Softron OnTheAir Manager for OnTheAir Node
24/7 scheduling application for OnTheAir Node
Unique calendar and playlist-baseduser interface
- Unique calendar and playlist-based user interface Unlimited levels of nested playlists
- Categories for automated programming (color, default attribute, logo, graphic, etc…)
- Easy integration with traffic systems
- Electronic Program Guide (EPG) generation (Optional)
- Emergency Alert System (EAS) support (Optional)
OnTheAir Manager is part of the OnTheAir Node client-server suite of products and is used to prepare the schedules, to preview the clips, check which clips are ready to air, and to take control of multiple OnTheAir Nodes and all this from a single networked workstation.
OnTheAir Manager uses a graphical calendar style interface presenting a unique and never before achieved ease of use for scheduling complex programming of single or multiple channels. If you can use iCal, you'll be able to use OnTheAir Manager.
Scheduling a TV station for 24/7 playout has never been so easy.
Main features
OnTheAir Manager can control any number of channels from one single computer. Just select the channel you want to control any immediately start modifying its schedule. As OnTheAir Manager and OnTheAir Node are built with a client-server architecture, you can even control your play out channel miles away. This is ideal for solutions where the broadcast operations (uplink to satellite, stream to internet) are in one location and the scheduling is done from a different location.
OnTheAir Manager will work with live events. Live events are as easy to schedule as a regular clip. Just create your Live event, and drag and drop it in your schedule. Live events can be handled by taking control of a video router (Blackmagic Design Videohub, AJA Kumo or most other routers). It can also be handled simply by rebroadcasting the signal that gets in the input of your card, making it a really cost effective solution.
One of the most important part of scheduling with OnTheAir Manager is to work with Attributes and categories. Attributes are "secondary events". With attributes you can do many things, from a GPI trigger, to controlling a Character Generator or a Video router. Attributes are very interesting when used together with Categories. You can create as many categories as you want, assign them a colour, but also set its default attributes. For example you can set that the commercial category gets no logo overlay, so your users don't have to remember to turn off logos for commercials.
To ensure trouble free play out, OnTheAir Manager provides detailed reports of potential problems such as overrun and underrun conditions as well as offline clips. This would allow the operator to quickly address the possible issues before they happen. You can for example export a list of all the clips that are still not ready for the next 24 hours and give that list to the person in charge so that she makes sure all the clips get ready in time for broadcast.
The Electronic Program Guide (EPG) option allows you to set various information for specific programs. You can then provide your broadcaster with an XML file holding all this information. Your broadcaster will then insert this info to be displayed on the viewer's TVs, providing continuously updated scheduling information for current and upcoming programming. The EPG option can be customised to fit each country's requirements.
