The Producer Software

Transcription

1 The Producer Software Open the Producer software. The icon should be located on your desktop. If not, you can launch Producer from the Start menu and selecting All Programs. Once you have opened the Producer software, there are 5 buttons: 1. Live Stream used to produce and broadcast Live Events 2. On Demand used to produce On Demand Events 3. Events quick access to the folder where all Event video files are saved 4. Media quick access to the folder where you will put graphics, logos, and videos 5. Upload used to upload your Event videos to your Network Site The taskbar is the central hub of all the tasks that you will complete using Producer. Live Stream Using Manager Live Streams are the heart of the NFHS Network. To live stream an event, make sure you have scheduled the event and have a secure internet connection. This section will describe the steps to reach the production interface when you create an event using Manager through cms.playonsports.com. Starting a Live Stream Plug in your video capture device (see section 11.2 Capture Devices for further information) and wait a few seconds to make sure the computer has recognized the capture device. Click on the Live Stream button. A window named Producer Sign On will appear. Enter your Username and Password. Click the green Sign On button. Wait for the computer to sign on. Next window named Producer Settings will appear.

2 Settings Capture Device Settings Two of the most common capture device setting configurations are listed as presets. So if you are using the Composite connection (red, yellow, and white cables) with an Elgato video capture device, select the first option. If you are using a StarTech video capture device with an HDMI connection, select the second. If you aren t using either one, select advanced and configure the connection type you are using. Production Settings Select the overlay preset that matches the event you are filming. Presets are an important part of the process of streaming Live video to the Internet. In their simplest form, presets regulate how much data can be sent from your computer to the NFHS Network servers via your Internet connection. Use the information in testing your internet speed to choose the correct preset bitrate. Use the drop down menu to select the preset option that is best for you. Here s the chart again for quick reference. Internet Speed Upload speed > 1.5 Mbps Upload speed between Mbps Upload speed between Mbps Upload speed < 0.7 Mbps or wireless Streaming Bitrate 640x360_846 kbps 640x360_696 kbps 640x360_496 kbps 640x360_126 kbps Once these settings are correct, click the green Continue button. Select Event A window entitled Producer Select Event will appear. The table will show all the events that meet the criteria that fit the filter options at the top and the publishers that you have permission to film under. If your event doesn t show, check the event in Manager (cms.playonsports.com) to ensure the event was scheduled correctly. Continuing from there the you will be directed to the production interface.

3 On Demand On Demand productions operate in exactly the same way as a live production with one exception: streaming. These productions are created when you have little or no internet connection. The broadcast records and stores a local copy of the video onto your computer for later video upload. When starting an On Demand production, select the On Demand button when first opening the producer software. This will open the same Settings dialog box as in a Live Stream so follow those same instructions. When you have configured the settings, click the green Continue button and the producer interface will show. Here the only difference is in the program output window concerning the streaming buttons. Here the Start Stream button is replaced by the green Start Recording button. Notice also that the Streaming identifier, Event ID, and drop down menu at the top are gone and only the Recording identifier remains with text identifying an On Demand production. Clicking the green Start Recording button will do just that: start the recording replacing the red X with a green check mark. Exiting the Production After you have stopped the stream and are ready to be done with the production, simply x-out of the window. You will then be prompted with a dialog box asking if you want to upload the production now. Our service offers an auto upload feature so if your internet is slow or you have lost internet, don t worry, our servers will automatically upload the production given it s a live production. However, if you would like to make sure it is uploaded, you can click the green Yes button to upload the production. Jump to the section on Uploading Your Video for further instruction.

4 Events Folder Every time you produce a Live or On Demand Event, by default, the video files and data are stored in the Events folder. Accessing the Events Folder To access the Event folder, click on the Events button on the Producer toolbar. You can also access the Events folder by browsing to your computers shared folders area. Finding Your Event Video Files After you have produced your Event, the system automatically stores your video files in folders that titled differently according to whether the Event was Live or On Demand. This is also where the Meta Data file is stored. The Meta Data file contains the start and end time information for your Event. Live Event Videos Live Event videos are stored in folders entitled ##### where ##### is the Event ID number of the Live Event. Double-click on the folder with the Event number to access the Live Event video file. On Demand Event Videos On Demand Event videos are stored in folders entitled YYYY-MM-DD where the YYYY-MM-DD is the date that the On Demand video was recorded. Double-click on the folder with the Event date to access the On Demand video file. Video File Format All videos created by Producer are formatted in a proprietary Adobe file type, F4V with a H.264 video codec and a MP3 audio codec. The F4V format is relatively new;; therefore, only a few applications support it. Because of this, we have incorporated a conversion process that converts the file format to MP4. The codecs remain untouched during the conversion process. See the Uploading Your Video section for more information about the conversion process. To view your video on your local computer without converting, you can use VLC Media Player, which should be on your computer s desktop.

5 Media Folder The Media folder is where Graphics, Logos, Videos, and Playlists folders are stored. These folders contain the graphic files and pre-packaged video files that you can use in your broadcasts. Accessing the Media Folder To access the Media folder, click on the Media button on the Producer toolbar. You can also access the Media folder by browsing to your computers shared folders area. Graphics Folder The Graphics folder is where you will put any promos that you want to use in the Billboard overlay as well as any Single Graphic that you want to use in your broadcast. Graphics need to be in one of the following file formats.png,.bmp, or.jpg. Logos Folder The Logos folder is where you will put any logos for the Home or Visitor teams that are competing as well as any Sponsor logos that you have. Logos need to be in one of the following file formats.png,.bmp, or.jpg. Videos Folder The Videos folder is where you will put any pre-packaged videos that you wish to use during your broadcast. Videos need to be in the file format.mp4 or.wmv no greater than 1,000Kbps bit rate. Your videos must be.mp4 files. We also suggest that your videos are 16:9 and not exceed a 1,000Kbps bit-rate. If you use a 4:3 video, it will appear pillar boxed in the video stream. We suggest placing your video files into the Videos folder located in Media. You can group them in folders as well. This will help ensure you do not lose track of where your video files are stored for future productions. Upload Uploading video files to your network site is an important part of the process, and is required to make them available on your video portal page for On Demand viewing.

6 There are three methods for uploading your video files. The first uses Producer, the second uses Manager, and the third is our auto-upload feature. This guide only covers the first method of uploading. For information on the second method of uploading through Manager, refer to the Manager User Guide. It is important to know that the Upload function built into the Producer application is faster than the Upload VOD function on the Manager. If you have access to your laptop, we suggest that you use the first method of uploading rather than the second method. Upload-Ready Files In order for your video files to upload and play correctly on your video portal, they are required to be a certain format. Any video file that is produced by Producer, whether it is Live or On Demand, will be ready for immediate upload. Also, any video files that are converted using the built-in conversion software can be uploaded as well. You can upload videos other than those recorded using Producer. However, you must schedule the Event for the video that you wish to upload, and the video must match the following requirements: Acceptable file formats/extensions:.f4v,.flv,.mp4 Video Codec: H.264 Audio Codec:.MP3 or AAC Bit Rate (Audio and Video combined): Kbps Recommended Size: 640x360 (16:9) Uploading Your Files After clicking on the Upload button, a Select Event window will open with a table of events which is the same as the Select Event window in the Live Stream setup.

7 When you select the event you would like to upload your video to, the grayed-out Continue button will change to a green button and you can continue to the Upload window. At the bottom of the window you will see white area where supported video files will appear in the file directory chosen. By default, this links to the same events folder as the Events button opening the folder that corresponds to the event either by On Demand date or Event ID. If you would like to change the file path of the folder shown, click the blue Browse button to reveal a file explorer. Click on the video file that you wish to upload as your event file (it should turn black). If you have not yet converted the video file from.f4v, a white message reading You are unable to preview this video and a green button named Convert File will appear in the black video window. Click the green Convert File button. A message reading Converting to a viewable format will appear along with a progress bar. The progress bar will turn green as the conversion continued. It takes the convertor about 5 minutes Converting files isn t necessary to upload and will take up more up space on your computer. Don t bother if you are running low on memory, and don t need to use the video file. per gigabyte to convert the video files. After the conversion is complete, the convertor will automatically disappear. Click the green Upload button in the bottom right portion of the window. This will bring up a white message reading Initiating Upload/Please Wait. A status bar will appear in the middle of the window that will fill from left to right with green as the upload nears completion. When the upload is complete, the green status bar will read Upload Completed, and the gray Finish button in the bottom right corner of the window will turn into a green button. Click the Finish button. You have uploaded your event successfully using Producer. You can now view your Event on your video portal page. Note: If the Uploader fails, try again. If it continues to fail, make sure you have a sufficient Internet connection and that your network is not using a Traffic Shaper. If you still cannot upload using the Uploader, upload your video file through Manager.