Workflow Automation

for
Broadcast & Cable

NOTE: SOME OF THE INFORMATION

AND GRAPHIC DISPLAYS IN THIS USER GUIDE MAY NOT REFLECT
THE CURRENT STATE OF THE RELEASE SOFTWARE.

Time-of-Day Events
GPI Event Triggers (I/O)
Live Event Switching
MPEG-2 Segment Editor
Traffic Import
Router and VCR Control

Erlenstrasse 2
6343 Rotkreuz
MASTERPLAY.tv
[email protected]

Table of Contents

Overview: MASTERPLAY and the Playlist Editor............................................................................ 3

Creating a Playlist............................................................................................................................... 4
Using the Playlist Editor..................................................................................................................... 4
Creating a New Playlist...................................................................................................................... 5
Starting From Scratch......................................................................................................................... 7
Scheduling.......................................................................................................................................... 8
Playlist Editor: Design Concept ......................................................................................................... 9
Good Morning, WCRB! A Day at the Station ................................................................................ 10
Making the News ............................................................................................................................. 12
Segments and Breaks: An Overview ............................................................................................... 13
Using the Segment Editor................................................................................................................. 14
Icon Grabs / Icon Sizes..................................................................................................................... 16
Scheduling a Program with Multiple Segments .............................................................................. 17
Scheduling a Program from a Satellite Network ............................................................................. 18
Setting up your GPI Instruction ....................................................................................................... 18
Using the Second GPI List Instruction............................................................................................. 19
Adding the GPI Instruction............................................................................................................... 20
Importing Schedules......................................................................................................................... 20
Scheduling LIVE events using Switcher Instructions...................................................................... 21
Scheduling LIVE events in MultiZone............................................................................................. 22
Using Playlist Automation Instructions............................................................................................ 23
Partial list of Playback Automation Instructions.............................................................................. 23
Customizing the Instruction List...................................................................................................... 24
Encoding MPEG files...................................................................................................................... 24
Working with a Weekly Schedule..................................................................................................... 25
Tape Control..................................................................................................................................... 27
VCR Error Handling......................................................................................................................... 29

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Automation User Guide

MASTERPLAY Automation is designed to work in a file-based environment, virtually eliminating videotape machines
from the record (encode) and playback environment. The system accommodates four operating profiles:

1)
2)
3)
4)

Time-of-Day Event Scheduling/Playback

Event triggers (GPI)
Manual event playback
File Import Scheduling (traffic)

A playlist may contain any or all of these event types.

MASTERPLAY also controls routing and/or master control switchers using RS-232 serial communications protocol
and two VCRs (option) via Sony 422 (P2) protocol.

OVERVIEW: MASTERPLAY and the PLAYLIST EDITOR

MASTERPLAY Automation software is hosted on a video/graphics servers from several brands. It is the scheduling
and management engine for playback of graphics and motion video files. Supported video file formats are MPEG-1
and MPEG-2. Supported graphics formats include BMP, JPG, GIF, TIF, TGA, and RTF. The PE version does support
additionally AVI, h.264, mkv, mov and many more. On Screen Display and SDI output depending of used cards
The Playlist Editor lets you create looping files and/or folders specify dates and times for events and edit your
content for visually seamless update of the on-air Playlist(s).
As you build your programs, the Playlist Editor automatically calculates and displays the total duration of ... and time
remaining in ... each program as you add MPEG files, measuring the exact length of each file for accurate program timing
(as shown here at the top of the window).

The User Interface divides the Playlist Editor screen into three columns. The left column has two tabs: Events and File
Selector. Using the Event Manager calendar, you specify WHEN you want an event to happen. Then go to the File
Selector tab and select WHAT file(s) or folders you want to play at the scheduled event time. Just drag and drop those
items into the Event Window in the middle. MPEG and graphics files are displayed with picture icons (picons). In this
example, three segments of The Lone Ranger are in program directories ... with spots inserted in the three breaks. The
Total Time shows 30:00 ... which is the total of segments and spot durations.

CREATING A PLAYLIST
Generally, you will schedule and manage playbacks (using the Playlist Editor) on the server itself. However, you
can schedule from any computer that is networked to the playout server. And using the supplied LogMeIn remote
communications software, you can operate MASTERPLAY from virtually anywhere in the world!
Double-click the desktop MASTERPLAY icon and the application will open.

MASTERPLAY Playlist (empty)

This is the simple view. If your settings differ you will see the full interface with the playlist in the center.

The last playlist you loaded in MASTERPLAY will appear. In this example, we have opened a playlist weve saved and
called Empty (Empty.in), so there are no events to display. You can create and save as many playlists as you wish.

USING THE PLAYLIST EDITOR

To create a schedule (add events) you use the Playlist Editor in MASTERPLAY. To open the Playlist Editor, click once
on the Edit button at the top right of the Playlist window. The editing window will open.
The column of icons at the far right contains
drag-and-drop icons that are used for providing
instructions on how each event will be displayed
and/or triggered as well as On Screen Display
(OSD) functions such as graphics/logo insertion
and text crawls. An explanation of the individual
functions will follow.

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CREATING A NEW PLAYLIST

It will be most beneficial for you if, in this exercise, you create your own playlist using any
or all of the following examples.
There are six scheduling templates that are very useful in getting you started. Perhaps the
most commonly used template for cable operators as well as broadcasters who intermix
Time of Day programming with DTMF driven GPI triggers is the Weekly Schedule,
which creates 48 half-hour program slots for every day of the week (Sunday through
Saturday). The following is an overview of all the available templates.

Normal In the Preview Pane you see the elements of the Normal
template. Interpretation of this template is:

1) Every day, starting at midnight (00:00:00)

2) send a Play command to the following file or files that you drag and
drop into the playlist.
3) Every day, starting at 4:00pm (16:00:00), send a Play command to the
following file or files that you drag and drop into the playlist.
These are just examples so you can modify and/or delete the times and insert as many times as you wish using the
Event Manager in the Playlist Editor.
NOTE: The system defaults to a NORMAL status, meaning that you do NOT have to insert the Normal
instruction (green icon) before the events you drop into the playlist.

Repeat (Event at midnight) In the Preview Pane you see the

elements of this template. Interpretation of this template is:
1) Every day, starting at midnight (00:00:00)
2) send a Repeat command to the following file or files that you drag and
drop into the playlist.
At the end of the playback of the files, they will immediate play again,
creating a loop that plays continually for 24 hours. At midnight, the
file(s) will start at the beginning of the first file and play the loop again for another 24 hours.
NOTE: You can insert video files, graphics files, FOLDERS containing video and graphics files, and
other Playlists. After all the files/folders have played, the looping playback continues until midnight
when the first file/folder again starts to play.
Repeat (no event at midnight) In the Preview Pane you see the
elements of this template. Interpretation of this template is:
1) Every day, starting at midnight (00:00:00)
2) send a Repeat command to the following file or files that you drag and
drop into the playlist.
At the end of the playback of the files, they will immediate play again,
creating a loop that plays continually for 24 hours. At midnight, the
looping file(s) will continue to play without restarting from the first file.

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Weekdays In the Preview Pane you see the elements of this template.
Interpretation of this template is:

1) Every Sunday, starting at midnight (00:00:00)

2) send a Repeat command to the following file or files that you drag and
drop into the playlist.
At the end of the playback of the files, they will immediate play again,
creating a loop that plays continually until midnight.
3) Every Monday, starting at midnight (00:00:00)
4) send a Repeat command to the following file or files that you drag and drop into the playlist
The template continues for all seven days of each week.
This allows you to create a unique program schedule for each day of the week. The playlist will run every week starting
on Sunday. You will, in many cases, be changing the content (files) for each weeks schedule.
NOTE: You can copy this list (using Save As) and rename it based on weekly dates, e.g. 12-2-02.in /
12-09-02.in / 12-16-02.in etc. By doing this you can create programming as far into the future as you
wish.

Weekly Schedule (half hour) In the Preview Pane you see the
elements of this template. This is simply a pre-slotted version of the
Weekdays template.

This file creates something like a DayTimer or Outlook schedule

providing 48 half-hour program slots for each day of the week. This is
perhaps the most commonly used scheduling template. Well examine this
more closely in the next section.

Break list In the Preview Pane you see the elements of this template.
This template is useful if you are creating Playlists that will be used for
manual commercial insertion.
A good example of this is a sporting event, like a football game, where
there are no fixed times for commercial breaks to run. During a three hour
game there may be dozens of prepared breaks each of which runs when
the official blows the whistle, calls Time Out, etc. The operator waits for
the network fade to black, then clicks the play button - or an external button
- to switch the router and simultaneously start the break playback. At the end of the playback the router switches back to
the previous feed.
This mode, also called Break Mode, is also
useful for live News programs and PBS pledge
drive programming. You simply drag spots after
each break line. You can also create and display
a title for each break line, as will be discussed
later in this Guide.

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STARTING FROM SCRATCH: Creating a Playlist

To get you acquainted with the techniques and procedures used for scheduling, well go through the exercise of creating
and populating one of the most typical playlist formats: the Weekly Schedule (Half-Hour).
Under the Playlist menu, click on New. The Type of new file dialog window will appear, with Empty
as the default.
Click the Weekly Schedule (Half-Hour) radio button ... then click Create to open a New List.

Note: It is generally good practice to use the Save As function to name your Playlist before you start scheduling events.
Select the Save As function from the Playlist dropdown. The Save As file naming dialog will
appear, with the default destination being the Playlist subfolder in the MASTERPLAY folder:

Replace New file in the File name field with a name that describes the Playlist you will construct. In this example, we
have named the file, WCRB. The file is automatically saved as the proper Playlist type (WCRB.in).

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SCHEDULING
Now youve created and named a Playlist, so youre ready to build a schedule that may contain any of the following file
types, in any order:
MPEG-1, MPEG-2, JPG, BMP, TIF, GIF, TGA and RTF
You can insert files, folders, and other Playlists. You can also schedule LIVE events by controlling a routing switcher
and/or master control switcher. You can also control graphics/logo insertion and generate text messages and crawls ...
all by using familiar Windows drag-and-drop techniques.
MASTERPLAY supports many operations models, including broadcast scheduling, cable insertion, Public Education and
Government (PEG) channels, campus information channels, and kiosks. The program is designed for versatility and is
well-suited for any of these environments.
In the following exercise, we will use the WCRB playlist to schedule Time-of-Day events; looping playback of folders
that contain video and graphics files; events specified by date and time; and On Screen Display of text and logos.
If MASTERPLAY isnt already open, double-click the desktop icon to open the program. If the WCRB.in file doesnt
load, click on the Edit button on the Playlist to open the Playlist Editor.

On the Playlist Editor, click once on Open ...

and select that file from the Playlist folder by double-clicking ... or select (highlight) WCRB.in and click Open.

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PLAYLIST EDITOR: DESIGN CONCEPT

MASTERPLAY is designed around the concept of all-digital file management. The fundamental difference between
this and tape-based operations is that digital files play from start to end automatically. The mechanics of loading tapes,
pre-rolls, post-rolls, etc. are no longer considerations. Since digital files have an exact and finite length, its easy for the
computer to manage your timeline with frame accuracy.
Using the Playlist Editor, you create EVENTS. An Event is defined as what happens between any two specific points in
time, e.g. 7:00 and 7:30 (these are also called hard times). An Event can be comprised of the following:

one or more MPEG files

one or more graphic files
a video switch to a LIVE or other external source
any combination of the above

Although we provide several templates you can use to build a playlist, you can create your own playlists from scratch
... and/or modify any template using the editing tools available in the Playlist Editor. You can also import files from
commercial traffic systems, creating a Playlist from this external data.

This is a view of the WCRB playlist in the Playlist Editor. Notice that all seven weekdays are shown under the Event
Manager on the left. The Event Window displays the half-hour slots youll use to create your Playlist. The default view
shows all the slots for Sundays. If you click on any of the other days, youll see the entire playlist for that day displayed
in the Event Window.
Notice the + sign to the left of each weekday, indicating there is a tree of timeline information associated with that day.
In order to schedule events, youll need to expand that tree (day) to see the associated time slots.
When you click the + sign next to Mondays, the Event Manager window
expands to show half-hour increments for the entire day ... from midnight
to midnight. You can Edit any of these times ... or Add new times ... to
conform to the specifics of your own operations. We will explain in detail
how to manage these functions, but for now well continue with a realworld exercise that probably best simulates your scheduling environment.
We will build a portion of a sample Playlist by doing the following exercise for Mondays:

1) Create a Sign On block of graphics and MPEG files from 5:45am to 6:00am

2) Insert four one-minute Breaks in a LIVE morning news show from 6:00am to 6:30am

3) Schedule a previously encoded program - and insert three breaks - from 6:30am to 7:00am

4) Go to America One satellite programming with cue tones for breaks and local ID from 7:00am to 7:30am

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GOOD MORNING, WCRB!

Click the + to the left of Mondays to expand the timeline, and click on 05:30:00 to
select that specific time. Then click the Event Manager button. The Add event
dialog appears.

(Click the Event Manager button to see the Add event dialog)
2) In the Time entry field, select the minutes (mm) and enter 45.
Note: Use the mouse to drag through and highlight the minutes ... or double-click to select the minutes and
use the up and down arrows to change ... or highlight the minutes and enter any two digits
from 00 to 59.
3) Click the add button. Notice that you now see a new entry highlighted in the timeline scheduling
tree with no event(s) yet scheduled (in the Event Window) for that time. Also notice that the
total time for that event is 00:15:00, as indicated above the Event Window.

4) Go to the Commands window on the right ... then drag and drop the repeat icon into the Event Window. This
instruction means: Play the following files over and over again until the next Event time.

5) Now click the File Selector tab on the left, and find files and/or folders you want to place
in the list at that time. Simply left-click and drag the files/folders to the Event Window that is
displaying the currently specified Event time. While you are dragging you will see the modified
cursor icon showing a file pointer is being moved into the icon window.
Here you can see the different displays under the two tabs. File Selector is the equivalent of
Windows Explorer ... letting you browse your computer content and select files and/or folders to
drag into the Event Window. The Events tab lets you select, define, and edit the Event times into
which you drop your content (files and folders).
So essentially the Events tab = WHEN an Event is scheduled to play
and the File Selector tab = WHAT files or folders are available to play

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6) Now well insert a directory (folder) called SIGN ON LOOP with MPEG and JPG files in the 05:45:00 Event Window
slot. Notice that weve determined the order of file playback by putting a two-digit number at the beginning of the file
name. This is because Windows sorts folder contents alphanumerically.

Be sure youve selected the 05:45:00 Event slot under the Events tab ... then click the Select
File tab and locate the directory (in this example) that you want to insert into the Event
Window. Simply left-click and drag that directory beneath the Repeat icon weve already
placed in the Event.

If you now click Mondays at the top of the tree, youll once again see the entire day of slots ... but with the addition of
the repeating SIGN ON LOOP folder. You can see that the contents of the folder totals two minutes and fifteen seconds
(02:15). But because of the Repeat instruction, the folder will play over and over again until the next Event, which is at
06:00:00.

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MAKING THE NEWS!

Now that weve scheduled the SIGN ON, lets schedule a LIVE news program that has four one-minute breaks that occur
at random times during the program. This is the same procedure you would use for other live events such as sporting
events and fund raising telecasts.
The first thing well do is create an assignment of routing switcher crosspoints for automated switching between the
studio and the MPEG playback decoder. Since the functionality of this type of operation is similar to waiting for a GPI
tone to trigger a break, you create the defaults in much the same way.
1) On the MASTERPLAY utility bar, click Configuration > Options
2) Click Breaks.
3) Click Add. Since this will be the used for all switching between
Breaks and the live studio, well name this break STUDIO. Notice
you can also Delete and Add as many custom breaks as you wish to
your system configuration
3) Delete the text in the Name box and
type the word STUDIO.
4) Now we want to define the Default Router Input to be the input youve
named STUDIO in your router configuration table. So just click the arrow
to locate and make your selection from the list.
5) Finally, we want to associate an appropriate icon with the type of input,
so that its easy to quickly identify a particular GPI or Break Instruction in
the Commands list in the Playlist Editor ... with the same representation in
the Playlist. Since this is a STUDIO break setup, well select Camera from
the drop-down list.

Now were ready to complete the scheduling of the half-hour Morning News program.
In the Playlist Editor, click on 00:06:00 to select the Event time. Notice that there is now a STUDIO command in the
instruction column on the right. Just drag and drop that instruction into the Event window.

Click the File Selector tab ... and drag in two :30 spots for the first Break.

To complete the scheduling of Breaks for the LIVE Good Morning show, just drag in three more STUDIO instructions,
with each instruction followed by two :30 spots.

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Here is the completed half-hour program. Notice that each time you dragged in another STUDIO command, the Break
number automatically incremented on the right side of the Event window (Break 1, Break 2, etc.) The Total time of
the scheduled files in the Breaks is four minutes (00:04:00) ... with the remaining time in the Event (from 06:00:00 to
06:30:00) being 26 minutes (00:26:00). You can always use the calculated Time display to confirm that you have the
desired length of digital file content within each Event time.
Note: If your total file length is greater than the Event time, the calculator will display the overtime
in RED ... with a plus sign (+) before the number. You can then trim segment and/or break times
accordingly. Its important to know that even if the total file length exceeds the Event time, the automation
will automatically move to the next scheduled Event time, shortening the last file by the amount of the
exceeded time.

SEGMENTS and BREAKS: An Overview

Before we move on to scheduling a half-hour slot using previously encoded MPEG-2 program segments with Breaks
between Segments, its important to understand the relationship between Segments and Breaks in an all-digital, file-based
automation system.
This example shows the possible combinations of Segments and Breaks using three Segments within any Event time slot.
Remember: a slot is another term for Event. It refers to the amount of time between two specific hard times in the
Playlist, e.g. 06:30:00 and 07:00:00. In general, the minimum number of Segments and Breaks is one each.

This translates into four possibilites:

# Breaks = # Segments -1

# Breaks = # Segments

# Breaks = # Segments

# Breaks = # Segments +1

(Break 1 starting AFTER first Segment)

(Break 1 starting AFTER first Segment)
(Break 1 starting BEFORE first Segment)
(Break 1 starting BEFORE first Segment)

Thus, the number of Breaks is generally equal to; one less than; or one more than the number of Segments.

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USING THE SEGMENT EDITOR

The MASTERPLAY Segment Editor is a useful utility that enables you not only to
trim the beginning and end of MPEG or AVI files it also lets you create multiple
segments within a file by creating IN and OUT pointers that represent segments of
that file. You can even grab a frame to use as a picon in the Playlist Editor/Playlist.
If you are familiar with nonlinear editing programs, then you already understand the
concept of virtual edits. You can play multiple clips in any order without actually
modifying the original content.
In fact, most of the functions in the Segment Editor have keyboard shortcuts that mimic
many nonlinear editing interfaces and specifically Adobe Premiere.
After youve segmented a file, you can select any or all of the segments to play in any
order in the playlist. All this information is stored within the MPEG file as metadata,
so the information travels with the file or copies of the file. Any MASTERPLAY
Automation system will recognize the metadata and allow the User to take advantage
of the embedded segment information.

Right-click on a file in the playlist inventory and select Segment Editor from the drop-down menu. The Segment Editor
utility will appear, with video cued to the first frame of the file. You can also open the Segment Editor by simply doubleclicking a file.

Click the Play button. Then click the Set IN and Set OUT buttons to define the Segment. After youve clicked the Set
OUT button, playback will stop. You can then click the Goto IN and Goto OUT buttons to check your marks.
To trim your marks, just click the single frame buttons (< >), and when you reach your desired position, click the Set
IN or Set OUT buttons again as required.

As you click the Set IN and Set OUT buttons, you will see the captured time code appear in the respective IN and OUT
fields. The duration is automatically displayed.

Place the cursor in the Segment Name field, and create a unique name for each segment. Then click the Update List
button to add the segment to the segment inventory.
When youve entered one or more segments into the inventory, the Save button will illuminate bright yellow. Click on
the Save button to save the segment information.

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NOTE: At the bottom of the display are two fields that indicate the
Total Segment Time (based on the aggregate time of the segments in
inventory) and the File length. The Total Segment Time is useful in
determining the amount of commercial or promo time needed to fill a
defined program length such as a half-hour program.
Example:

Total Segment Time = 22:45

Total Show Duration = 30:00

Total Break Time
= 07:15
In the Appendix of this User Guide there is a list of the keyboard shortcuts you can use with the Segment Editor.
NOTE: The video window is displayed using Windows Media Player. When you are working with MPEG files, you
wont necessarily achieve single frame accuracy when marking IN/OUT points -- or in step-motion -- due to the GOP
structure of MPEG files.

After youve segmented a file in the playlist, it displays with a red Ignore Segments label in the icon window. This is to
remind you that the file has been segmented and you can choose one or more of the individual segments to play.

To select a particular segment for playback, right-click on the file choose Select Segment from the drop-down menu
and then choose the Segment you wish to play from the fly-out menu.

After youve made the Segment selection, it is displayed in the icon window as
shown in this example.
NOTE: You can play different Segments at different places in the playlist by
dragging in the file for each occurrence, then selecting the desired Segment for
that occurrence.
When you drag a segmented file into the playlist Event Window, this window
will appear. You can click Ignore Segments to load the entire file; select
(highlight) a particular segment and click Add; or click Add all to place all the
segments in the playlist.

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ICON GRABS / ICON DISPLAY SIZES
Using the Segment Editor, you can grab a frame from an MPEG file to use as a
picon (picture icon) in both the Playlist Editor and the Playlist.
Double-click any MPEG file in the playlist to open the Segment Editor.
Using the Play button or the shuttle bar find the frame you wish to capture then simply click the Grab button.

A small icon will appear to the right of the Grab button. This is the picon that will be
used in the Playlist Editor and in the Playlist display. Click SAVE to store the picture
as metadata in the MPEG-2 file, even if you dont segment the file.

You can also do a Batch Grab of all the files currently in the Playlist. In this case, the program automatically
selects the frame to capture based on the length of the file. Youll find this under the Tools item on the menu bar
of the Playlist Editor.
If the file is two minutes or shorter, the Grab frame is three seconds BEFORE the END of the file.
If the file is longer than two minutes, the Grab frame is three seconds AFTER the START of the file.
You can choose between four different sizes of icons that are grabbed from each MPEG file using the Segment Editor.

To change the icon size in the Playlist Editor:

Right click any file in the list and choose Icon size from
the list. A submenu will appear with four choices, Small,
Medium, Large, and XXL. Choose the size you wish.

To change the size of the icon in the main

Masterplay interface window use the same
method.

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SCHEDULING A PROGRAM WITH MULTIPLE SEGMENTS

In the previous sections we discussed the relationship of Segments and Breaks ... and how to use the Segment Editor to
define program Segments youll schedule using the Playlist Editor.
In earlier exercises we created a morning
SIGN-ON (05:45:00 - 06:00:00) ... and a live
half-hour morning news program with four
breaks (06:00:00 - 06:30:00). Well continue
our exercise with a third Event, scheduling a
previously encoded program in the event slot
from 6:30am to 7:00am (06:30:00 to 07:00:00).
There will be three segments ... with each
segment followed by a break.

(Playlist Editor: half-hour show scheduled with three MPEG Segments and three Breaks)
1) Inside a folder called PROGRAMS on the D: drive, create a folder called
JUDGE JUDY.
2) After encoding the entire half hour episode, copy the file into the JUDGE
JUDY folder you just created and use Segment Editor to create three
segments ... eliminating the embedded commercials and keeping only the
program material.
3) Select the 00:06:30 Event time (slot) ... and using the File Selector locate
the program inside the JUDGE JUDY folder and drag it into the Event
window. Immediately upon dropping the file a Select Segments dialog will
appear. In this case choose Add all because you
want to show all 3 segments of the program. Now
you will see each segment in the list with the duration
below the start time ... AND the Total and Remaining
times in the Event -- displayed above the Event
window.
4) To add spots for each Break, use the File Selector
to locate the desired files, and drag them into the
Event Window. When you drop the file into the list,
it will be placed BEFORE the event onto which you
drop it (release the mouse button). You can move any
event anywhere in the list by dragging and dropping it
using traditional Windows mouse techniques.
Notice that after you insert the files, the Total Time
window displays the changes in time used and time
remaining.
Follow this procedure until youve added all your spots for the scheduled program. Reminder: for a show with three
segments you can schedule two, three or four breaks!

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SCHEDULING A PROGRAM FROM A SATELLITE NETWORK

There are a number of satellite delivered program services such as America One, FamilyNet, Urban America Television
Network, UPN, and many others. Many of these providers offer time slots for affiliate breaks and local IDs. Often they
send encoded DTMF tones, either embedded in the subcarrier of the video signal or on a second audio channel.
These tones must be detected by a device that recognizes them ... and which then initiates the sequence to switch the
audio/video FROM the satellite receiver TO the file playback on the Automation server. After the scheduled files have
played, the automation switches FROM file playback TO the satellite receiver ... or to the next designated Event.
MASTERPLAY has built in DTMF decoder or uses the DT-232 DTMF tone detector with RS-232 serial output, by
CircuitWerkes. It has two connectors: a 1/4 TRS female phone connector for
receiving balanced or unbalanced audio from a satellite receiver ... and a DB-9
female serial connector. Use a standard straight-through 9-pin serial cable to
connect this device with an available serial port on your Automation server.

SETTING UP YOUR GPI INSTRUCTION

RS-232
DB-9F

1/4 TRS
audio in

For this exercise well set up America One (sometimes referred to as A1) as the satellite-delivered program provider.
They offer two one-minute affiliate breaks (2 x 1:00) every half hour ... as well as a :10 affiliate ID slot at the end of
every half hour. The Start tone for the affiliate breaks is 509*, and the Start tone for the affiliate ID is 928*.
Setting up the GPI is very similar to the procedure used to create a Break as discussed on Page 13, since in both cases the
automation system is waiting for something to trigger the switch from a current program source to the MPEG playback
card and then back to the program source.
In order to use the DT-232, you must first connect it to an available serial port of your MASTERPLAY Automation
server. Once the connection is made (using a straight-through RS-232 serial cable - DB9M to DB9F), you have to tell
the system software it is there.
Go to Configuration - Options - Ports. COM2 is Not Defined, so click the Change button. Go to Others in the list ...
then select DT-232 in that list.
NOTE: If you do NOT define
the DT-232 on a COM port, you
will not be able to enter a DTMF
value (e.g. 509*) in the GPI Start
command recognition field.
The status now indicates that the DT-232 is attached to the COM2 port on the server. Now youre ready to set up TWO
America One GPIs ... one for breaks and a second for the local ID.

1) On the MASTERPLAY utility bar, click Configuration - Options - Break.

2) Click the Add and name this break A1 Break.
Since youll use two separate breaks, one for spots and one for the ID, create a SECOND break called A1 ID,
using the same procedure in steps 1 - 2 on the previous page.

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5) On each of the new A1 breaks, click the drop-down list arrow beside Router Input and select AmericaOne.
6) On each of the new A1 breaks, click the drop-down list arrow beside Icon and select Satellite.
7) The final step in preparing your A1 breaks is to enter the Start tone sequence and Event Delay. Select the A1
Break and enter 509* in the empty Start field.
In the empty Delay field to the right of the tone sequence, enter the
amount of time you need to delay the switch FROM the America One
router input TO the MPEG playback card and the start of the break
playback. The delay for America One is 6 seconds and 22 frames. In
order to calculate that exact delay offset divide the number of frames by
30. 22/30 = .75 so the delay is 6.75 seconds.
Select the A1 ID break and enter 928* in the empty Start field ... along
with the Delay offset (6.75 seconds).

Using the Second GPI List option

You can combine two GPI instructions into a single break setup by using the
Second GPI List option. Using America One as an example, you would enable
the Second GPI List checkbox. When you do, youll notice that what used to be labeled Pause and Next (under Start and
Stop) now change to Start 2 and Stop 2.
Enter 928* in the Start2 field ... and use the folder browse button to locate the playlist you wish to use for the Second GPI
list. The Delay for Start2 is the same as you configured in Start.
NOTE: Although satellite program providers
usually send both a Start and Stop command,
since MASTERPLAY is a file-based system, it is
simpler to use only the Start tone, then play all
the files in the break ... and automatically switch
back to the provider. The next Break is then cued
for playback.

ADDING THE GPI INSTRUCTION

Now that your breaks are set up, you can create simple shortcuts for dragging and dropping them into the Playlist.

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In this example we have selected a 2:00am half hour slot. We first selected and dragged into the playlist the A1 Break
instruction from the list ... then added two :30 spots. We then dragged the same instruction icon into the playlist after
the first two spots. We then added two more :30 spots.
Finally, we dragged in the A1 ID instruction ... and
added an ID/promo afterwards. Notice that the Break
number at the right of the instruction line automatically
increments as you add more instructions (e.g. Break 1,
Break 2, Break 3 ....)
This process is a simple and intuitive way to build a
schedule using GPI instructions with attributes specific
to each particular program provider. You can have
instructions for as many providers as you wish, and drop
them into the list as appropriate.

IMPORTING SCHEDULES
An available feature of MASTERPLAY supports the import of text files generated from commercial traffic systems. This
requires a parser to be written on a customer-specific basis. After the schedule is imported, you can use all the scheduling
functionality previously described to add, delete or modify the scheduled events.
Here is an example of a text file exported from ProTrack, the comprehensive
PBS traffic and management software from Myers Information Systems:

Here is what it looks like after being imported to the Playlist (from a week of
imported logs:

SCHEDULING LIVE EVENTS USING SWITCHER INSTRUCTIONS

Click on the Video switch command and drag that instruction to the Event Window.

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Then right-click on the Event (or double-click) and select Properties from the menu.

From the drop down menu, select the switcher to be controlled for the event then under the Output section, select the
output which will usually be the transmitter or modulator.

Under the Input drop-down, choose

the input you wish to route.

Set Only is checked by default, so the switcher event will be triggered by a GPI event in the Playlist or by a hard
time entry. You can set the Length if you want the event to switch back to a default input after a specified period of
time.

In both the Playlist Editor and the Playlist, the event is displayed like this. In
this example, every day at noon the program will send a command to the Master
switch to route AmericaOne to the transmitter for a duration of one hour.

SCHEDULING LIVE EVENTS IN MULTIZONE

If you are running MultiZone, (no hardware decoder), the workstation is equipped with a WinTV card which you can use
to display LIVE (or off-air) events in the Video Zone or full screen.

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Example: You want to schedule a live city council meeting to air every Thursday at 1:00pm for two hours.

1) Click the Event Manager button to open the Add event utility. Click the Thursdays radio button and enter
13:00:00 in the Time field. Then click the add button.

2) Click on Thursdays in the tree list to show the time. Then click on the WinTV icon in the effects window and
drag it into the playlist icon window.

3) Right-click on the effect icon and select Properties from the drop-down menu.
4) Enter the Channel name you have defined in the WinTV setup procedure and enter the Length of the event (in
this case, 02:00:00). Then click OK.
NOTE: In many cases, you will be routing video and audio from a
switcher and audio mixer to the respective video/audio inputs of the
WinTV card. You can connect a stereo audio mini-plug from the
cards output to the Line Input of the Mediappliance or use an
internal jumper to go from the cards output to the CD input of the
sound card.
If the Output volume (see the above example) is set to 0 then
the Mediappliance will play files from the Audio Jukebox if it is
enabled. Any value greater than 0 will cause the Audio Jukebox NOT to play.

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USING PLAYLIST AUTOMATION INSTRUCTIONS

MASTERPLAY provides a number of drag-and-drop automation instructions to help you build your Playlists. The
Playlist Editor is really a palette where you construct the sequence and control the characteristics (properties) of all
your events.

In summary:
1) Use the Event Manager to specify days, dates and times in the Playlist (WHEN)
2) Drag-and-drop files, folders and other Playlists into the current Playlist (WHAT)
3) Drag-and-drop instructions that affect the files that follow each specific instruction in the Playlist (HOW)

PARTIAL LIST OF PLAYLIST AUTOMATION INSTRUCTIONS

Repeat Play in a loop unless and until another instruction is encountered
Break Identifies the following files as a Pod for commercial insertion.
Segment name and approximate time are supported.
Video Sets up crosspoints between a Source and Destination
TV Tuner Supports scheduling of LIVE events depending on hardware.
InsertDirectory Drag-and-drop a directory containing any mix of video
and graphic files into the Playlist. You can also Insert a Directory in another
Directory (folder).
ShowClock Activates the On Screen Display and displays a clock which
can be configured to show the current time, a count down, a count up, or
a timer to the next event. Color, size, placement, background color and
transparency are set in the Properties window as well.
ShowCrawl Activates the On Screen Display and displays the text you
enter into the data field in the crawl Properties entry window. Properties can
all be adjusted as with the clock.
ShowLogo Opens a Properties window that lets you browse to a specific
logo and specify the size, position, transparency and duration of the
event.
OSD off cancels any previous OSD instruction
InsertPlaylist Drag-and-drop any existing Playlists into the current
Playlist (sub-Playlists)

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CUSTOMIZING THE INSTRUCTION LIST

Since its likely you wont use many of the instruction icons in the full list, you can create
a customized instruction list with the items you use most, plus create custom instructions
to use over and over. Go to Playlist and select New ... and select Empty. This will create
a completely empty playlist with
an every day event. Simply select
and drag the instructions from the
complete list on the right to the
Customized Instruction list in the
middle. Place them in the order
you wish to see them. Double
click and edit any you wish to customize then click Playlist and select
Save as Command List to store your custom list. It must be saved as
CustomizedInstructionList.in in the CommandList folder in order to work
properly. Once that is done, use Command list drop down in the upper right
to choose which command list to work with.
You can view All or Custom Instructions by using this drop-down menu at the
upper right of the Playlist Editor.

*** ENCODING MPEG FILES ***

MASTERPLAY is a file-based automation system. Without videotape machines in the equation, youll realize an
enormous increase in productivity, reliability, and simplicity of operation. Your on-air video content will generally come
from three sources:
1) Satellite delivered programming
2) Existing material on tape that must be encoded as MPEG-2 files
3) Internal promos, IDs and spots created using a non-linear editing platform
There are several hardware MPEG-2 encoders available that do an excellent job at attractive price points. These are PCI
cards that you can put into an available computer. Just be sure you have enough storage capacity to handle the relatively
large files created by the encode process. At 8Mb/sec, youll consume about 3.6GB per hour of video/audio.
Masterplay provides integrated solutions that combine custom scheduling and encoding interfaces in a dedicated
encoding workstation. The encoder options support a range of input formats: composite, S-Video, component, SDI and
1394 (FireWire). Some of these solutions allow you to create TWO files simultaneously ... such as MPEG-2 and MPEG4 ... or MPEG-2 and Windows Media. They can also do real-time video streaming while encoding. Other options include
logging and batch capturing with VCR control.
Many non-linear editing systems support MPEG-2 software encoding, so the resulting MPEG files can be transferred
directly to the automation system over a network or via CD or DVD. A typical broadcast stream size is about one
Megabyte per second. A :30 spot is approximately 30 MB ... so you can put about 150 spots on a single 4.7GB DVD
media.
Remember: you can run the Playlist Editor.exe on any computer. The Segment Editor is one of the powerful and useful
utilities in the Playlist Editor, so you can verify and/or modify file timings on any computer or computers you authorize.
Finally if you have imported a schedule from a traffic system and the spot title is RED in the Playlist Editor and/or
the Playlist then that spot is NOT on the server. This can also be caused by moving or renaming a file AFTER it has
been scheduled. In such a situation, you will only see BLACK when the file is scheduled to play.

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WORKING WITH A WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Now that youve been through the operating methodology of MASTERPLAY, lets have a look at a sample schedule
created using the Weekly Schedule template.
This is a fairly typical programming schedule for a station that uses a satellite program provider for a significant portion
of their broadcasting day but also have blocks of time where they program their own content and schedule time-of-day
events.
The satellite program provider offers two minutes (2:00) of local break time every half hour plus one five second
(:05) local station ID breakaway near the top and bottom of every hour. These local breaks are triggered by a device that
converts network-delivered DTMF tones (coming in to the IRD) into GPI contact closures that are connected to the serial
or parallel port of the Mediappliance.
NOTE: If you are using a commercial traffic and billing system, the weekly schedules are created
automatically by the parser supplied with your Automation system. You can, however, use any of the
techniques discussed to add, delete, or modify the list after its been imported.

THE PLAYLIST TREE

Day View no events

Here is an example of a Weekly Schedule where most of the daily content is from a satellite program provider. They
offer the station a two minute break during each half hour with a local ID within thirty seconds of the top of each hour.
When you open the Playlist Editor, you see that Sundays is highlighted and the program slots for the entire day are
displayed in the Schedule Window. The red break lines indicate the slot schedule times. In this example you can see
that between 6:30am and 11:30am there are slots for local programming, because there are no WaitForGPI instructions
associated with these slots. Slots with that instruction indicate that during those hours the system is waiting for a GPI
trigger to switch the router to the Mediappliance server, play a two minute break, and then switch back to the satellite
feed.

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When you click the + sign to the left of Sundays, you will expand the tree to provide another view of all the scheduled
program slots.

Day View expanded slot times

HELPFUL HINT: You can use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate quickly and efficiently through the tree
structure. In general, the logic follows the Windows convention: the up and down arrow keys move you through the
currently displayed branch level. To expand or contract the level ( + and - ) use the right and left arrow keys.

When you click on (or arrow to) each slot, the content for that time period -- in this case, Sunday at midnight to 12:30am
-- is displayed in the Schedule Window. You can see that there are no files scheduled to play if the GPI contact closure is
received. In such a case, black would be played from the server.

This example shows a slot after three files have been dragged and dropped into the playlist. When the GPI contact
closure is received Mondays -- any time between 2:00:00 and 2:30:00 MASTERPLAY will switch the router and
play the files then switch back to the primary input which in this case would be the satellite feed from the IRD.
The Total Time indicator automatically calculates the total duration of the files in the slot, actually measuring the length
of each MPEG file dropped into the list.
Satellite program providers generally send a set of tones for each break: Break Start and Break Stop. The timing of
these tones determines the duration of the local break. In this example, the three: 10 spots would play then you would
see 1:30 of black because the Break Stop GPI would be sent after the total allotted break time of 2:00.
Inversely, if the content of this break was 2:03 (two minutes and three seconds) then the switcher would rejoin the
satellite feed three seconds before the end of the last file. So it is up to you to accurately manage the lengths of your
breaks if you want to maximize the seamless transitions to and from your local breaks.

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GPI CONFIGURATION
Proper setup of your GPI instructions makes scheduling and operations very simple. Please refer to Pages 20-21 for a
comprehensive explanation of how to create custom GPI templates that you can drag and drop into the Playlist Editor.

TAPE CONTROL
With this optional feature you can control multiple videotape machines using communications from additional serial
ports we install on your selected Mediappliance.
If you are controlling one router and one VCR, you will not need additional serial ports. With the additional two serial
ports, youll generally use the four ports as follows:
COM1 = Router/Switcher control
COM2 = GPI Input (four independent triggers or two pairs)
COM3 = Tape Control
COM4 = Tape Control
The server software communicates with virtually any VTR/VCR that
uses RS-422 (Sony P2) or RS-232 remote control protocols. Examples
of popular tape machines using RS-232 control protocol are the Sony
UVW 1200 and 1400 Betacam player/recorders while the UVW
1600 and 1800 Betacam decks use RS-422 control protocol.
You can also use the parallel out port of the Mediappliance to generate PLAY and STOP contact closures for Series 5, 7,
and 9 U-Matic VCRs.

Scheduling a Tape Playback

In the list of customized instructions on the right side of the Playlist Editor, youll see the
VCRControl icon which you can drag into a Playlist as either a looping event or
time-of-day event.

After you drag in the VCR icon into the list, doubleclick the placeholder.
This dialog appears:
Select the VTR# from the drop-down menu.
Enter the Program Name including program
number, episode, etc. as appropriate.
Enter the Time Code IN and EITHER the Time Code Out OR the Length of the program/segment (each will
automatically update the other field). The PreRoll is determined by the value you enter in the Configuration
Options VCR field values, and cannot be changed on this control.
Note: If you leave the Time Code Start field empty OR if the time is 00:00:00:00, then the system will NOT
attempt to CUE the tape. It will simply issue a PLAY command to the machine, using the pre-roll value to
back-time the PLAY command relative to the router switch command.
Click the Apply button. The information youve entered appears in the display metadata of the VCR event.

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If your tape has NO time Time Code, then youll need to manually CUE the tape to the Show Start MINUS pre-roll
time.
By default, MASTERPLAY issues the CUE command one minute and 30 seconds (1:30) before the PLAY command is
sent. The tape will not play properly IF any of these conditions are in effect:
1. The machine is NOT in remote.
2. Time Code on the tape doesnt match the Time Code specified for the event.
3. There is no tape in the machine.

If any of these conditions exists, the Error/Status window will appear along with a bold indication of the problem
encountered. Click Acknowledge to close the warning. That action will automatically be entered into the Status log.
The program always issues a second CUE command 45 seconds (:45) before the PLAY command is sent.
Note: If you do not push the Acknowledge button, errors will accumulate in the Error log. At any time you can
see how many error messages there are by the indicator above the Acknowledge button.
The tape machine will be given a STOP command:

1. At the specified Time Code End

2. If a scheduled Hard Time occurs earlier than the Time Code End
3. At the next scheduled Hard Time (if there is NO Time Code on the tape)

Each time you click the Acknowledge button you will see the preceding message. You can open the Status logfile to
view all the errors ... or click the As-Run button to see what files have played. Click the close box (X) to remove the
display.

Changing Default Settings

If your system is configured with the Tape
Control option, VCR will appear on the
Configuration - Options list.

Here you can change the default settings

for the following:
1. Pre-roll
2. CUE #1 (default 01:30)
3. CUE #2 (default 00:45)

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VCR Error Handling

The Error Handling mode determines what happens ON-AIR if there is an error condition with the tape playback, as
explained earlier (no tape, VCR in LOCAL mode, etc.)
The options in the Error Handling drop-down are:
Switch the Router and wait the expected time.
The router will automatically select the crosspoint youve set up as the Default
Input.
Show a still picture and wait the expected time.
You can set a path to the graphic file you wish to display until the next scheduled event occurs.
Go on in the Playlist.
This selection results in the program automatically advancing to the Next Event in the Playlist regardless of scheduled
time.
******************************************************
We want your experience with MASTERPLAY Automation to be an excellent one. We are constantly adding and/or
modifying features to better support your operating requirements. Please dont hesitate to contact us by phone or e-mail
with any observations, suggestions, or operational difficulties.
It is possible that this release of the User Guide does not reflect some of the changes and/or upgrades to the software.
Contact technical support at the numbers and addresses below for assistance at any level.

For technical support regarding MASTERPLAY Automation, please contact:

Erlenstrasse 2, 6343 Rotkreuz, Switzerland

[email protected]
MasterPlay is a registered trademark of MASTERPLAY GmbH
MultiZone is a registered trademark of MASTERPLAY GmbH
MASTERPLAY automation software: 1992 2012 MASTERPLAY GmbH

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