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Shane C Mason edited this page Apr 23, 2026 · 28 revisions

Advanced Station Configuration Guide

NOTE: The wiki documentation is deprecated and quickly becoming out of date. Please visit fieldstation42.com for complete documentation.

This guide builds on the Station Configuration Guide and covers advanced scheduling features for power users. If you haven't read the basic guide yet, start there first.

What you'll learn here:

  • Playing shows in sequential order (sequences)
  • Creating random multi-episode events (marathons)
  • Reusing configuration blocks (slot overrides)
  • Per-slot customization (bumps, commercials, effects)
  • Fine-tuning schedule timing

NOTE: While this is an extensive document, it's still doesn't cover all the configuration options available. For a more detailed view, please see STATION_CONFIG_README.md

Table of Contents

  1. Playing Shows in Order (Sequences)
  2. Random Marathon Events
  3. Customizing Individual Time Slots
  4. Reusable Configuration Blocks
  5. Fine-Tuning Schedule Timing
  6. Advanced Day Templates
  7. Auto-Bumps
  8. Complete Advanced Example

Playing Shows in Order (Sequences)

By default, FieldStation42 picks a random video from a folder each time. Sequences let you play episodes in order instead.

Basic Sequence

To play shows sequentially, add a sequence name to your time slot:

"monday": {
  "20": {
    "tags": "star_trek",
    "sequence": "trek_sequential"
  }
}

This is a snippet showing a single time slot.

How it works:

  • Videos in catalog/your_content/star_trek/ are sorted alphabetically
  • Each day at 8 PM, the next episode plays
  • When the sequence reaches the last episode, it loops back to the first
  • The sequence position is saved, so it remembers where it left off

File naming tip: Name your files so they sort correctly:

star_trek/
├── S01E01 - The Cage.mp4
├── S01E02 - Where No Man Has Gone Before.mp4
├── S01E03 - The Corbomite Maneuver.mp4
...

Multiple Sequences of the Same Show

You can run different sequences of the same show on different days or times by using different sequence names:

"monday": {
  "17": {
    "tags": "star_trek",
    "sequence": "afternoon_trek"
  },
  "20": {
    "tags": "star_trek",
    "sequence": "primetime_trek"
  }
}

This is a snippet showing two time slots with different sequences.

Each sequence name tracks its position independently. The afternoon showing and primetime showing will be on different episodes.

Sequence Start and End Points

Play only part of a series by setting start and end percentages (0.0 to 1.0):

"weekday_day": {
  "17": {
    "tags": "xfiles",
    "sequence": "daily_xfiles",
    "sequence_start": 0.0,
    "sequence_end": 0.75
  }
},
"friday_prime": {
  "21": {
    "tags": "xfiles",
    "sequence": "primetime_xfiles",
    "sequence_start": 0.75,
    "sequence_end": 1.0
  }
}

This is a snippet showing sequence templates.

What this does:

  • Daily at 5 PM: Plays episodes from the first 75% of X-Files (older episodes)
  • Friday at 9 PM: Plays episodes from the final 25% of X-Files (newer episodes)

Understanding percentages:

  • 0.0 = first episode
  • 0.5 = halfway through the series
  • 1.0 = last episode
  • If you have 100 episodes:
    • 0.0 to 0.75 = episodes 1-75
    • 0.75 to 1.0 = episodes 76-100

Use cases:

  • Play classic seasons during the day, recent seasons at night
  • Create a "Best Of" sequence with selected episodes
  • Run multiple airings at different points in a long series

Sequences with Nested Folders

Sequences work with nested folder structures. All videos are collected recursively:

star_trek/
├── season_1/
│   ├── ep01.mp4
│   └── ep02.mp4
├── season_2/
│   ├── ep01.mp4
│   └── ep02.mp4

A sequence on "tags": "star_trek" will find all episodes in all subfolders and sort them alphabetically by their full path.

Important Notes

  • Sequence names can be anything: "my_sequence", "primetime", "weekday_show"
  • Sequences are tracked per station - each channel has its own sequence state
  • If you change the sequence_start or sequence_end values, the sequence resets
  • Sequences always loop when they reach the end

For more details: See the Playing Series in Sequence wiki guide.

Random Marathon Events

Marathons let you randomly replace a time slot with multiple consecutive episodes of the same show.

Basic Marathon

Add a marathon object with two properties:

"friday": {
  "20": {
    "tags": "twilight_zone",
    "marathon": {
      "chance": 0.2,
      "count": 4
    }
  }
}

This is a snippet showing a single time slot with marathon.

How it works:

  • chance: Probability of marathon (0.0-1.0)
    • 0.2 = 20% chance = about 1 in 5 Fridays
    • 0.1 = 10% chance = about 1 in 10 Fridays
    • 0.5 = 50% chance = about half the time
  • count: How many consecutive hours to take over
    • 4 = marathon takes over 4 hours (8 PM - midnight in this example)

What happens:

  • On most Fridays: Normal schedule plays (one random Twilight Zone episode at 8 PM)
  • On marathon Fridays: 4 consecutive Twilight Zone episodes play from 8 PM to midnight
  • The marathon overrides whatever was scheduled in hours 21, 22, and 23

Marathons with Sequences

Combine marathons with sequences to play episodes in order during the marathon:

"saturday": {
  "12": {
    "tags": "xfiles",
    "sequence": "xfiles_marathon_seq",
    "marathon": {
      "chance": 0.15,
      "count": 6
    }
  }
}

This is a snippet showing a marathon with sequential episodes.

Result: About 1 in 7 Saturdays, a 6-hour X-Files marathon plays from noon to 6 PM, with episodes in sequential order.

Marathon with Sequence Ranges

For special events, combine sequence ranges with marathons:

"holiday_schedule": {
  "18": {
    "tags": "christmas_specials",
    "sequence": "xmas_marathon",
    "sequence_start": 0.0,
    "sequence_end": 1.0,
    "marathon": {
      "chance": 1.0,
      "count": 8
    }
  }
}

This is a snippet showing a guaranteed marathon on specific days.

Using chance: 1.0 means the marathon always happens - useful for holiday programming or special events.

Planning Around Marathons

Important: Marathons override whatever is scheduled in the following hours. Plan accordingly:

"saturday": {
  "8": {
    "tags": "cartoons",
    "marathon": {"chance": 0.25, "count": 6}
  },
  "9": {"tags": "cartoons"},
  "10": {"tags": "cartoons"},
  "11": {"tags": "cartoons"},
  "12": {"tags": "cartoons"},
  "13": {"tags": "cartoons"},
  "14": {"tags": "movies"}  // ← This won't be affected
}

This is a snippet showing marathon override range.

When the marathon triggers, hours 9-13 are replaced with the marathon content. Hour 14 (2 PM) and beyond are unaffected.

Marathon Strategy Tips

  • Low chance, long count for rare mega-events: {"chance": 0.05, "count": 12} = rare all-day marathon
  • Higher chance, short count for frequent mini-marathons: {"chance": 0.3, "count": 3} = frequent 3-hour events
  • Use marathons on weekends to create variety without complex scheduling
  • Combine with sequences for shows that are better watched in order

Customizing Individual Time Slots

Time slots can override station-wide settings to create special programming blocks with unique behavior.

Custom Bumps for Specific Shows

Play specific bump videos at the start or end of a time slot:

"20": {
  "tags": "adult_swim",
  "start_bump": "caps/as_start.mp4",
  "end_bump": "caps/as_end.mp4"
}

This is a snippet showing a single time slot with custom bumps.

How it works:

  • start_bump: Plays before the show starts (like a title card)
  • end_bump: Plays after the show ends (like an outro)
  • Paths are relative to your content_dir
  • If start_bump or end_bump are directories, a random video from those directory will be selected.

Important: Store these bumps in a separate folder (like caps/) that's not used as a tag, otherwise they might play randomly during other programming.

Wrapping a Multi-Hour Block

Wrap an entire programming block with bumps:

"20": {
  "tags": "adult_swim",
  "start_bump": "caps/as_start.mp4"
},
"21": {"tags": "adult_swim"},
"22": {"tags": "adult_swim"},
"23": {
  "tags": "adult_swim",
  "end_bump": "caps/as_end.mp4"
}

This is a snippet showing a multi-hour block with start and end bumps.

Result: Opening bump at 8 PM, 4 hours of Adult Swim content, closing bump at midnight.

Custom Commercial/Bump Directories Per Slot

Use different commercials or bumps for specific programming blocks:

"saturday": {
  "8": {
    "tags": "saturday_cartoons",
    "commercial_dir": "kids_commercials",
    "bump_dir": "saturday_morning_bumps"
  }
}

This is a snippet showing custom directories for a time slot.

Use cases:

  • Kids commercials during children's programming
  • Themed bumps for special programming blocks (holiday, sports, etc.)
  • Different ad content for different target audiences

Important: These directories are still relative to your content_dir:

catalog/my_content/
├── saturday_cartoons/
├── kids_commercials/
├── saturday_morning_bumps/

Custom Break Strategy Per Slot

Override where commercials are placed for individual shows:

"21": {
  "tags": "classic_movies",
  "break_strategy": "center"
}

This is a snippet showing custom break placement.

Options:

  • "standard": Commercials spread throughout (station default)
  • "end": All commercials at the end (good for short shows)
  • "center": One big break in the middle (good for movies with intermission)

Random Tag Selection

If you have multiple tags in a slot, normally they split the hour. Use random_tags to pick one randomly instead:

"22": {
  "tags": ["drama/show1", "drama/show2", "drama/show3"],
  "random_tags": true
}

This is a snippet showing random tag selection.

Without random_tags:

  • Uses first tag for first half-hour
  • Uses second tag for second half-hour

With random_tags: true:

  • Picks one tag randomly
  • Uses it for the full hour

Per-Slot Schedule Increment

Change the time block size for a specific hour:

"15": {
  "tags": "short_shows",
  "schedule_increment": 15
}

This is a snippet showing custom increment for a time slot.

Result: 3 PM has 15-minute blocks instead of the station's default (usually 30).

Important:

  • Choose values that divide evenly into 60: 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60
  • Make sure your videos are shorter than the increment
  • Using odd values like 7 or 13 will cause schedule problems

Video Scramble Effects Per Slot

Add visual effects to specific content (for "premium" or "scrambled" channels):

"21": {
  "tags": "premium_content",
  "video_scramble_fx": "color_inversion"
}

This is a snippet showing scramble effects on a time slot.

Available effects: horizontal_line, diagonal_lines, static_overlay, pixel_block, color_inversion, severe_noise, wavy, random_block, chunky_scramble and spicy

See STATION_CONFIG_README.md for detailed descriptions of each effect.

Disable scramble for a slot (even if set station-wide):

"9": {
  "tags": "free_preview",
  "video_scramble_fx": false
}

Reusable Configuration Blocks (Slot Overrides)

As you add more customizations per slot, your config can get repetitive. Slot overrides let you define a configuration block once and reuse it.

Creating Slot Overrides

Define reusable blocks in the slot_overrides section:

{
  "station_conf": {
    "network_name": "My Channel",
    "channel_number": 5,

    "slot_overrides": {
      "adult_swim_block": {
        "start_bump": "caps/as_start.mp4",
        "end_bump": "caps/as_end.mp4",
        "bump_dir": "as_bumps",
        "commercial_dir": "as_commercials",
        "break_strategy": "end",
        "schedule_increment": 15
      },
      "kids_block": {
        "commercial_dir": "kids_commercials",
        "bump_dir": "kids_bumps",
        "break_strategy": "standard"
      }
    }
  }
}

This is a partial config snippet showing the slot_overrides section.

Using Slot Overrides

Reference them in any time slot with the overrides property:

"saturday": {
  "8": {
    "tags": "cartoons",
    "overrides": "kids_block"
  },
  "22": {
    "tags": "adult_swim",
    "overrides": "adult_swim_block"
  },
  "23": {
    "tags": "adult_swim",
    "overrides": "adult_swim_block"
  }
}

This is a snippet showing override usage in a schedule.

Result: All the properties defined in kids_block and adult_swim_block are automatically inserted into those time slots.

What Can Go in Slot Overrides?

You can put any time slot property except tags:

✅ Can include:

  • start_bump, end_bump
  • bump_dir, commercial_dir
  • break_strategy
  • schedule_increment
  • sequence, sequence_start, sequence_end
  • marathon
  • random_tags
  • video_scramble_fx

❌ Cannot include:

  • tags (must be set directly on the time slot)

Combining Overrides with Individual Properties

You can use an override and add individual properties. Individual properties take precedence:

"23": {
  "tags": "adult_swim",
  "overrides": "adult_swim_block",
  "marathon": {"chance": 0.2, "count": 4}
}

This is a snippet showing override with additional property.

Result: Gets all settings from adult_swim_block plus adds a 20% chance of a 4-hour marathon.

Real-World Example: Programming Blocks

This is how you might set up several distinct programming blocks:

{
  "station_conf": {
    "network_name": "Variety Network",
    "channel_number": 10,
    "content_dir": "catalog/variety",

    "slot_overrides": {
      "morning_news": {
        "commercial_dir": "news_commercials",
        "break_strategy": "center",
        "schedule_increment": 60
      },
      "kids_block": {
        "commercial_dir": "kids_commercials",
        "bump_dir": "kids_bumps",
        "break_strategy": "standard"
      },
      "primetime_drama": {
        "bump_dir": "primetime_bumps",
        "break_strategy": "standard",
        "commercial_dir": "premium_commercials"
      },
      "late_night": {
        "start_bump": "caps/latenight_start.mp4",
        "end_bump": "caps/latenight_end.mp4",
        "bump_dir": "latenight_bumps",
        "break_strategy": "end"
      }
    },

    "day_templates": {
      "weekday": {
        "6": {"tags": "news", "overrides": "morning_news"},
        "7": {"tags": "news", "overrides": "morning_news"},
        "16": {"tags": "cartoons", "overrides": "kids_block"},
        "20": {"tags": "drama", "overrides": "primetime_drama"},
        "23": {"tags": "comedy", "overrides": "late_night"}
      }
    },

    "monday": "weekday",
    "tuesday": "weekday",
    "wednesday": "weekday",
    "thursday": "weekday",
    "friday": "weekday",
    "saturday": {},
    "sunday": {}
  }
}

This is a complete, valid configuration demonstrating slot overrides.

Fine-Tuning Schedule Timing

Understanding Schedule Increments

The schedule_increment setting controls how shows fit into time blocks. This is set station-wide but can be overridden per slot.

How it works:

Show Length schedule_increment: 30 schedule_increment: 5 schedule_increment: 0
22 min Buffered to 30 min Buffered to 25 min Plays as 22 min
47 min Buffered to 60 min Buffered to 50 min Plays as 47 min
78 min Buffered to 90 min Buffered to 80 min Plays as 78 min

Buffering means the show plays, then bumps/commercials fill the remaining time until the next increment.

Choosing the Right Increment

Traditional TV (30 minutes):

"schedule_increment": 30
  • Shows fit into 30, 60, 90, 120 minute blocks
  • Good for classic sitcoms (22-24 min) and dramas (44-48 min)
  • Most predictable schedule

Movie Channel (5 minutes):

"schedule_increment": 5
  • Tighter schedule with less padding
  • Movies end closer to their actual runtime
  • Good for commercial-light channels

Continuous Play (no increment):

"schedule_increment": 0
  • Shows play back-to-back with no buffering
  • No time-block alignment
  • Good for commercial-free channels or playlist-style channels

Per-Slot Timing

You can mix increments for different programming:

"day_templates": {
  "weekday": {
    "6": {
      "tags": "news",
      "schedule_increment": 60
    },
    "9": {
      "tags": "sitcoms",
      "schedule_increment": 30
    },
    "12": {
      "tags": "movies",
      "schedule_increment": 5
    },
    "20": {
      "tags": "binge_block",
      "schedule_increment": 0
    }
  }
}

This is a snippet showing different increments for different time slots.

Result:

  • Morning news: 60-minute blocks (full hour-long shows)
  • Mid-morning: 30-minute blocks (half-hour sitcoms)
  • Midday movies: 5-minute blocks (minimal buffering)
  • Evening binge: Continuous play (no breaks between shows)

Advanced Day Templates

You already learned basic day templates in the Station Configuration Guide. Here are advanced techniques.

Mixing Templates with Custom Schedules

You can use a template and override specific hours:

{
  "day_templates": {
    "weekday": {
      "9": {"tags": "sitcoms"},
      "12": {"tags": "movies"},
      "20": {"tags": "drama"}
    }
  },

  "monday": "weekday",
  "tuesday": "weekday",
  "wednesday": {
    "9": {"tags": "sitcoms"},
    "12": {"tags": "movies"},
    "14": {"tags": "special_event"},
    "20": {"tags": "drama"}
  }
}

This is a partial config snippet.

Unfortunately, this doesn't work. Once you define hours for a day, you must define all hours for that day. Templates are an all-or-nothing replacement.

Workaround: Create a separate template for special days:

{
  "day_templates": {
    "weekday": {
      "9": {"tags": "sitcoms"},
      "12": {"tags": "movies"},
      "20": {"tags": "drama"}
    },
    "wednesday_special": {
      "9": {"tags": "sitcoms"},
      "12": {"tags": "movies"},
      "14": {"tags": "special_event"},
      "20": {"tags": "drama"}
    }
  },

  "monday": "weekday",
  "tuesday": "weekday",
  "wednesday": "wednesday_special",
  "thursday": "weekday",
  "friday": "weekday"
}

This is a partial config snippet showing template variation.

Multiple Templates for Organization

Create as many templates as needed for different schedule types:

{
  "day_templates": {
    "standard_weekday": {
      "9": {"tags": "sitcoms"},
      "20": {"tags": "drama"}
    },
    "standard_weekend": {
      "10": {"tags": "cartoons"},
      "20": {"tags": "movies"}
    },
    "holiday": {
      "12": {"tags": "holiday_specials", "marathon": {"chance": 1.0, "count": 8}}
    },
    "sports_day": {
      "18": {"tags": "sports"},
      "19": {"tags": "sports"},
      "20": {"tags": "sports"}
    }
  }
}

This is a snippet showing the day_templates section.

Then assign them as needed:

"monday": "standard_weekday",
"tuesday": "standard_weekday",
"wednesday": "standard_weekday",
"thursday": "sports_day",
"friday": "standard_weekday",
"saturday": "standard_weekend",
"sunday": "holiday"

Templates with Slot Overrides

Combine templates with slot overrides for maximum reusability:

{
  "slot_overrides": {
    "news_hour": {
      "commercial_dir": "news_commercials",
      "schedule_increment": 60
    },
    "kids_hour": {
      "commercial_dir": "kids_commercials",
      "bump_dir": "kids_bumps"
    }
  },

  "day_templates": {
    "weekday": {
      "6": {"tags": "news", "overrides": "news_hour"},
      "16": {"tags": "cartoons", "overrides": "kids_hour"},
      "20": {"tags": "drama"}
    }
  },

  "monday": "weekday",
  "tuesday": "weekday",
  "wednesday": "weekday",
  "thursday": "weekday",
  "friday": "weekday"
}

This is a partial config snippet.

Result: All weekdays get the same schedule, and consistent slot settings are applied via overrides.

Automatic Bumps

Autobumps let you use system generated bumps for commercial breaks. They come in two different varieties: station identification and 'up next' formats.

"autobump": {
  "title": "NBC TV",
  "subtitle": "Classic Television",
  "variation": "retro",
  "detail1": "Line 1 of details",
  "detail2": "Line 2 of details",
  "detail3": "Line 3 of details",
  "bg_music": "logo1.mp3",
  "strategy": "both"
}

Strategy: when to play bumps.

  • start - play a station identification autogenerated bump at the start of the break but use regular bumps for the end of break
  • end - play 'up next' bumps at the end of the break, but use regular bumps at the start.
  • both - play station id bump at the start of the break and 'up next' bump at the end.

Variations: sets the theme. Can be one of "modern", "retro", "corporate" or "terminal"

You can test auto-bumps using URLs like the ones below:

http://localhost:4242/static/bump/bump.html?next_network=PublicDomainTV

Complete Advanced Example

Here's a full configuration using many advanced features:

{
  "station_conf": {
    "network_name": "Advanced TV Network",
    "channel_number": 42,
    "content_dir": "catalog/advanced_content",
    "commercial_dir": "commercial",
    "bump_dir": "bump",

    "schedule_increment": 30,
    "break_strategy": "standard",
    "commercial_free": false,

    "standby_image": "runtime/standby.png",
    "off_air_video": "runtime/off_air.mp4",

    "slot_overrides": {
      "morning_news": {
        "commercial_dir": "news_commercials",
        "break_strategy": "center",
        "schedule_increment": 60
      },
      "kids_block": {
        "commercial_dir": "kids_commercials",
        "bump_dir": "kids_bumps",
        "break_strategy": "standard"
      },
      "adult_swim": {
        "start_bump": "caps/as_start.mp4",
        "end_bump": "caps/as_end.mp4",
        "bump_dir": "as_bumps",
        "commercial_dir": "as_commercials",
        "break_strategy": "end"
      },
      "primetime": {
        "bump_dir": "primetime_bumps",
        "commercial_dir": "primetime_commercials"
      }
    },

    "day_templates": {
      "weekday": {
        "6": {
          "tags": "news",
          "overrides": "morning_news"
        },
        "9": {
          "tags": "sitcoms",
          "sequence": "morning_sitcom_seq"
        },
        "12": {
          "tags": "movies",
          "schedule_increment": 5
        },
        "16": {
          "tags": "cartoons",
          "overrides": "kids_block"
        },
        "17": {
          "tags": "xfiles",
          "sequence": "xfiles_daily",
          "sequence_start": 0.0,
          "sequence_end": 0.75
        },
        "20": {
          "tags": "drama",
          "overrides": "primetime",
          "sequence": "primetime_drama_seq"
        },
        "21": {
          "tags": "drama",
          "overrides": "primetime",
          "sequence": "primetime_drama_seq"
        },
        "22": {
          "tags": "adult_swim",
          "overrides": "adult_swim"
        },
        "23": {
          "tags": "adult_swim",
          "overrides": "adult_swim"
        }
      },
      "weekend": {
        "8": {
          "tags": "saturday_cartoons",
          "overrides": "kids_block",
          "marathon": {
            "chance": 0.25,
            "count": 6
          }
        },
        "14": {
          "tags": "movies",
          "schedule_increment": 5
        },
        "18": {
          "tags": "movies",
          "schedule_increment": 5
        },
        "21": {
          "tags": "xfiles",
          "sequence": "xfiles_weekend",
          "sequence_start": 0.75,
          "sequence_end": 1.0,
          "marathon": {
            "chance": 0.15,
            "count": 4
          }
        }
      },
      "friday_special": {
        "6": {
          "tags": "news",
          "overrides": "morning_news"
        },
        "9": {
          "tags": "sitcoms",
          "sequence": "morning_sitcom_seq"
        },
        "12": {
          "tags": "movies",
          "schedule_increment": 5
        },
        "16": {
          "tags": "cartoons",
          "overrides": "kids_block"
        },
        "20": {
          "tags": "comedy",
          "overrides": "primetime"
        },
        "21": {
          "tags": "scifi",
          "overrides": "primetime",
          "sequence": "scifi_friday_seq"
        },
        "22": {
          "tags": "scifi",
          "overrides": "primetime",
          "sequence": "scifi_friday_seq"
        },
        "23": {
          "tags": "horror",
          "start_bump": "caps/horror_start.mp4",
          "marathon": {
            "chance": 0.3,
            "count": 5
          }
        }
      }
    },

    "monday": "weekday",
    "tuesday": "weekday",
    "wednesday": "weekday",
    "thursday": "weekday",
    "friday": "friday_special",
    "saturday": "weekend",
    "sunday": "weekend"
  }
}

What This Configuration Does

Weekdays (Monday-Thursday):

  • 6 AM: News hour with 60-minute blocks, centered commercials
  • 9 AM: Sequential sitcom playback
  • 12 PM: Movies with 5-minute schedule increments (tight timing)
  • 4 PM: Kids block with kid-friendly commercials/bumps
  • 5 PM: X-Files sequential (older episodes, first 75% of series)
  • 8-9 PM: Primetime drama in sequence with premium commercials
  • 10-11 PM: Adult Swim block with custom bumps and end-loaded commercials

Friday:

  • Same morning/afternoon as weekdays
  • 8 PM: Comedy hour
  • 9-10 PM: Sci-Fi Friday in sequence
  • 11 PM: Horror movies with 30% chance of 5-hour marathon

Weekends:

  • 8 AM: Saturday cartoons with 25% chance of 6-hour marathon
  • 2 PM & 6 PM: Movies with tight timing
  • 9 PM: X-Files sequential (newer episodes, final 25% of series) with 15% chance of 4-hour marathon

Features used:

  • 3 day templates (weekday, weekend, friday_special)
  • 4 slot override blocks (morning_news, kids_block, adult_swim, primetime)
  • 5 different sequences (morning sitcoms, daily X-Files, weekend X-Files, primetime drama, sci-fi Friday)
  • Sequence ranges (75%/25% split for X-Files)
  • Marathons on cartoons, Friday horror, and weekend X-Files
  • Per-slot schedule increments (60 min for news, 5 min for movies)
  • Custom bumps for Adult Swim block and Friday horror
  • Custom commercial/bump directories for different programming

Tips for Managing Complex Configurations

1. Start Simple, Add Complexity Gradually

Don't try to use every feature at once. Start with:

  1. Basic schedule with tags
  2. Add day templates
  3. Add one or two slot overrides
  4. Add sequences where needed
  5. Add marathons for variety

2. Use Descriptive Names

Good names make your config easier to maintain:

✅ Good:

"slot_overrides": {
  "saturday_morning_kids": { ... },
  "primetime_drama_block": { ... },
  "late_night_adult_swim": { ... }
}

❌ Bad:

"slot_overrides": {
  "override1": { ... },
  "block_a": { ... },
  "config_b": { ... }
}

3. Group Related Settings

Keep related slot overrides and templates together:

"slot_overrides": {
  "kids_weekday": { ... },
  "kids_weekend": { ... },
  "kids_holiday": { ... },

  "news_morning": { ... },
  "news_evening": { ... },

  "primetime_drama": { ... },
  "primetime_comedy": { ... }
}

4. Document with File Structure

Keep a folder structure that matches your config:

catalog/advanced_content/
├── news/                    # "tags": "news"
├── sitcoms/                 # "tags": "sitcoms"
├── movies/                  # "tags": "movies"
├── kids_commercials/        # kids_block override
├── kids_bumps/              # kids_block override
├── as_bumps/                # adult_swim override
├── as_commercials/          # adult_swim override
├── caps/                    # start_bump/end_bump files
│   ├── as_start.mp4
│   ├── as_end.mp4
│   └── horror_start.mp4

5. Test One Feature at a Time

When adding a new feature:

  1. Add it to one time slot
  2. Run the station and verify it works
  3. Expand to other slots once confirmed

6. Keep a Backup

Before making major changes, save a copy:

confs/
├── mychannel.json           # current working version
├── mychannel_backup.json    # backup before changes
└── mychannel_experimental.json  # testing new features

Troubleshooting Advanced Features

Sequences Not Playing in Order

Problem: Episodes play randomly even though you set a sequence.

Causes:

  • Sequence name is misspelled or inconsistent
  • Files aren't named to sort correctly alphabetically
  • Multiple slots use same sequence name (they'll share position - this might be intentional)

Solution:

# Check how your files sort
ls -1 catalog/your_content/your_show/

If they don't sort in the right order, rename them:

Bad:
  episode1.mp4, episode2.mp4, episode10.mp4  # 10 comes before 2!

Good:
  episode_01.mp4, episode_02.mp4, episode_10.mp4
  S01E01.mp4, S01E02.mp4, S01E10.mp4

Marathon Never Triggers

Problem: You set "chance": 0.2 but never see marathons.

Causes:

  • 20% chance = 1 in 5 days on average - might just be unlucky
  • Schedule rebuilds reset the random seed

Solution:

  • Increase chance for testing: "chance": 1.0 (always happens)
  • Check logs to see if marathons triggered but you missed them
  • Remember: schedules are built in advance, so check future dates

Slot Override Not Working

Problem: Settings in your slot override aren't being applied.

Causes:

  • Misspelled override name: "overrides": "kids_blok" vs "kids_block"
  • Override defined in wrong section (should be in slot_overrides)
  • Individual slot property is overriding the override

Solution:

// Check spelling matches exactly
"slot_overrides": {
  "kids_block": { ... }  // ← defined here
},

"monday": {
  "16": {
    "tags": "cartoons",
    "overrides": "kids_block"  // ← must match exactly
  }
}

Schedule Overruns or Gaps

Problem: Shows don't fit cleanly into time blocks, causing scheduling issues.

Causes:

  • Videos longer than schedule_increment
  • Odd schedule increment values (7, 13, etc.)
  • Per-slot increment doesn't divide into 60

Solution:

  • Use standard increments: 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60
  • Make sure videos are shorter than the increment
  • Set schedule_increment: 0 for continuous play if timing isn't critical

Next Steps

You now know the most powerful features of FieldStation42 configuration. For more information:

Have fun building your perfect TV station!

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