Configuration

Configuration

Using TVPlay.setup program, configuration is relatively easy. Apart from this, external components, as CasparCG or MySQL should be configured in its own way.

I/O planning

If you want to setup a playout, you probably know how many video input and output lines are required. Important, and specific to this playout concept is to have exactly two video outputs for every running channel. These are Program (PGM) and Preview (PRV). PGM is the main video output, PRV also plays everything in rundown simultaneously, but also allows to preview, check and trim clips that are ready to play. PRV can also act as Preset (PST) and display first frame of next clip ready to play.

If you plan to use live inputs, keep in mind that single input can be opened only once and must be serviced by the same instance of CasparCG as output. So, to play live on both - PGM and PRV (as it is required for full redundancy), you will need also 2 inputs. Among Decklink cards, currently all 4K and older (pre-4K) Extreme series are able to use input and output simultaneously. With other types you are required to have separate card for input and output. You shouldn't consider using one Decklink card with internal keying enabled as it's not intended to this purpose. Another I/O options are:

• Newtek NDI output (NDI input is in development),
• Stream output. It's possible to produce MPEG-TS stream with perfectly stable bitrate, required PID's and metadata set, both multicast or unicast. RTMP protocol, very popular among internet streaming services, was also been tested.

CasparCG configuration

You have to configure CasparCG outputs (here named channels, what can be confusing) to be able to play individual files as well as live input. Caspar don't allow defining inputs, but we have to have direct 1:1 assignment between inputs and outputs. In fact CasparCG allows to play on each channel even several inputs simultaneously, but in this project it is limited to one (but can be extended if required). Refer to CasparCG wiki, setup it (or them - you can have separate machines for PGM and PRV) and record:

• CasparCG channel numbers for every output,
• live input device name assigned to every output for (e.g. DECKLINK 3 for CasparCG channel 1,
• IP address of the CasparCG machine, and port numbers (typically 5250 for AMCP control,
• media directory in form accessible from this application view.

Configure components using TVPlay.config.exe application

You should (mind the order too):

• Edit connection information that will persist in TVPlay.config file
• Create database that will contain configuration and operation data for the system
• Specify ingest folder location(s) and its properties, esp. encoding parameters according to FFmpeg documentation
• Define play-out servers and its channels according to CasparCG configuration described above.
• Define scheduling engines.

That's all! After configuration, you can run the main program. Currently, the established configuration cannot be changed while application is running.