I’ve been having a go at trying Regional Containers - these would solve a few problems if only they’d schedule via an M3U file You can save it all in MLP and reload with no problems, however, the M3U format creates a container as a sum of both the items (ie: a 30s 2-way split becomes a 60s item).
It would also allow people to schedule all their regional splits from ONE scheduling program (and not have to run multiple copies/licenses) in the following way: #mAirList BEGINCONTAINER Split Promo #mAirList REGIONALCONTAINER1
Z:\Promos\Promo - Region 1 Promo.mp3
Z:\Jingles\Jingle - Region 1 Jingle.mp3 #mAirList REGIONALCONTAINER2
Z:\Promos\Promo - Region 2 Promo.mp3
Z:\Jingles\Jingle - Region 2 Jingle.mp3 #mAirList ENDCONTAINER
Something like this would then appear as a Container with each audio track output to the revelant device. I would also guess that because you wouldn’t need an extra Playlist/Player per split - this would save system resources considerably 8)
This has been reported in the German forums a few days ago. I’ll take a look at it.
Technically, a Regional Container is a regular container holding a playlist, with exactly the same number of items as regions defined, each of which is a container again, which in turn contains the region-specific playlist. Rather tricky
I haven’t tried to load/save Regional Containers (or any nested containers) from/to M3U files. This might not work yet.
Anybody wishing to try this in StationPlaylist Creator will find that it’s quite a long-winded affair!
That’s just for 3 sets of advert breaks with a 2 way split. Add to that your usual jingles+music categories and you’ve got quite a Rotation
In mAirList, the final playlist is fairly tidy:
Keen-eyed users of SPL will notice that in this example I am using Adverts as a “Category”, not a “Spot Group”. This is so that similar brand adverts are kept away from each other (ie: I don’t want ads from 2 competing double-glazing companies playing next to each other). I also group the ads into length - Obviously this ensures that each Regional Split is the same duration.
I’ll post a link on the German thread for this, hopefully it’ll help some of our European friends!
Been playing around with this today, but cant seem to get any audio out of the regional container?? It shows up as playing, but no audio outta the player its coming out of, and no PFL audio either?
So it’s not just me, then ! See my other thread for my config - see if it’s the same as yours.
Now that Torben has added the #mAirList INCLUDE C:\playlists\playlist.m3u feature (where a whole playlist is added rather than appear as a single item), I have found that creating the Regional Containers as M3Us, then scheduling them in SPL Creator as a Break Note, eg:
SONG (category)
INTO ADS (spot)
INCLUDE Z:\Adverts\Split Break %2h40.m3u
OUT OF ADS (spot)
SONG (category)
(remember that #mAirList %t is set in the “Break Note format” settings box)
This would add the file Z:\Adverts\Split Break 1840.m3u for a 6:40pm ad break
That’s just one of the ways of doing it - the other is using my above example of a really nasty Rotation with lots of Break Notes!
Cool yeah I used your massive config as above!! ;D
Will take a look at your other thread, basically even if I tell mairlist to play the regional container out of the same device as my extra pfl, it wont, it just loads the container into one of the normal players, eg B, no audio out of fader B nor extra pfl fader!!!
I’m still trying to find a way to randomize the insertion of regional M3Us… ie: 20 M3U files that have a 2-way split jingle for playing into a break. SPL Creator can do that via Spot Groups, but to use the INCLUDE feature, you have to use a Break Note (which means you must define the M3U file rather than allow a random one to be scheduled). The only solution I can see (other than using the nasty Rotation entries above) is for Torben to reverse the importing of M3U playlists so that an M3U is expanded by default.
This would then allow you to randomize (or define) an M3U, specifically a Regional Container:
SONG (category)
INTO ADS (spot)
REGIONAL AD (spot)
OUT OF ADS (spot)
SONG (category)
The Regional Ad would simply be a direct path/filename and not an #mAirList INCLUDE statement.
Having said all that, it’s not a major problem for me - I’m just trying to see how the features can be used (helps when I update the Wiki!) and where potential problems may crop-up.
Charlie, can you please try the latest snapshot #504?
You can now also include M3U playlists by placing the M3U filename (without #mAirList INCLUDE) into the outer M3U file. You can choose whether to include them “flat” or as a container by adding one of the following lines to the top of the M3U file:
#mAirList MODE FLAT
#mAirList MODE CONTAINER
Of course, even in flat mode, the inner M3U file can still contain “#mAirList CONTAINER” etc. tags to construct containers.
Yes this seems to work - I notice that I can alternate between FLAT and CONTAINER by placing that directly above each M3U reference file. Quite handy.
The only thing missing is being able to include a REGION CONTAINER without using a #mAirList prefix - For instance, with Creator, you can use M3U files as a Spot Group that can sequence or randomize, so ideal for creating local/regional advert break placeholders but you cannot randomize items that need a #mAirList prefix That means it’s no good for scheduling random regional idents. The only way is to include them in the main Clock/Rotation (see my earlier example), and that’s quite “messy” as it involves a lot of Break Note entries and fills up the window.
This would solve a problem for those who may wish to schedule many regional IDs during an hour - They could make them in mAirList (or schedule them in Creator alongside the Adverts) and simply allow the scheduler to rotate them in a Spot Group. At present, you have to use #mAirList INCLUDE xxx to reference a Regional Container - meaning that unless it’s a DateTimeFormat file, you have to use static filenames.
Actually, there should be no difference between using #mAirList INCLUDE and referencing the file name directly now (in case it is recognized as a playlist, i.e., it has a .m3u, .mlp etc. extension).
I think I still don’t understand the problem. Does Creator write one M3U per region? Or is it one M3U with one file per region? Can you given an example of what the files look like?
Creator can output whatever you configure it to… Generally, it’s a simple M3U file with the c:\path\filename.mp3 format and “Break Notes” (for BREAK, COMMAND, DUMMY items etc) can be inserted too. Within an hourly template, you can specify %tokens such as DateTime ddd hh letters - so at the top of each hour, you could specify #mAirList DUMMY 0 START OF HOUR %h and %h would translate into 00:00:00 for midnight. You can also set a size for that field, eg: #mAirList DUMMY 0 START OF HOUR %2h:27 would translate to 00:27 if you follow my meaning…
It’s 1 file per break… A pre-made Regional M3U via Creator or mAirList can look like this: #mAirList BEGINREGIONCONTAINER SPLIT : News Jingle #mAirList BEGINCONTAINER Container
C:\JINGLES\Region 1 - News Jingle.mp3 #mAirList ENDCONTAINER #mAirList BEGINCONTAINER Container
C:\JINGLES\Region 2 - News Jingle.mp3 #mAirList ENDCONTAINER #mAirList ENDREGIONCONTAINER
Creator can create 1 “playlist” per hour or day - named however you wish, so there could be 24 of these.
I’m going to continue testing and see if I can “bend the rules” with what you’ve already enabled/added for us
You can save it all in MLP and reload with no problems, however, the M3U format creates a container as a sum of both the items (ie: a 30s 2-way split becomes a 60s item).
That means it’s no good for scheduling random regional idents. The only way is to include them in the main Clock/Rotation (see my earlier example), and that’s quite “messy” as it involves a lot of Break Note entries and fills up the window.