I have a suggestion for this edition that I’d like to mention. This suggestion is based on my belief that I’ve properly configured mAirList. Perhaps this suggestion already exists
During playout, once an automation break has begun, the players stop playing for XXX number of seconds. Works well. An issue is that there is no clear indication that the playout is, in fact, in an automation break. One viewing the program could believe that program has locked-up instead.
My suggestion: Once the automation break begins, it could rotate into one of the players just as any other normal element would, given that the automation break is “on-air.” Just like another element, the automation break would show itself as playing (title = Automation Break) and show its remaining time and then countdown.
This configuration would clearly show any observer that the automation break command (or other commands) has been executed, is on-air, and has a remaining time…
If this isn’t the correct forum to post suggestions, feel free to delete or move this post
I think I haven’t quite understood the purpose of this break element in the way you are using it (which might be because in Germany we’re operating the automation and desk in a different way than in other countries, with live assist mode most of the time, and with the players routed to separate faders).
From my point of view, the purpose of the break element is to make the automation stop playback at a certain point, so you can make an announcement (of any duration) and then click PLAY again to resume playback.
When - in your scenarion - an Automation Break element has a particular duration, how does it differ from e.g. a Silence element?
It’s most likely that I’m using the Break feature incorrectly. Your scenario of live-assist makes sense: a break and then resume playback. I’m thinking more of a scenario when alternative programming sources, such as CD players, are used for a long period. mAirlist may be silent even though certain elements are cued or on the playlist. I was thinking that the “Silent” command would rotate into a player to show the remaining time and to give a visual cue that, in fact, the command is still being used. This may or may not be a good idea–I was simply thinking about a way to show that certain events with a fixed duration were playing out.
Well … now I’m puzzled. Are you talking about some sort of ‘visual countdown’ to when you go back to mAirList in AUTO mode, or not?
There’s no problem with having items cued, or a full playlist, but with nothing playing out. Is there? Or am I still ‘missing something’ here? Pop mAirList into ASSIST mode and just don’t play anything!
Well, a SILENCE item isn’t a command: it’s an item, just like a music track, a jingle, or an ad. The only difference is that a Silence item is … well … silent! It is principally used for things like a main feed which is sent to several regions, and where each region locally inserts something like, say, an ad. break (similar to the way ITV or other commercial TV stations operate). The Silence has a fixed time of (say) 3:30 where each region plays in ITS local ads., then rejoins the ‘syndicated’ feed from (in this case) mAirList.
Unless you have some kind of time-critical operation—and this could include an audio feed streamed from an external location—I’m really struggling to see WHY you would want to use a Silence in the way you describe?
If, for example, you want to use mAirList in AUTO, but from (say) 0300 to 0500, you want to instead broadcast a live stream (say, a live mix from a DJ in another country): you can keep mairList in AUTO and add a scheduled STREAM item, specifying the stream source, start time, and duration. You wouldn’t use a Silence item for that.
And if it’s simply to keep your live presenters ‘on track’ to return to mAirList automated playout at the right time, then IMHO you have some major training issues you need to address!
I think I would need to know a LOT more detail to be able to suggest the ‘right’ way to achieve whatever it is you’re actually trying to do, Alec. No offence intended by that!
Cad, I don’t think I even know what I’m trying to ask for :)!
Seriously, I was thinking off the top of my head. Let me figure out EXACTLY what I wish to accomplish and then I post again.
In summary, however, I was trying achieve some sort of visual cue that the players were in “Break” during Auto mode, other than the players just stopping. Perhaps some form of count-up or “Break Active” notation.
But as I said, I’ll repost later. Sorry for the confusion
An AUTO playlist in BREAK is in fact STOPPED until it is STARTed again.
This is indicated by the state of the Auto buttons (Stop and Play) in the Playlist toolbar. You might want to use other graphics for those buttons, to make it more obvious whether the Playlist is currently running or is stopped?
It is also indicated by a flashing/non-flashing AUTO button. THe default config. makes the AUTO button flash while the Playlist is running in AUTO mode, and non-flashing when the Playlist is STOPPED (or a BREAK has happened) in AUTO mode.
The final ‘hints’ are that no progress bars are visible, and neither Player is red.
If you would also like the BREAK item to ‘remain’ in the Playlist, you could do that in Config, by changing Playlists, Playlist 1, Number of items to keep in the playlist history to 1 or higher. This will keep the ‘finished with’ BREAK item showing at the top of the Playlist. It will also show the last played item (at all times), but that’s the price you have to pay to do that. And it’s no bad thing to have the last item played showing in the Playlist anyway (with a dustbin icon beside it).
Perfect! I’ll take the option of the BREAK item remaining in the playlist. That would work exactly as I would like. And I think it’s a good thing to have the last item displayed