HOW TO: Use the Scheduler in OnTheAir Video 4.2

IMPORTANT NOTE: Only OnTheAir Video can use the Scheduler. This won't work with OnTheAir Video Express.

You can schedule playlists to be played automatically at given times. OnTheAir Video can play 24/7 for days and days without you having to worry about it, a feature that is used a lot by TV stations as their main automation software.

Create a Schedule

First, you have to open the output preview window:
Selecting the menu “Scheduling > New Planner Schedule… > Save as … .xml”

• You can also open a pre-existing Schedule, close, save or reload the one you are using.
• Two windows are available: the Schedule and the Planner Schedule. The differences are explained below.
• Enable/Disable Scheduling to start or stop playing the clips in your schedule.
• Resynchronize Scheduler to start playing the clip planned at this time.
• You can add event, playlists and offline playlist.

Once the new Planner schedule is open, you will see this window :

This is a blank schedule. Now you need to create an event, in which we will add a playlist, a folder-based playlist or an offline playlist (you can enter or drag multiple playlists at the same time). But first, to create an event: Go to the bottom left of the window and press the “+” option.

When you create an event, a new window will appear:

Here you can rename your event and choose between two very important options:

• Specific Date: Your event will only be played at a special day and at a special time.
• Weekly Repeated: You can have daily, weekly, weekdays and weekend events. Choose and set up that event and it will keep occurring on the days you have indicated.

In either case, you then set a start and an end time, so that you can determine the duration of your event.

NOTE: If two events occur at the same hour and at the same day, the one set at a Specific Date will take priority to the other. At the end of it, it will not automatically cut over to the Weekly Repeated event, so make sure to respect the same duration.

In this window, you can already add playlists with the “+”. You can also remove playlists with the “-“. These options are also available in the main window we saw before.

Playlists in Scheduler

You can add one long playlist in your event, multiple playlists or folder-based playlists. There are many ways to set up your events. Here is an example of a 1-hour show, made up of three playlists, and visible in the scheduler:

Three settings are available for your playlists:

Loop: When this box is enabled, the playlist will be in Loop mode. It causes the clip to reply after it finishes playing.

Cue: When this box is enabled, the playlist will be in Cue mode. The clip will stop on the last frame.

Randomize: Makes a random mix with all the clips inside the playlist. It allows you to play it multiple times, with the same clips, but with a unique sequence every time.

Playlist Duration

As we saw above, if you add live clips in your playlist (for live events), you won’t be able to know the exact length of your event, and your playlists may not reach the expected duration of your event.

Let us use the same example as before, but one of the playlists is too short. You can see a timing issue in the Difference panel and an exclamation mark next to the event:

For this 1-hour show, it means there are 22 seconds missing. The timing isn’t correct anymore. An easy way to fix this issue is to create billboards: Add a playlist at the end of your event (with commercials or a station identifier, for example) and select the Loop Option. It will keep something going until the start time of a new event.

NOTE: When you enable your schedule in OnTheAir Video, it will automatically play the clip scheduled at this very moment.

Offline Playlist

The offline playlist is created when you are making OnTheAir Video playlists in third-party software (created or developed by a different company) or on a different computer with OnTheAir Video. An offline playlist is “empty” at first. Then the playlist is added through another computer or the third-party software.

In the example below, the 8pm show has been created with an offline playlist. It is already planned in the schedule, but the playlist is missing.

In this example, we use our Documents folder. When the 8PM show playlist is created and saved to that folder, it is automatically added to the event:

 

Organize the Schedule

Go to the top left of the window, where you will find different options to present the Schedule:

• Show: You can decide the numbers of days shown in the schedule. The first one on the list is today. You can make from 1 to 18 days visible in the Planner.
• < or >: Go to the day before or the day after.
• Now: Puts you in front of what is currently playing in the Schedule.
• Calendar: Choose the day you want to show in the Schedule.

The “Classic” Schedule Window (After version 4.0)

First select the menu “Scheduling > Show Schedule Window”

This window offers the same features as the Planner Schedule Window, and it is the “traditional” Schedule window from OnTheAir Video.
If you are working 24/7 with the Planner Schedule, you will have a lot of events to deal with. It can become very difficult to understand what is going on in this schedule window. Specific Date events mixed with Weekly Repeated events won’t help you visualize what is planned today, tomorrow or during the weekend.

The Show Filter

To organize this Schedule, Open the Show Filer on to the top right corner of the Schedule Window. Click on “Show: All” and this window will pop up. Here you can select only the day you care about. The scheduler will show you the events of the day you selected, in the correct running order:

If you need more information about the scheduler. Videos are also available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnea5-sWOoE&t=307s&ab_channel=SoftronMediaServices