options. The following program can create files that are compatible with the TelVue HyperCaster:

• Telestream Episode (Microsoft Windows or Apple Macintosh)

Many others will be capable of creating constant mux rate MPEG-2 TS. TelVue has not extensively tested the following programs but they are known to create constant mux rate Transport Stream, or in some cases CableLabs or ATSC compliant streams:

• PixelTools HDProQT (Microsoft Windows or Apple Macintosh) – HDProQT also supports

preserving Closed Captioning data captured using a Black Magic Designs input card and Apple Final Cut Pro.

• Womble MPEG Video Wizard DVD 5.0 (Microsoft Windows)

You should always test some sample files with your broadcast server and downstream equipment prior to committing to a workflow.

The following programs can not only create compatible content, but can also create or help create CableLabs-compliant files (in all cases) or ATSC-compliant files (in some cases, see below).

• Harmonic ProMedia Carbon (formerly Rhozet Carbon Coder – Microsoft Windows)

• Manzanita Systems multiplexers (Microsoft Windows)

Many of the above systems, unless otherwise noted, include presets for ATSC or CableLabs compliant streams, and you can just use those presets.

Organize and Add Content

The simplest way to add content to your HyperCaster is with a TelVue® Connect™ account. With TelVue Connect you can upload content to your Media Library by dragging and dropping the video files over any Internet connection, and then distribute these videos to your HyperCaster channels with a single click.

If you do not have a TelVue® Connect™ account, the following instructions apply:

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

Organizing Content on the Server

The HyperCaster supports a folder (directory) structure with sub-folders for content management and playout. The HyperCaster is configured with a primary media folder labeled vol1 (for Volume 1). If your HyperCaster has been configured for multiple volumes, it might have vol2, vol3, etc. Many servers have a shortcut to vol1 called upload, so \nnn.nnn.nnn.nnnupload will take you to \nnn.nnn.nnn.nnnvol1.

TelVue recommends that you keep all media files in the primary media folder. Use the Web Application content management tools to categorize the files and search them based on their metadata. However, some installations opt to organize media files into sub-folders. If you do this, adjust the instructions to import content into the correct subfolder.

Storing Files without Including Them on the Content Page

To store content on your TelVue server without tracking it via the UI, create a subfolder named “hidden” in your media folder and move the content to that hidden folder. Anything stored in /vol1/hidden, /vol2/hidden, etc. will not be displayed on the Content page but will still be on your server.

Adding Content to the Server

There are several methods for adding content to the server.

• Drop MPEG2 Files into the Media Hot Folder

• Use Samba to Add Content via Drag and Drop

• Use FTP to Add Content

• A PBCore hot folder is also available. Please contact TelVue Technical Support to enable this

feature.

Drop MPEG2 Files into the Media Hot Folder

The Web Application includes a hot folder at \nnn.nnn.nnn.nnnvol1importmedia.

1. From a PC or Mac on your network, map the media hot folder as a network drive.

2. Open a local window with your content and a second window with the media hot folder.

3. Drag and drop content files into the media hot folder. They will be added to the Content page without the need to import them.

Since the content is already available on the Content page, you can immediately program it.

Use Samba to Add Content via Drag and Drop

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

Your server must be on a network in order to use Samba. You should already have mapped a Samba network drive on a PC or Mac on the same network as your HyperCaster.

1. Open a window on the PC or Mac and browse to the folder with the content you want to transfer to your server.

2. Connect to the network drive you mapped for your server. You now have a second open window showing the highest-level folder on your server, such as vol1.

3. Drag MPEG files from your local folder and drop them into your server’s import folder.

Once the content is in your import folder you will use the Import function to make the content available for programming.

Use FTP to Add Content

FTP must be set to active mode for file sharing to work. The default FTP setting in most browsers is passive mode. Passive mode opens too many ports so it is not as secure.

Setting FTP Mode to Active in FileZilla

1. Click on Edit → Settings to open the Settings window.

2. Expand the Connections portion of the tree so you can see Transfer Mode on the right.

3. Click on FTP and click the Active radio button to set FTP mode to Active.

4. Make sure the Allow Fall back to other transfer mode on failure box is checked.

5. In the FTP Keep-Alive section, make sure the Send FTP keep-alive commands box is checked.

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

6. In the Settings tree, click on the Passive mode page.

7. Make sure the Fall back to active mode box is checked.

8. Click OK to save the settings and exit.

Setting FTP Mode to Active in Internet Explorer

1. Click on Tools → Internet Options to open the Internet Options window.

2. Click on the Advanced tab.

3. In the Browsing section, scroll down to Use Passive FTP (for firewall and DSL modem compatibility) and click in the box to uncheck it.

4. Click OK to save the settings and exit.

Running FTP with FileZilla

Before using FTP to transfer files, make sure it is set to Active Mode.

1. Open FileZilla.

2. In the Host box, enter the IP address of your server.

3. Enter the username and password. (The defaults are both psguser.)

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

4. Click the Quickconnect button. Your import folder (directory), which is usually vol1, is displayed in the Remote site pane on the right. If your server has multiple volumes you will be taken to the highest-level folder.

5. In the Local pane on the left, browse for the file you want to transfer to your server.

6. Drag the file into your import folder.

Once the content is in your import folder you will use the Import function to make the content available for programming.

Running FTP with Internet Explorer

Before using FTP to transfer files, make sure it is set to Active Mode.

1. Open an Internet Explorer window and type ftp://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn in the address window, where nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn is the IP address of your TelVue HyperCaster.

2. In the upper right of the window, click on Page, then choose Open FTP Site in Windows Explorer.

3. In the Login As dialog box, enter your username and password. (The default username and password are both psguser.) Click Log On to open the FTP folder, which is usually vol1. If your server has multiple volumes you will be taken to the highest-level folder.

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

4. Open a new Windows Explorer window and browse to the folder with your content files.

5. Drag files from that folder and drop them into the folder FTP opened on your server.

Once the content is in your vol1 folder you will use the Import function to make the content available for programming.

Transmux to TS and Import DVD

HyperCaster 4.0 and above includes a Transmux feature, which will look for any MPEG-2 Program Stream or MP4 mux containing H.264 (including most .mov formats) video, and transmux those to the MPEG-2 Transport Stream format required to play out on the HyperCaster.

The Transmux feature also makes it possible to import a DVD. Drag the VIDEO_TS content directly from the DVD into the DVD Import hot folder in vol1. On import, the HyperCaster will re-multiplex supported MPEG-2 Program and MP4 files on import to Transport Stream.

This produces a variable mux rate output. Video is preserved as-is from the original file including video bit rate. Audio is preserved as-is from the original file including audio bit rate for AC-3, MPEG-1 Layer II, and AAC audio. Other audio formats are converted to MPEG-1 Layer 2 for MPEG-2 video, and AAC for H.264 video.

(NOTE: If utilizing the transmux feature of the HyperCaster, first please confirm that the audio formats above are supported by the end decoding devices; IE: Set Top Boxes, TV Tuners, Other Broadcast Decode Solutions. If these audio formats are not supported, you will need to use an external file prep solution such as TeleStream Episode Pro or TelVue Connect.)

To enable the Transmux feature, go to Config –> Content –> Content Item. Check off the box “Transmux to Transport Stream”.

If you do not have the Transmux feature enabled, the HyperCaster will still import MPEG-2 Program and MP4, but will show the files as unplayable. The tool tip help with display the reason why, and note that you need to enable the Transmux feature so that the file can be transmuxed to Transport Stream for compatibility.

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

A tooltip alerts you that this file is in the process of being transmuxed and is not yet playable.

If you do have the Transmux feature enabled, MPEG-2 Program and MP4 files will still show as unplayable when they are first imported, but the tool tip help will show that it is waiting to be transmuxed.

The transmux operation itself is fast, and does not require re-encoding the video stream, and also typically does not require re-encoding the audio stream. The original quality of your source video is preserved, the file is just reformatted to Transport Stream.

You can see the progress of the transmux operation in the Tasks tab.

The Dashboard

The Dashboard shows what is happening on the HyperCaster, including what is currently playing. It provides information about the HyperCaster’s status, file system, channel, and feed and switch status. Many elements on the Dashboard have links to other pages that let you see more information or take actions regarding that element. The current state is refreshed each time the Dashboard page is refreshed in the browser.

HyperCasters with the IP Capture feature will see an additional “Feed” field on the right side of the Dashboard, which shows at a glance what feeds are currently being captured, or scheduled for capture.

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

Server Health

On the top bar of every UI screen is the Health Indicator. The server’s health can be:

• OK– All components are running normally, as shown in the illustration.

• Warning– A component is running but there is a problem such as a disk nearing capacity or

the lack of a spare disk drive that should be investigated and resolved. If any component has a warning status, the Health Indicator will display Warning.

• Critical – One or more components is not running correctly. If any component is critical, the

Health Indicator will display Critical.

Click on the health indicator for more details. The Health Status screen is displayed.

• Hide – Admin-level users can click the Hide button to remove this component from the health

check. For example, if an almost-full media disk is normal at certain times for your installation, you might hide it so the media-disk warning does not mask other health issues. If you want to include a component again, select it from the drop-down list at the top of the column and click the Show Health Item button. If you do not have admin privileges, the Hide column is not displayed.

• Health Criteria – the name of the component.

• Status – how the component is doing. As with the overall health, it can be OK if it is running

normally, Warning if the component needs attention, or Critical if there is a problem that could adversely impact server performance.

• Message – details on the component.

• More Information – link to the Config section where Admin-level users can view details and

sometimes change settings for this component, if applicable.

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

• Last Check – time the component was most recently checked, in HH:MM:SS format.

• Next Check – time the component will be checked again, in HH:MM:SS format.

• Refresh – Click the Refresh button to update the component health now. Components that

use considerable resources cannot be refreshed.

Field Descriptions

Field Descriptions – Server Section

• Server – shows the name and/or model number of the server.

• Server Serial No. – displays this server’s serial number.

• Status– shows the state of the real-time media server. Possible states include:

o Online – the media server is running normally. o Resetting – the media server was manually or automatically reset and is still

coming online.

o Offline – the media server is not currently running.

• Uptime– how long the media server has been running.

• Free Space – how much of the media partition’s total capacity is currently available for more

files. Also expressed as the available percentage of the partition’s total capacity.

Field Descriptions – Channel Section

• Channel – information about each playout channel. If this installation supports more than one

channel, each channel is listed in its own section. Channel information includes:

• Channel Name – quick link to the Edit Channel page, which is described in the Config

section.

• Next Programming Gap – the amount of time remaining until the next

unprogrammed slot in the schedule, up to 24 hours from now. If the server is currently in a programming gap, the application displays this. If you have enabled continuity, it plays during programming gaps.

• Schedule – quick link to the Programming page for the channel, which is described at

the beginning.

• External Schedule – quick link to the searchable, per-day schedule for this

channel. The external schedule can be linked or frame-viewed on your webpage.

• RSS Schedule – quick link to the programming schedule for this channel for the

coming week in an RSS-like format. The listing depends on your browser, but typically includes the program name and description from the content metadata. For example, this browser displays:

• Program names or filenames.

• Date and time the content is scheduled for broadcast.

• A brief description of the content, if one is available in the content metadata.

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

In some browsers you can sort and filter the programming by:

• Date – the date the content is scheduled for broadcast. If you click on Date again, the order

is reversed.

• Title – sorts the list alphabetically. If you click on Title again, the order is reversed. This is

one way to see if a certain title has been scheduled.

• Filter by Category – displays only the titles in a particular category. For example, if you are

supposed to air five community events today, click on the Community category to see if at least five are displayed.

• All – To see everything on the schedule again, click on All at the top of the box.

Click your browser’s Back button to return to the Dashboard. Your organization can optionally use the RSS feed as an API to customize the integration programming information on your website or in other applications.

• Now Playing – the name and thumbnail of the program currently being played on the server.

The time the program was scheduled to start and end are displayed below the thumbnail. Both the start time and runtime are shown in hours, minutes, and seconds (HH:MM:SS).

• Stop – to stop playing the current program immediately, click the Stop button. A

confirmation dialog will pop up. If the current program is a zero-duration switch event, there will be no Stop button.

• RSS Now – quick link to a basic RSS 2.0-like feed that describes what is currently

playing on the channel. The listing depends on your browser, but typically includes the program name, date and time of broadcast, and a description from the content metadata as in this example.

Click your browser’s Back button to return to the Dashboard.

• Next Up – the name, thumbnail, start time, and end time of the next program scheduled to

run in the next 24 hours.

• RSS Next – quick link to a basic RSS 2.0-like feed that describes what is next playing

on the channel. The listing depends on your browser, but typically includes the program name, date and time of scheduled broadcast, and a description from the content metadata as in this example.

Click your browser’s Back button to return to the Dashboard.

Field Descriptions – Feed Section

• Feed – information about incoming feeds. If this installation supports more than one feed,

each feed is listed in its own section. Feed information includes the name of the IP stream as used on your system.

• Now Capturing – the name and thumbnail of the content currently being captured. The time

the capture was scheduled to start and its runtime are displayed below the thumbnail. Both the start time and runtime are shown in hours, minutes, and seconds (HH:MM:SS).

• Stop – to stop the current capture immediately, click the Stop button. A confirmation dialog

will pop up.

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

• Next Up – the name, thumbnail, start time, and runtime of the next program scheduled to

run in the next 24 hours.

Field Descriptions – Switch Section

Switch information is displayed only in systems configured with the TelVue video switch control module. A switch connected to a TelVue server controls the path of data from a feed, through the server, to an output.

The table of switch audio/video inputs and outputs is displayed at the bottom of the Dashboard. If the switch has more than 8 inputs and outputs, a table shows the input route for each output.

• Switch –The switch output ports are listed down the left side. Their default names are OUT1, OUT2, etc. You can rename them via Switch Configuration.

• Port Locked – The Port Locked column shows whether a switch port is locked or unlocked. If you lock a switch port it will hold that switch route until you unlock it manually. Although the switch ignores switch events while it is locked, it keeps track of any scheduled switch events. When you unlock the switch, it restores the switch route it would be using if you had not locked the switch. Input Columns – The switch input columns are headed with IN1, IN2, etc. You can rename them via Switch Configuration.

If breakaway is enabled, the letter A is shown in the audio input columns and the letter V is shown in the (video) input columns. If breakaway is disabled, there is one column per input with the letters AV showing the input-output route.

• Switch Operation - The switch input/output configuration you set in Switch Configuration is

known as the home path. The input for each switch output is called the home port. During everyday operation, programming comes from an input feed, passes through the switch, and goes to an output channel. If you have switched off the home port and want to keep that path, go to the Switch section of the Dashboard and click on Lock for the output port you want to lock.

• Switch Continuity - Some installations use the switch for continuity programming. For

example when nothing is scheduled for a channel they might switch to IN8, which is that user’s bulletin board feed. This changes the pattern on the display of switch inputs and outputs.

TelVue HyperCaster® User Manual / v5.0 / October 2014

Content Management

The Content page shows available content and manages content on the HyperCaster. Use this page to see what content is currently available, to search for specific content, to import new content files, to create continuity playlists of JPG and video files, to create placeholders for content you don’t have yet, and to perform bulk actions on selected content such as normalizing, deleting or categorizing. Two views are available; the default thumbnail view and the table view.

The top of the page shows how many titles appear on this page. To see more titles, use the dropdown list to select a larger display size. You may display up to 100 titles per page. The other dropdown box lets you switch between Thumbnail View and Table View. The Select All checkbox on the right (Select All on Page if the content does not fit on one page) lets you check all titles displayed on the page for bulk action. The Deselect All option (Deselect All on All Pages if the content does not fit on one page) lets you uncheck all titles on all pages. You can use the Select All checkbox and check or uncheck individual boxes across multiple pages.

Note: To select all content on the system, first choose Show 100 per page from the drop- down box. Clear all advanced searches so all titles are displayed. Click the Select All checkbox. Advance to the next page and click the Select All checkbox again. Repeat for each page.

The HyperCaster comes preloaded with sample MPEG-2 clips. To make other files available for playout scheduling, use the Import Content function to import them.

Import Content

Content that is on the server but has not yet been added to the database is considered readable, writable, and deletable, i.e. the content file can be edited and resaved (written) using other software on your network and can be deleted via standard file management tools. Once the content file has been added to the Digital Broadcaster database, it is labeled as read-only. It cannot be edited or resaved (written), and can be deleted only via the Web Application content management tools. This fail-safe prevents accidental deletion of a file that is scheduled for playout.

Note: Any files in the hidden folder cannot be imported.

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Import One File

To import one content file at a time, choose the file from the drop-down list and click the Import button. The Import Log is displayed, stating whether or not the import was successful. The application also displays the thumbnail or full row for the imported file.

To import more files, select another filename from the drop-down list and click Import again.

Import with Metadata

To import a content file and input its metadata at the same time:

1. Click on Import with Metadata on the left side of the Content page.

2. Select a filename from the drop-down list.

3. Fill in the metadata.

Program Guide Information

• Program Code – a code that distinguishes what type of program this is, if program codes are

used in this installation.

• Program –the name of the program as it would be displayed in the Program Guide.

• Episode Code – a code that distinguishes what episode of a series this is, if episode codes are

used in this installation.

• Episode – If the file is part of a series and each episode has a name, it is displayed here as it

would be in the Program Guide.

• Description – Type a detailed description of the content.

Expiration

If you want to remove the content from the application at a specific date and time, enter them in the boxes. Otherwise the content will remain on the server until you schedule a deletion. For example, when importing winter-themed content you might schedule its deletion for the first day of spring.

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Categories

Select one or more event categories from the list.

Custom Attributes

If you created any custom attributes for your content metadata, fill them in.

Click on Import Content at the bottom of the window. The application displays the Import Log and tells whether the content imported successfully.

To import more content with metadata, click on Back. To return to the Content screen, click on Content at the top of the Content Import With Metadata screen or click on the Content tab.

To edit file information or schedule the file, click the [Edit] or [Play] links.

To locate recently imported content that might need updates to its metadata, use the Advanced Search feature and filter for recently added content.

Previews

Preview video content directly in the HyperCaster UI.

You can launch the preview player from any thumbnail for content that has a preview, whether in the Content tab, the Content page itself, or the Calendar Programming View. If a preview exists, the thumbnail will show a Play icon in the upper left corner.

Clicking on the thumbnail will pop up a preview player in a lightbox right in the interface, which you can choose to view full-screen.

In the player’s control bar you can also control the speed of the preview, up to 10x faster than real time.

Manage your preview options from the Config → Content → Show Content Page, which gives you the option to enable or disable the automatic creation of previews on import.

When enabled, all imported content will be queued for preview creation as a background task. You can see the progress of preview creation including percent complete on the Task tab. You can also see

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how much disk space your previews are taking, and if that is a concern, you can Delete All Existing Previews. If you leave the Create Content Previews enabled after deleting existing preview, future imported content will create previews.

Individual preview files can be created or deleted by an administrator from the of any video in the system.

This is useful to free up disk space used by preview files manually on a case by case basis, or if you do not have preview generation automatically enabled, but would rather create previews on a case by case basis for specific review. Preview generation does require system CPU cycles, but it performed as a lower priority than other broadcast critical tasks.

It is important to note that when you archive content from the HyperCaster, its preview file remains in the broadcast server (if it already existed). This means you can still preview a video, even after it has been archived. However, if you archived files BEFORE enabling content previews, previews are only created at the time of local import, and so would NOT be available. You could restore a file from archive to generate a preview if needed, if one was not already created prior to archiving.

For the optimal preview experience including the ability to preview at faster speeds, a web browser with HTML5 video support and H.264 video support is required. Otherwise, if you have the Flash plugin installed, Flash will be used for the preview, but the fast preview modes will not be available.

Show Content Page

When you click on a filename or thumbnail on the Content page, the Show Content page is displayed. This page shows the content’s properties, and upcoming and recent playout history.

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The fields displayed for the file are described briefly below.

• General – information about the file similar to what is displayed on the Content page, such as

filename, type, runtime, status, owner, size, creation date, play count, and delete date. To change this information, click the Edit button at the right.

• Categories – any programming categories in which this file appears, as selected by the

operator. To put this file in a category, click the Edit button at the right. To set up categories, use the Content Management section of the Config page.

• File Properties – the encoded video and audio properties of the file, including format, bitrate,

and type. The file properties cannot be edited.

• Recurring Events – recurring times at which the file is scheduled for playout, such as every

Thursday at 9:00 AM. To schedule recurring events, click the Schedule button at the right.

• Upcoming Events – the next few times the file is scheduled for playout, including both

recurring and single playouts. To schedule more events, click the Schedule button at the right.

• Recent Events – the last five times the file was scheduled for content. To see more history,

click on View More Past Events at the bottom of the page. The Recent Events section includes status information for the content, such as whether it was completed, started late, or ended early.

The video can be previewed from the thumbnail at the top right of the page. When a preview file is created, a “play” arrow shows up in the top left of the thumbnail.

File actions for this content file are shown in the upper right of the page, below the thumbnail frame. Not all actions are available for all content.

• Play Now – to begin playing the file immediately, select a channel from the drop-down list

and click on Play Now. If nothing is playing on the HyperCaster, this is one way to play a file immediately. To play this content on another channel on your system, choose it from the drop-down list.

• Schedule – takes you to the Schedule Playout page to schedule one or more times to play the

file. The Schedule Playout page is described in Content File Actions.

• Edit – to change the file information for the content, click the Edit button. This takes you to

the Edit Content page as described in Content File Actions. Note: Use caution when deleting content, since this permanently removes the file from the file system.

• Delete – to delete the content from the HyperCaster’s file system, click the Delete button.

This action is described more fully in Content File Actions.

• Purge – to remove the content from the Web Application’s list, but preserve it on the

HyperCaster’s file system, click the Purge button. This action is described more fully in Content File Actions.

• Create Preview – if this content does not already have a preview, create one here.

• Delete Preview – to delete the preview video of this piece of content only.

• Archive – transfer this video to your integrated archive destination. The preview will remain

in the HyperCaster.

To return to the Content page from the Show Content page, click on the Content tab at the top of the screen.

Show Content Page for Unattached Content

When you click on the filename or thumbnail for unattached content, which is programming that has been scheduled but is not yet on the server, the information on the Show Content page is different because the content is not yet on the server. The page shows the placeholder’s expected properties and scheduled playouts, if allowed on this server.

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The fields displayed for the placeholder are described briefly below.

• General – information about the placeholder similar to what is displayed on the Content page,

such as expected filename, expected runtime, ingest date, and day of week. If your installation has custom metadata fields, they are displayed here as well. To change this information, click the Edit button at the right.

• Program Series – If this placeholder is part of a series, this section will display its sequence

(order) in the series and whether the placeholder is out of order.

• Categories – any programming categories in which this file appears, as selected when the

program was added. To put this placeholder in a category, click the Edit button at the right. To set up categories, use the Content Management section of the Config page.

• Recurring Events – If this placeholder has been scheduled for recurring playout, this section

displays them, such as every Thursday at 9:00 AM. To schedule recurring events, click the Schedule button at the right.

• Upcoming Events – If this placeholder has been scheduled for playout, this section displays

the next few times, including both recurring and single playouts. To schedule more events, click the Schedule button at the right.

• Recent Events – Generally there will be no recent events for placeholders unless the time for

a scheduled event has passed and the actual file was never imported.

File actions for this content file are shown in the upper right of the page, below the thumbnail frame. Not all actions are available for all content.

• Schedule – takes you to the Schedule Playout page to schedule one or more times to play

the placeholder. The Schedule Playout page is described in the next section of this manual, on Content File Actions. To schedule placeholders, this installation must allow scheduling of unattached content. To change the configuration, go to the Configuration →Schedule Configuration section of this manual.

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• Edit – To change the file information for the placeholder, click the Edit button. This takes you

to the Edit Content page as described in the next section of this manual, on Content File Actions.

• Purge and Bump – If this placeholder is part of a series, you can remove it from the Web

Application but preserve the series information. For example, a series on quilting might have 8 episodes. The producer decides to cancel the 3rd episode. You could purge and bump Quilting_3. There will now be only 7 episodes in the series. The new Quilting_3 will inherit the filename, ingest date, and other metadata from the old Quilting_4. Quilting_4 will inherit the metadata from the old Quilting_5, etc.

• Purge – If you want to remove this placeholder from the Web Application and not preserve

any of its metadata, click the Purge button. This is a good choice if the event associated with this placeholder is cancelled. To continue the example, if the entire quilting series were cancelled, you would purge each placeholder.

Content File Actions

The following actions may be performed on content.

Edit

To change the file information for a content file or placeholder, click on its Edit action. The Edit Content page is displayed.

The Edit Content page displays information about the content including its media type and format, and encoding information. The following information can be edited.

• Program Code – If program codes are used in your workflow, enter a code that distinguishes

what program this is. You can search on program codes in combination with a keyword search.

• Program – If this installation does not use program codes, enter the name of the program as

it should appear in the Program Guide.

• Episode Code – If episode codes are used at your installation, enter a code that distinguishes

what episode of a program series this is. You can search on episode codes in combination with a keyword search.

• Episode – If this installation does not use episode codes, enter the name of the episode as it

should appear in the Program Guide, if applicable.

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• Description – (optional) Enter a detailed description of the content as well as any keywords

to be used to search for this content.

• Categories – Select one or more categories used on your HyperCaster, such as PSA (public

service announcements).

• Filename – the name of the content file, such as council_meeting_0425.mpg. If the content

is currently scheduled, you cannot change the filename.

Offset – Runtime or Start Trim – End Trim

Depending on the schedule settings you chose in Config → Schedule Configuration your TelVue server displays either Offset and Runtime (Duration) or Start Trim and End Trim to determine where file playout should start and stop and how long the playout should be. If this content was imported with trims or an offset and runtime already in the metadata, it is advisable to use them. If needed, you can set a different trim or offset and runtime manually when you schedule the content. Information on calculating the offset and runtime or start trim and end trim is provided below.

• Offset – how far from the beginning of the file you want to start playing, in hours,

minutes, and seconds. For example, if the file begins with 3 minutes of announcements prior to a soccer game, enter 00:03:00 to skip the announcements and begin the file when the game begins. To play the file from its beginning, leave this field blank.

• Runtime – the length of time you want the playout to run, in hours, minutes, and

seconds. For example, suppose you captured a soccer game for 2 hours (2:00:00). The game ends 1 hour and 55 minutes into the file and you want to skip the 3 minutes of announcements at the beginning. To end each playout when the game ends, enter 1:52:00 for the runtime. To end the playout when the file ends, enter 1:57:00 or click on Calculate Max Duration as described below.

• Calculate Max Duration – This utility subtracts the offset from the untrimmed length of

the file to get the runtime without any end trim. Click on the words Calculate Max Duration to use it. If you want the runtime to be less than the max duration, change the entry in the Runtime field after calculating the Max Duration.

• Start Trim – how far from the beginning of the file you want to start playing, in hours,

• End Trim – how far from the beginning of the file you want to stop playing, in hours,

minutes, and seconds. For example, suppose you captured a soccer game for 2 hours (2:00:00). The game ends 1 hour and 55 minutes into the file. To end each playout when the game ends, enter 1:55:00 for the end trim. To end the playout when the file ends, enter 2:00:00.

• Virtual Trim – When you use the Start Trim and End Trim fields together the application

calculates the trimmed length of the file as:

Runtime = <original file length> – <start trim> – [<original file length > - <end trim >].

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For example, if you want to trim the soccer game file from both ends, enter 00:03:00 for the start trim and 1:55:00 for the end trim.

Runtime = 2:00:00 – 00:03:00 – [2:00:00 – 1:55:00]

= 2:00:00 – 00:03:00 – 00:05:00

= 1:52:00

• Delete At – To set a date and time for the content file to be automatically deleted from the

server, type a date in the form MM-DD-YYYY or use a Calendar icon to choose a date. If no time is specified, then the content is deleted at midnight the next day. To keep the content on the server indefinitely, leave the date and time blank.

• Private – To keep this content on your private list so it is visible only to users with Admin

privileges and yourself, check this box.

• Ingest Date – For a content placeholder pending the content’s arrival, enter the date and

time the content file is expected to be brought onto the serve in the form MM-DD-YYYY or use a Calendar icon to choose a date up to one year from now. Enter the time in the form HH:MM:SS using 24-hour time.

• Location – (optional) The location where the content was created.

• Contributor – (optional) the name of the person, company, or other entity that supplied this

content.

When you have finished editing the content file information, click the Save button. The application saves the changes and returns you to the Content page. To return to the Content page without changing anything about the content, click the Cancel button.

Note: This information becomes part of the content’s metadata and will always be associated with this content unless and until you change it.

Play

If you clicked on the content filename to see the information about the content before playing it, click the Schedule button to go to the Schedule Playout page. On the Content page in thumbnail view or in the Action column of Table View, click on the Play action.

1. To schedule a playout for a content file, click on that file’s Play action. The Schedule Playout page is displayed.

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2. Fill in the fields on the screen as described below:

Channel – Select a channel from the drop-down list if this is a multi-channel installation or leave the default channel selected.

File – the file defaults to the playout you selected to play, but you can also select any file from the drop-down list. Metadata, or information about the file, is automatically displayed.

Offset – Duration or Start Trim – End Trim

Depending on the schedule settings you chose in Config ! Schedule Configuration your TelVue server uses either Offset and Duration or Start Trim and End Trim to determine where file playout should start and stop and how long the playout should be.

• Offset –The application fills in the content file’s offset from the metadata. To change the

offset for this playout only, enter a new offset in the form HH:MM:SS. The offset in the playout’s metadata remains the same.

• Duration – The application fills in the content file’s duration from the metadata. To change

the duration for this playout only, enter a new duration in the form HH:MM:SS.

• Calculate Max Duration – This utility subtracts the offset from the untrimmed length of the

file to get the duration without any end trim. Click on the words Calculate Max Duration to use it. If you want the runtime to be less than the max duration, change the entry in the Duration field after calculating the Max Duration.

• Start Trim –The application fills in the content file’s start trim from the metadata. To change

the start trim for this playout only, enter a new trim in the form HH:MM:SS. To play the file from its beginning, leave this field blank.

• End Trim –The application fills in the content file’s end trim from the metadata. To change the

end trim for this playout only, enter a new trim in the form HH:MM:SS. To end the playout when the file ends, leave this field blank.

• Actual Duration – The original, untrimmed duration of the file. Offset + Runtime = Actual

Duration.

• Start – Use a Calendar icon to select a start date or enter a date in the form MM-DD-YYYYup

to one year from today.

• Time – Enter the start time in HH:MM:SS format using 24-hour time. For example, 1:00 PM is

13:00:00.

• Play Immediately – To start playout as soon as the Save button is clicked, check this box.

• Day of Week – Check one or more boxes to the right of the day of the week to have the file

recur on that day. To play the file every day, click Daily, which will check all the boxes. To uncheck all the boxes, click None. There is a one-year limit on recurring playouts.

• Until Date – Use a Calendar icon to select the last day for the recurring playout up to one

year from today. If you are playing the file on several days of the week, it will play on the last day up to and including the date you select.

Optional Program Guide Data

Include in Program Guide – normally checked by default for video file types. If you do not want the

program guide report to display this playout, such as for a test file, uncheck this box. How you configure categories in the Content Management section of the Config page determines whether this box will be checked by default every time you schedule a playout. For example, if you do not normally want PSAs to appear in your Program Guide, edit the PSA category and set the Include in Guide

Default field to “No.” Then you will not have to uncheck this box every time you schedule a PSA.

Track Content Metadata – checked by default. If you want any changes you make to the file’s

metadata, such as a program description, to be automatically tracked in the playout metadata, check this box. Uncheck the box to override the metadata for the selected file and use the metadata you tag for this specific event.

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• Program Code – A code that distinguishes what program this is, if program codes are used in

your workflow.

• Episode Code – A code that distinguishes what episode of a series this is, if episode codes

are used in your workflow.

• Program – If this installation does not use program codes, the name of the program as it

would be displayed in the Program Guide.

• Episode – If this installation does not use episode codes, the title of the episode is displayed

or entered here as it would be in the Program Guide.

• Description – The detailed description of the content.

Click the Save button to add the playout to the programming schedule or click the Cancel button to return to the Content page without adding the playout.

The server checks for errors. If none are detected, the Content page of the newly scheduled playout is displayed.

Searching and Browsing

Quick Search

To search for content on the main Content page by keyword, type a keyword or phrase in the Quick Search box and press Search. The server will display all available content that matches the search. The keyword may appear as typed in the file name, program, episode name, program or episode code, description, or other content metadata.

Advanced Search

To search for content using specific criteria, such as category or a media type, press the Advanced Search tab. Fill in one or more of the boxes.

• Media Type – The type of media you want, such as audio file, a video,

an overlay, or an image, or any media type.

• Source – Select from uploaded, captured, or manually entered

content.

• Storage Location – Search any online or near-line archive that is

integrated with your HyperCaster.

• Category – Select one of the categories used on your HyperCaster,

such as PSA (public service announcements).

• Program – Enter the exact program title. If you are not certain of the

program title, use the Keywords field.

• Connect Provider – Filter by TelVue Connect Provider.

• Connect Owner – Filter by TelVue Connect Owner.

• Connect Organization – Filter by TelVue Connect Organization.

• Added – Select the time period that bests describes when this content

was added to your server. Time periods range from 5 minutes ago to 7 days ago. If the content was added more than 7 days ago, select Anytime.

• Last Played – Select the time period that best describes when the

Web Application last played this content. Time periods range from 5 minutes ago to 7 days ago. If the content was played more than 7 days ago, select Anytime.

• Play Count – Select the number or range that best describes when

the Web Application last played this content. Play counts range from Never Played to Played > 10 times. If you are uncertain how often the content has been played, select Any Play Count.

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• Min Duration – Enter the minimum duration of the content in hours, minutes, and seconds as

it would appear in the content metadata.

• Max Duration – Enter the maximum duration of the content in hours, minutes, and seconds

as it would appear in the content metadata.

• Keywords – Type any keywords that might help identify this content. Keywords can match

most metadata including the filename and file path.

Press Search. The Web Application displays the content that matches your search terms. If all results of the search are not displayed, select a larger display number (up to 100) from the drop-down list at the top of the page. If you don’t see the content you wanted, adjust the selections in one or more categories or press Clear to start again. To see all titles again, press Clear, then press Search.

Browse

To see all content of a specific category, press the Browse tab and click on one of the categories from the list. Categories may be customized under the Config tab in the Content section. To stop browsing and display all content again, click on Quick Search, clear the search field, and press the Search button.

To add a single content file to a category, display the content in Thumbnail view, press the Browse tab, and drag the content thumbnail over the category. The category bar blinks several times. Browse to see all content of a specific category, press the Browse tab and click on

one of the categories from the list. Categories may be customized under the Config tab ! Content section. To stop browsing and display all content again, click on Quick Search, clear the search field, and press the Search button.

Thumbnails and Table Views

Thumbnail View

Each thumbnail displays a scene from the content with the following information.

• Checkbox – allows you to select the content for a bulk action, such as a purge, or deletion.

• Filename – the name of the content as it is stored in the application, typically the filename

without the extension. If the name is long, mouse over it to display the full name. Clicking on the name takes you to the Show Content page.

• Icons – to visually display certain statuses (Green=New –

imported in the last week; Red=Pending scheduled deletion; Blue=Archived; Broken Link=Offline).

• SD or HD – Thumbnail images are now generated and

displayed with the correct, native aspect ratio.

• Preview – click on the “play” arrow on the top left of a

thumbnail to launch a preview player in a pop-up lightbox.

• File Type and Running Time – whether this file is a video,

overlay, etc., followed by the playing time of this file, after any virtual

trimming, in hours, minutes, and seconds (HH:MM:SS).

• Program or Program Code – the program name or program code of this file. If the name is

too long, mouse over the ellipsis (. . .) to see the full name.

• Episode or Episode Code – the episode name or episode code of this file, if applicable. If

the name is too long, mouse over the ellipsis (. . .) to see the full name.

• Edit – Link to the edit page so you can edit the file information and optional metadata for this

content.

• Play – Link to the Schedule Playout page so you can schedule a playout date and time for this

content.

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