v3.0.14.25 - stable

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v3.0.14.25 - stable

Post by radio42 »

Version 3.0.14.25 is out!

What's New?
  • Advert Management: Dynamic Assignment Filter bug-fix
  • Overlay 'Mixing Time' enhancements
  • Overlay 'Priority' added
  • Scheduler enhanced by 'Max. Early' and 'Max. Late'
  • D&R Airence remoting bug-fix
  • Various smaller optimizations
  • Other smaller bug-fixes
  • stable
As you might guess this release is all about scheduler enhancements.

Overlay 'Priority' added
So far overlay entries needed to be unique in their start time in order to determine the exact playback order of overlays.
Now you can use a 'Priority' field to specify this order and use the same overlay start time - note, that the overlay entries must still be unique (by either Name, StartTime or Command).
The new 'Priority' field defines the order in which overlays are used/executed in case multiple overlays start at exactly the same time (0, 1, 2, 3, ...).


Scheduler enhanced by 'Max. Early' and 'Max. Late'
The 'Max. Early' and 'Max. Late' parameters are enhancing the capabilities of Program and Overlay Scheduler entries but can also be used in TimeUpdateSync as well as FixTimeElements.
They mainly allow you to better control the 'Soft' start type. But they also now allow you to define a soft starting 'EndsAt' overlay.
Here is an overview of the different settings:

Start/End Time:
The date and time when the overlay should start.
In case of 'EndsAt' this denotes the effective time when the overlay should end!

Mixing Time:
Is the segue time in milliseconds between the current program and this overlay (mix in as well as mix out).
A positive value calculates the segue time from the end (cue-out) of the current track of the current playlist resp. the last overlay track.
Set to 0 to start the overlay with the 'Next' cue-point of the current track of the current playlist resp. to resume the playlist with the 'Next' cue-point of the last overlay track.
Use a negative value to define a fixed fade-out time (for the overlay's mix-in and mix-out), in this case the segue time is 40% of this fade-out time.

Max. Start Delay:
When an overlay is defined as soft start (so it doesn't have to start at exactly that time) it might be delayed by this maximum number of seconds.
When an overlay is about to be started the remaining time of the current track of the current playlist is checked. If the remaining time is less than this maximum delay time, the track will be played til the end before the overlay is started (which will then result in a delayed overlay start).
But if the remaining time is greater than this maximum delay time the current track is faded-out immediately and the overlay start will not be delayed (except a 'Max. Late' value is defined).
Note: Overlays defined as fixed start will always start on time.
In case of 'EndsAt' this value defines a maximum waiting time til the real effective end. In this waiting time a given 'Bridge Track' will be played looped!

Show in Advance:
Defines the time in seconds the overlay is shown in advance of the actual start time (e.g. giving the user time to cancel, delay or edit the overlay).
When using the 'EndsAt' start type you MUST set this value high enough, i.e. it should reflect the maximum duration of all items played by this overlay.
Note: When set to 0 the overlay will NOT start automatically, but can only be started manually!

Allow Start Early:
If checked the overlay might start earlier than the actual 'Start Time' if a current playlist track ends just before it, but no longer than the 'Show in Advance' time (resp. the 'Max. Early' time).

Max. Early:
If the overlay is allowed to start early, this value defines how much early it might start (in seconds).
When set to 0, the 'Show in advance' time is used (as such, this value should be less).
Note, in case of 'EndsAt', the effective end time might be early! In that case you should specify a 'Bridge Track', which is then played looped until the 'Max. Start Delay'.

Max. Late:
If the overlay is allowed to start Soft (or EndsAt), this defines how soft it will start.
Setting the value to 0 is the default, which means, it starts at the end of the currently playing track, if its remaining time is less than the 'Max. Start Delay' - else it will start early immediately.
If the value is greater than 0, the overlay starts at latest this number of seconds late. This means, the 'Max. Early' and 'Max. Late' time frame define the soft starting time range and a currently playing track is at least playing this long and is only started early if it ends in that range - else it is started this late.
Note, in case of 'EndsAt', the effective end time might be late. In case a 'Bridge Track' is given AND the 'Max. Stat Delay' is NOT reached yet, that bridge track will be played looped until the 'Max. Stat Delay' is reached.

Bridge Track:
A bridge track might be used as a filler right before this overlay actually starts (only if the 'Suspend Program' option is selected), resp. at the end of the overlay in case of 'EndsAt'. This to prevent a subsequent track of a currently running playlist to play for only a very short time. The bridge track will always be played looped.
As an overlay comes up early (ahead of the actual start time, see the 'Show in Advance' time) the currently running playlist will be monitored at this time. If a current track of that playlist will end during this time, the bridge track will be played until the effective start time of this overlay.
Note: The Minimum Bridge Track Time is also considered, if the remaining time (til the actual start time) is less than this minimum time, the bridge track will not be played and the overlay just starts early.
In case of 'EndsAt', the effective end time might be early or late. If the 'Max. Stat Delay' is not yet reached yet, that bridge track will be played looped until the 'Max. Stat Delay' is reached.

The following pictures will illustrate how the new 'Max. Early' and 'Max. Late' options will work...
Note, that when these are set to 0 the current (old) behavior is used!
The standard/default Fixed and EndsAt behavior hasn't changed
The standard/default Fixed and EndsAt behavior hasn't changed
StartType FixedEndsAt.png (19.47 KiB) Viewed 10945 times
The "Allow Start Early" option is unchanged. An overlay is "Show In Advance" seconds shown early, but the "Max. Early" value defines the real point in time when the overlay might be started early (if a currently playing track ends in that range).
The "Allow Start Early" option is unchanged. An overlay is "Show In Advance" seconds shown early, but the "Max. Early" value defines the real point in time when the overlay might be started early (if a currently playing track ends in that range).
StartType AllowStartEarly.png (10.97 KiB) Viewed 10945 times
When &quot;Max. Late&quot; is set to 0 the standard/default behavior is used!<br />The remaining time of the current track of the current playlist defines, if that current track plays til the end or if its faded-out exactly at the &quot;Start Time&quot;.
When "Max. Late" is set to 0 the standard/default behavior is used!
The remaining time of the current track of the current playlist defines, if that current track plays til the end or if its faded-out exactly at the "Start Time".
StartType Soft1.png (19.75 KiB) Viewed 10945 times
When &quot;Max. Late&quot; is set the new behavior is used (&quot;Max. Delay&quot; is ignorred)!<br />If the current track of the current playlist would end too late, it doesn't start at the &quot;Start Time&quot;, but &quot;Max. Late&quot; seconds after.<br />The currently playing track is at least played &quot;Max. Early&quot; + &quot;Max. Late&quot; seconds!
When "Max. Late" is set the new behavior is used ("Max. Delay" is ignorred)!
If the current track of the current playlist would end too late, it doesn't start at the "Start Time", but "Max. Late" seconds after.
The currently playing track is at least played "Max. Early" + "Max. Late" seconds!
StartType Soft2.png (18.95 KiB) Viewed 10945 times
When &quot;Max. Late&quot; is set with the EndsAt&quot; start type this allows you end soft (and &quot;Max. Delay&quot; got a new meaning)!<br />As the effective start time is calculated based on the overlay duration an effective start time range is used.<br />&quot;Max. Delay&quot; now gives some extra time and therefore finally defines a fixed End-Time! But as the overlay might end earlier, the BridgeTrack would be used to fill that gap!
When "Max. Late" is set with the EndsAt" start type this allows you end soft (and "Max. Delay" got a new meaning)!
As the effective start time is calculated based on the overlay duration an effective start time range is used.
"Max. Delay" now gives some extra time and therefore finally defines a fixed End-Time! But as the overlay might end earlier, the BridgeTrack would be used to fill that gap!
StartType EndsAtSoft.png (39.69 KiB) Viewed 10797 times

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