Wegener Communications 6420 user manual ShowShifting, Setup, Operation

iPump 6420 User’s Manual

3.7.2.ShowShifting

Overview

ShowShifting is an exciting new premium feature in iPump6420 which allows satellite network operators to reduce the daily satellite bandwidth, and uplink storage, needed to distribute syndicated radio shows. In ShowShifting, a syndicated talk show (for example) can be air’d on the satellite a single time each day, but, at each of many field i6420s, that show episode can air on the respective local radio stations any number of times, with no start-time necessarily occurring at the original satellite air time. This not just a simple recording and re-play of the live audio feed, but a capture and replay of every component of the show: The audio track and associated Compel commands for local file or playlist plays, cueing relay closures, and RBDS strings.

To make use of ShowShifting, the user must use a few simple concepts. A Show is defined as live audio programming that is available on the same Transport Program number, and within that Program, the same audio stream (indentified by Language Descriptor, “LD”), at the same start-time and duration each day, for one or more specified days of the week.* A show episode is one single day’s airing of that Show. A shift (or Showshift) of a show episode is an instance where an episode is recorded and then played back on one of the Decoders (ports) at some later time, lasting for the same duration. The only restriction on the time for playback is that it must start after, but less than one full week after, the original recording of the episode. Note that a shift definition may define shifts of one or more episodes, but all must be from the same Show.

*Note that these show definitions, understood correctly, provide much flexibility on re-airing all or portions of syndicated shows. For instance, a Show could be defined as the air’ing of Clark Howard on the satellite on Program 2, Audio LD =204, M-F at 1:00pm Eastern for 3 hours duration. But since Mr. Howard starts each hour somewhat independently of the others, a Show definition like this would also be valid: Program 2, Audio LD =204, Mon-Tues only, 2:00pm Eastern for 1 hour. It is only the imagination of the user which limits how the actual syndicated shows can be defined as Shows for purposes of i6420 ShowShifting.

Setup

ShowShifting, is a friendly interface to the iPump6420 Local Scheduler. It allows users to setup Shows and Showshift definitions. These definitions become *.json files stored to the i6420 /u/user/.sysconfig/shows and …showshifts directories, respectively. These definitions are then processed into Local Scheduler events. These Scheduler events can be seen in the local web interface. Later, the Scheduler directs the episode recordings and playbacks. During these recordings and playbacks, the local web ShowShift interface allows the user to monitor their status.

Figure 3-13shows an example of a local web Showshift show definition screen, while Figure 3-20(below) shows a showshift definition screen. A similar interface is also provided to the Compel uplink control system. By creating and downloading *.json files defining shows and shifts, Compel may control ShowShifting on remote i6420s. While doing this, Compel may allow local users the right only to monitor progress, or the local user may be given permission to both setup and monitor the ShowShift functions. However they are created, Compel defines new Return Path reports that allows those definitions to be returned to the uplink for diagnostics and audits.

Operation

In operation, the Showshift episode recordings always create two files: An MPEG-audio *.mp2 file for the recorded audio track, and a text *.evt file for the Events file. These are both

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