VECTORBOX 6000 Quick User’s Guide

Introduction

VECTORBOX is a highly flexible broadcast system designed to cover every need in today's broadcast facility. The system provides room automation with a built-in server and and handles playout and ingest of content from as well as satellite, VTR and studio. VECTORBOX is the ideal solution for all kinds of broadcasters including local, cable, satellite, music, news and barker channels.

Like other Vector 3 products, VECTORBOX is constantly undergoing development according to the changing needs of over 500 existing VECTORBOX clients and an ever more demanding broadcast industry.

Configurations

VECTORBOX systems are available in a variety of configurations for different applications and formats.

VECTORBOX 8000 is a high definition SDI playout system with a maximum of one recorder channel and one playout channel per chassis.

VECTORBOX 6000 is SDI only and is available as a recorder with a minimum configuration of 2 ingest channels and as a playout with up to four playout channels per chassis.

V-BOX News is an SDI manual playout for live and news environments with the ability work in A/B roll with or without an external vision mixer as the system includes a range of transitions. Other features include journalist assignment, text field exportation to a prompter with read rate calculator, group event management and status colour coding of all events.

VECTORBOX systems are multi-codec and handle a wide range of compression formats including: DVCAM, DVCPRO, DVPRO50, DVCPRO & uncompressed as well as MPEG-2 IBP and I-frame. These compression codecs may also be mixed in the same playlist.

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Components and Architecture

VECTORBOX consists of the following component parts:

Hardware platform with storage – VECTORBOX uses the best open server platform available, based on the Matrox range of multi-channel broadcast video boards for both video and audio compression and graphics. The platform is open so a variety of approved off the shelf storage can be used.

V-SERVER – This is the VECTORBOX video server application and controls the video board. V-SERVER is controlled by the following clients:

VECTORBOX Playout Client – This controls playout of all content as well as controlled graphics overlay.

VECTORBOX Recorder Client – Is used for simple and batch recording content from VTR, satellite and other video sources.

Each VECTORBOX system also includes a device server for controlling routers and VTRs.

System architecture is highly flexible so control clients can be installed on separate workstations on the LAN for extra redundancy.

VECTORBOX 6000 can be built around a LAN or FC network and can play clips directly from a central storage in both cases.

Complimentary Products

The following software products for use with VECTORBOX:

Imagena – This graphics package consists of a graphics template and crawl editor so you can create dynamic graphics with text, animations and crawls and to get the most from VECTORBOX graphic capacity.

MediaCopier – This software manages network bandwidth and file formats over your LAN, allowing you to choose the NLE you need and enjoy all the benefits of a fast and safe tapeless workflow.

Autovia - This redundancy watchdog software monitors VECTORBOX systems and in the case of failure, guarantees instant, automatic switchover to a redundant system with the absolute minimum of airtime lost.

V-BOX Traffix is a cost-effective, easy to use SQL based media asset management solution, and offers VECTORBOX customers powerful management covering of all key operational areas including programme scheduling, browsing, traffic, advertising, sales and rights management.

DVDigest allows direct ingest of media from decrypted DVDs to VECTORBOX as data files. Features include batch mode, NTSC to PAL conversion as well as re- encoding to adapt GOP structure and screen size.

Other VECTORBOX playout systems include:

VECTORBOX Tatamia is a fully integrated playout system for enhanced and interactive TV applications including TV-chat, SMS and Music-Jukebox channels. Ver 4.06 – 04-06 2

VECTORBOX Tatamia interfaces directly to SMS gateways and gives fast and dynamic results.

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VECTORBOX Playout

Opening VECTORBOX

V-SERVER and Device Server start up automatically when the computer is turned on. The user can check the presence of these icons in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. To open the VECTORBOX recorder and playout client, go to the program option of the start-up menu.

Other clients such as CG Template Generator and CG Crawl Editor should be started separately and can be prepared as a desktop element for this purpose.

V-SERVER and Device Server clients are designed to be in the background and once opened, do not need to be altered during normal everyday use.

When we open the VECTORBOX Playout Client, we are presented with the Entry Window.

Disk information

This indicates space remaining. Housekeeping of disks is made easier as VECTORBOX is equipped with purge tools to allow the user to set an expiry date on all media and purge the disk of all media where one of the three vital parts is missing – The AVI, video clip, WAV audio file, BXX meta data.

‘View’ drop down menu

Manual device controls – These individual device control interfaces allow you to control all VTRs switchers and other devices manually and override the automatic control as part of the VECTORBOX playlist.

CG control – This manual CG controller allows you to carry out on-air titling for news and sports.

Server status window - This indicates the status of the video server and all devices ¡n the workflow (routers, VTRs etc.). Double click on any device to view the manual control interface for this.

Warning list – This indicates when there are any problems in the scheduled playlist, such as gaps and overlaps and missing media.

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Options available through the ‘View’ menu

VECTORBOX Playout Interface

VECTORBOX playout interface consists of a number of windows, each with a different function. Each system includes a dual VGA output so the playlist schedule can occupy a window of its own with the other control windows appearing in the second monitor. The main windows are the following:

Playout Manager – This is the playout schedule and main interface with the . The Catalogue – This reflects the D drive of the catalogue where all clips and graphics are stored and dragged and dropped into the playlist. Switcher and VTR controls – Manual Control Interfaces that allow the user to manually control all devices in the workflow from the playout client. CG Console – Module for insertion of on-air graphics in real time. Clock – Synchronised with the PC clock and the system schedule. VU Meters Server status window – Gives us an oversight of the state of the server, which cartridges are in play or inactive etc. Warning list – This warns the user of possible problems in the playlist on-air, such as gaps, overlaps in the scheduling and missing media.

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VECTORBOX playout interface with the Playout Manager and Catalogue

The Catalogue

The Catalogue is a simple tool for organising and accessing media and other files in the VECTORBOX playout storage.

The Catalogue is made up of real windows folders and contains all the content the operator will wish to access, as well as VECTORBOX Events – live lines, satellite lines and VTR lines for inserting material into the schedule from different sources.

VECTORBOX works with simple drag and drop functionality and all clips and other events are inserted into the schedule by this method.

You can use the catalogue folders to build any tree structure you want, including subfolders and designate any name you need.

For more complex scheduling needs, our V-BOX Traffix software provides full media asset management and if required VECTORBOX is able to integrate with any third-party scheduling software.

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The Catalogue Window

Typical folders and files

The Catalogue provides simple access to the following files:

Clips: These may be dragged and dropped straight from the catalogue into the Playlist Manager and saved as playlists as required.

CG Templates: These graphics templates are created on our Imagena CG Template Editor software and then may be easily inserted into the schedule and into individual clips.

CG Pages: As with templates, these graphics events are created using Imagena and inserted into programming.

CG Crawls: This folder contains 32 bit logos created with our Imagena CG Crawl Edit SW. These can also be dragged and dropped into the playlist.

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Saved Playlists: For previously compiled and saved playlists.

Rec Lists: Previously compiled and saved recording lists (For batch ingest)

VECTORBOX Events Folder

This folder is the means by which VECTORBOX manages feeds from different sources and automatically remotes equipment.

VTR line

The material inserted into the playlist is from a VTR source (VECTORBOX can control 4 VTRs and two switchers) and will be based on the TC in and out input. When VECTORBOX comes to play this event, it will rewind the selected VTR to the TC in and remote the switcher if necessary.

Live (Studio) lines

Live lines are for importing material from an external or live source or studio. Unlike other VECTORBOX events, a live line features manual exit by default, this is necessary as live slot durations often differ from the programmed duration.

With live lines, the event will continue in playout until the ‘Next’ button is pressed. When VECTORBOX comes to a live line, it controls the switcher and the remaining in line time value clock begins to count backwards. When a live event overruns, the clock counts forwards and the time value appears in red.

MSS (Satellite disconnection) lines

This VECTORBOX event allows direct satellite feeds from a mother station to be inserted into the schedule. This can be done according to schedule and also VECTORBOX has the ability to be remote controlled by RS232 triggers, which are de-muxed from the auxiliary satellite signal.

Apart from these, VECTORBOX also has the REC-LIVE and REC-VTR lines which allow the user to record a live or VTR signal while it is on air.

Creating empty clips

We can create empty clips in the catalogue and schedule them by using the ‘create empty clip’ option available through the right mouse button. We give the file a name and duration and once these are recorded and given the correct file

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name, they are automatically updated in the catalogue. The playlist adjusts to compensate for any difference in real clip duration.

Browsing clips and graphics in the catalogue

By selecting any clip or CG Template in the catalogue and double clicking, you open the clip properties window. This will allow you to view a thumbnail image and information about the clip. By using the up and down arrows on the keyboard, the user may move up and down the clips in any folder and browse clips and graphics events.

Clip properties

The clip properties window allows us to edit clips in the catalogue and assign a wide range of metadata to them. VECTORBOX uses BXX files as a storage format, this means that it can accept a limitless amount of metadata with each video event. All texts included as metadata can be easily read by our graphics templates as they go to air allowing broadcasters to easily include information such as singer name and song title automatically.

Clip Properties - typical metadata Clip Properties – additional information

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The Playlist Manager

The playlist manager is the main interface the operator uses for scheduling and manipulating playout. As with all other VECTORBOX interfaces, this window may be moved around, reduced and expanded according to the individual way of working. VECTORBOX includes a dual VGA output and some operators choose to use one full screen playout manager with other windows on a separate monitor.

The playlist manager interface was specially designed according to strict parameters of letter size and colour. It is intuitive and simple to use, reducing training and operational error to a minimum. The order and width of columns may be changed according to individual needs and you can adjust the size of text by clicking anywhere inside the black title bar at the top of the window. Three settings are available; default, smaller and smallest depending if periods of short play material is being aired.

Any user changes are stored and will remain part of the user configuration.

The Playout Manager GUI

The thumbnail image

A bitmap thumbnail image is located below the existing ‘Start’, ‘Next’ and ‘Hold’ buttons at the bottom left hand corner of the playlist manager. This thumbnail is the 25th frame of the clip by default and appears when a clip is in play or when any clip is selected in the Playlist Manager. This is designed as an aid for operators to verify clip ID without occupying more than a minimum of user interface.

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