2023 Releases
Studio 5.7.0 (2023-12-28)
INGEST | Manual Upload Improvements
Critical improvements are now available that enhances the manual video uploading experience:
Support for concurrent video uploads and multi-part chunking to maximize the throughput of the user’s internet connectivity
Support for additional video container types and validation steps (MP4/AVI/MPG/MXF/MOV)
Support for uploading larger video file sizes via the web browser for high bitrate formats such as ProRes and UHD
Support for uploading larger video file sizes via the web browser for high bitrate formats such as ProRes and UHD
Default video metadata when none is provided from the Brand for Genres, Sub-genres, Region, Parental Rating, and Language
Expanded coverage for additional video processing exceptions scenarios
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This update includes general improvements and bug fixes.
Studio 5.6.0 (2023-12-21)
This update includes general improvements and bug fixes.
Studio 5.5.0 (2023-12-19)
MANAGE | Additional Content Filtering Options
Users are now able to filter by additional scenarios for videos using technical metadata for Programs, Cue Points, and Subtitles. This would allow users to accelerate the content review process in order to prepare content for scheduling.Programs (with or without Programs): Find content that requires creation of Programs
Cue Points (with or without Cue Points): Find content that requires preparation of ad break positions
Subtitles (with or without Subtitles): Find content that requires addition of subtitles
Studio 5.4.0 (2023-12-14)
ACCOUNT | Linear Channel Creatives (Ad Pod)
Users are now able to choose how Ad Pod creative (slate) creatives are played during scheduled ad breaks. The option enables relative start time for the Ad Pod creative based on the actual duration of ad breaks. For example, if the duration of the channel’s Ad Pod creative is 5 minutes and the duration of the actual ad break is 2 minutes, then the playout system would play the Ad Pod creative from the third minute mark until the end. This supports the use case where a channel has an Ad Pod creative containing a burned-in countdown clock to dynamically show the countdown sequence for ad breaks having varying durations.
This update includes general improvements and bug fixes.
Studio 5.3.0 (2023-11-24)
MANAGE | Video Custom Metadata
We have added support a new video metadata field called “Custom Metadata”. Information stored in this field can be used for custom key value pairs in JSON or plain text.
This update includes general improvements and bug fixes.
Studio 5.2.0 (2023-11-09)
This update includes general improvements and bug fixes.
Studio 5.1.0 (2023-10-26)
MANAGE | Advanced Metadata Filtering
Users now have an advanced way to find their content using multiple contextual and technical metadata parameters. They can also filter and sort by Series information, which makes reviewing the completion of series content ingestion simple. Video results in MANAGE are now returned in episodic sequence (series+season+episode), which provides a more intuitive experience. With advanced filtering and sorting capabilities, reviewing and locating the right group of content is easy.
Contextual and technical metadata filters
Status, Content Format, Series Name, Season #, Episode #, Rating, Languages, Genres, Availability, Duration, Programs, Cue Points, Subtitles
New Live View metadata columns
Format, Series Title, Season / Episode, Programs
Expanded sorting in List View
Clicking on the table header allows for sorting specific column:
Video Title, Duration (new), Season / Episode (new), Format (new), Programs (new)
MANAGE | Centralized Series Management
Users are now able to manage series metadata from a centralized place. Users are able to browse the full series hierarchy with summary information and preview associated videos. It is also possible to create, edit, and delete series/seasons/episodes information, which includes title, description, external metadata identifiers, and custom metadata (JSON payload or text). Finally, we have included support series/season/episode artwork for 2:3 aspect ratio posters and/or 16:9 thumbnail. Series artwork and custom metadata may be used for EPG output for distributors that require them.
INGEST | Wide Release
All Studio users now have access to the INGEST tool to manage ingestion, including our new S3 native ingestion engine with parallel introspection and QC visibility. Learn more about all the capabilities for INGEST in the release notes from Version 5.0, including:
Dashboard- Real-time summary with actionable alerts for exceptions
Feeds- Combined ingestion feed types, including native S3 ingestion, email notifications, and exception management
Videos- Parallel video components validation with detailed error messaging to support exception resolution. Video uploads are now performed here instead of from MANAGE
File - Individual file processing statuses, including Manifest parsing results and Manifest matching evaluation
INGEST | Manual Video Upload
As part of the INGEST wide release, we begin our migration of the Manual Video upload workflow to INGEST from previously in MANAGE. We will continue to support Manual Video uploads from both INGEST and MANAGE, but plan to deprecate the MANAGE upload workflow in the near future as the new home for this workflow, benefiting from enhanced ingestion capabilities such as automatic asset type identification.
ANALYZE | Content / Attribution Reports
We have added a new report for attributing Viewership data to Interstitial assets. Interstitial attribution data will begin being collected going forward after this release. Historical viewership data is not attributed to Interstitial assets prior to this release. To locate this report, go to ANALYZE tool, go to the CONTENT section, select the Attribution tab, and the report is at the bottom of the existing set of reports (below Linear Program Schedule Share)
This update also includes general improvements and additional bug fixes.
Studio 5.0.0 (2023-08-28)
INGEST | Ingestion Management
As part of a gradual rollout, Studio users can now access INGEST to manage content ingestion. INGEST provide users with real-time detailed ingestion visibility, including parallel asset introspection, feed notifications, and exception resolution tools.
Dashboard - Real-time summary with actionable alerts for exceptions
Feeds - Combined ingestion feed types, including native S3 ingestion, email notifications, and exception management
Videos - Parallel video components validation with detailed error messaging to support exception resolution. Video uploads are now performed here instead of from MANAGE.
Files - Individual file processing statuses, including Manifest parsing results and Manifest matching evaluation
Schedule | Repeat Scheduling
Studio users are able schedule using Repeat Scheduling with day-parting. This accelerates scheduling for multi-series and recurring day-parted blocks.
Restrict by Start/End Times - When using the Back-to-back pattern, the user can further Restrict by start and end times of the day. The programs scheduled would only be added per day when they fit within those start and end times daily. This would improve scheduling channels having multi-series and/or date-parted blocks.
Date-part repeated programs
This update also includes general improvements and additional bug fixes.
Studio-1.58- 2023/08/07
MANAGE | Video Uploads Approval
We have deprecated the option to require separate approvals when manually uploading videos. This supports streamlining the upload lifecycle an expedite the end-to-end ingestion. This change affects the following parts of the manual video upload workflow:
When uploading a video, the toggle to Automatically Approve is no longer displayed nor required
When the video upload completes, it moves on to transcoding (when applicable) without requiring a separate Approval step
When managing in progress manual video uploads, the sub-status Pending Approval is removed
This update includes general improvements and bug fixes.
Studio-1.57- 07/18/2023
MANAGE | Video Metadata (Rating Descriptors)
Users are now able to manage advisory labeling metadata (“Rating Descriptors”) to supplement Parental Rating. This metadata represents additional details to the Parental Ratings (e.g.: Violence, Adult Language, etc.). The new field supports comma-separated text (up to 100 characters) and is available for downstream processes (e.g.: Graphics, EPG).
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Rating advisory labels support (Rating Descriptors)
This update includes certain bug fixes to address edge case scenarios:
SCHEDULE | Remove Gaps - When removing gaps/overlaps for multiple weeks at the same time where the user selects the first program and then jumps multiple weeks/months into the future to select the last program, scheduled programming was not loaded in between weeks. Therefore, Remove Gaps would not include scheduled programs from the skipped/jumped timeframe. This fix would load all scheduled programs in this scenario between the schedule weeks/month jump in order to calculate the correct remove gaps logic is executed.
MANAGE | Video Search - When searching for videos after a previous search and not in the first page of a multi-page result, search would not execute due to a pagination bug. This fix resolve this and subsequent search would continue as expected.
SCHEDULE | Calendar View - Studio users who use the Ctrl + Left Mouse Click via the Safari browser (MacOS) to perform Right Clicking operations was not triggering the right-click menus. This fix adds support for this scenario.
This update includes general improvements and bug fixes.
Studio-1.56 - 2023/06/29
Extended capabilities were added for Repeat Scheduling:
Number of Times Until This Date - As an alternative to scheduling based on the number of programs count, the user can also choose to schedule until a specific date. This would not require the user to calculate the number of times required and instead focus on an end date of the scheduled Repeat Programs pattern. For example, the user can set the end date of December 31, 2023 and programs would be scheduled until the end of December 31, 2023.
Repeat by number of times or until a specific date
Restrict by Seasons - When scheduling with episodic content belonging to a Series and using the Next Episode or Shuffle content selection, the user has the ability to restrict the episodes by one or more season(s). Doing so would limit the episodes belonging to the restricted set of seasons, while retaining the episodic sequences across seasons. Furthermore, we are also showing the total number of seasons based on your selection.
Restrict by specific season(s) to narrow down to specific episodes
This update includes general improvements and bug fixes.
Studio-1.55 - 2023/06/06
Schedule | Repeat Scheduling
Repeat Scheduling is now available for all Studio users who have access to Schedule. As part of this release, additional capabilities were added as a result of Customer Preview sessions feedback. We expect additional capabilities to be released in the upcoming versions.
Scheduling Pattern: Days of the Week - Number of times refers to the number of weeks. If the pattern is MWF and the number is 5, that means it would schedule programs for specific days of the week (MWF) for 5 total weeks.
High Maximum for Number of Times - For Back-to-back scheduling patterns, we now allow a maximum of 2,000. For Daily, we now allow a maximum of 365. For Days of the Week or Weekly, we now allow a maximum value of 52.
Multiple Linear Programs per Episode Exceptions - Pre-selection of linear programs are now based on previous selections for the same Series. This pre-selection is stored at the browser level per user based on the last effort selecting programs per episode for the same series.
Schedule | Add Live Program
When creating Live Programs, Start/End as Scheduled is now enabled by default.
This update includes general improvements and bug fixes.
Studio-1.54 - 2023/05/18
This update includes general improvements and bug fixes.
Studio-1.53 - 2023/04/27
This update includes general improvements and bug fixes.
Studio-1.52 - 2023/04/13
Schedule | Repeat Scheduling
Note: This feature is available to a limited number of users during the rollout phase.
Users are able to repeat selected programs in the schedule to maximize the efficiency when scheduling channels. This allows for bulk scheduling of existing and episodic content using advanced patterns. For example, scheduling a series marathon for the entire channel could be completed in seconds.
To use this feature, the user can select a linear program and invoke the Advanced Options menu by right-clicking the selections and input business rules:
Choose content
For all content (VOD, Automation, Live):
Same as Selected
For episodic content (VOD):
Next Episode (On last episode: Loop or Stop)
Shuffle
Number of times
1 to 1,000
Choose programming pattern
Back-to-back (i.e.: marathon)
Daily (i.e.: episodice stripping
Days of the Week (Mo, Tu, We, Th, Fr, Sa, Su)
Weekly
Configure advanced scheduling parameters
For selected content that contain more than one linear program, the user can review these exceptions and override the default program selection By default, the program having similar internal title as the selected source program is chosen. If not matched by internal title, then the newest created program.
Manage exception multi-program scenarios
Finally, programs already scheduled in a channel contains a distinct visual pattern. When the user hovers over a program, the entire group of programs related to that repeat pattern is highlighted.
Visualize Repeat group programming for scheduling context
Schedule | Copying and Pasting Across Channels
While editing a channel’s schedule, users are now able copy and paste from one channel to any other channels. This simplifies the workflow of repeating partial/similar content across channels (e.g.: variant channels, common series, etc.).
Graphics Configuration
Studio users can preview a channel’s Graphics from the SCHEDULE tool. Previously, previewing graphic triggers was accessed via a separate tool in the left-side navigation, but now integrated in the SCHEDULE tool’s right side Graphics Configuration section in order to simplify and streamline Graphics Triggers and Preview in one place.
Studio-1.51 - 2023/04/12
This update includes general improvements and bug fixes.
Studio-1.50 - 2023/03/27
This update includes general improvements and bug fixes.
Studio-1.49 - 2023/03/09
Studio | Notification Styling
Messaging regarding success, warnings, and errors have been improved in order to be less obstructive, more descriptive, and more consistent.
Visibility: System notifications are visible at the top of the tool (e.g.: Save was successful) while page validations are in-line where the validation occurs (e.g.: Date field should be in date format).
Dismissal: All notifications can be dismissed by the user. Non-critical notifications are automatically dismissed after 5 seconds.
This update also includes general improvements and bug fixes.
Studio-1.48 - 2023/02/28
Features
Connect | Playout Override - Ad-hoc Live Switch Engine
This release contains under-the-hood changes to the Live Switching engine to support additional capabilities during Playout Override. A few notes:
Channels need to be configured to use the Live Switching V2 engine to take advantage of the new capability
With Live Switching V2, bulk live switching via Playout Override to a live stream would trigger the playout override in 2.5 minutes. This time is required to spin up live stream receivers for each channel in parallel before the actual playout switch.
Both versions of the Live Switching engines (V1 and V2) will be supported, and by default channels are provisioning to use V1 until a separate configuration is performed.
Schedule | Scheduling Views
In SCHEDULE, we have changed the triggers to change between the Calendar and List views from previously as tabs to now as buttons. These views can be changed whenever the channel is not being edited (view mode).
Scheduling views are now within the Schedule section instead as tabs. The user can switch between Calendar and List views.
Schedule | Scheduling Views
“Schedule Templates” has been renamed to “Schedule Blocks”
Users can manage Schedule Blocks in the Plan tab within SCHEDULE. Users are able to:
Create new schedule blocks from scratch. The user can also create one from an existing selection of scheduled programming as they are able to today by using the right-click menu while editing a schedule in Calendar view.
Edit an existing schedule block’s sequence of programming, as well as edit the block’s metadata such as title, notes, or which channel it is intended for.
Delete existing schedule blocks.
The tabs are the top have been changed to show two sections: Schedule and Plan.
Filtering by Block type and Channel is supported to locate previously created Schedule Blocks. Schedule blocks can be created (new) and edited or deleted (existing).
When creating or editing a Block, the user can manage the scheduled programming similar to scheduling a channel.
Studio-1.47 - 2023/02/21
Optimizations
Account
User Details - When a user with no last name set is editing a linear channel, it will no longer display as "null".
Manage
Automations - Playlists using dynamic rules now display the correct number of videos when creating an automation.
Linear - Videos that are only encoded in an HLS format will now display that they are ineligible to be made into linear programs.
Schedule
Edit Schedule - Days shortened in the schedule due to Daylight Savings will no longer display a program gap when fully scheduled.
Preview Broadcast - The broadcast pane now correctly displays the time in program for automations.
Broadcast - Removed the "Kill Broadcast" button in the broadcast pane as its function has been replaced by the override function in Connect.
Playlist Program - The error message when creating invalid playlist programs will not appropriately show in front of the modal the user is viewing.
Studio-1.46 - 2023/02/14
Features
Schedule | At-Playhead Live Events Duration Changes
In SCHEDULE, the user can make a change to the duration of the currently playing Live event program. To do this, the user can double click on the Live program that is currently in progress to edit it, and change the original duration to shorten/extend it. When used in combination of a Live program that is set to Start/End as Scheduled (automated switching to and from the live event as scheduled), the ability to change the duration of a currently playing Live event allows for last minute changes to how long the Live program will be broadcasted in the channel, which supports scenarios such as:
During changes, we validate the following given the new Live program duration:
When shortening the duration of a live program, the new end time must be in the future.
When extending the duration of a Live program, the new end time must not overlap the next scheduled Live program in the future.
Live event ending earlier than originally schedule (e.g.: flexible live event coverage end)
Live event ending later than originally schedule (e.g.: sports game overtime)
Optimizations
Schedule
Shuffle FIFO (First In, First Out) Tweaks
Fixed a bug in the logic for Series Automations using the Shuffle FIFO rule that required every program in the series to have a linear program for it to populate as expected.
Studio-1.45 - 2023/01/27
Features
Connect | Bulk Playout Override
Users now have the ability to override channel playout for ad-hoc scenarios such as unscheduled live events or temporary content replacement. Playout overriding can be applied to one or more channels at the same time.
When channels are overridden to playout their Rescue slates or a Live stream, they would show as “Overridden” in the user interface. Overridden channels can be restored to original scheduled programming.
Override to Rescue Slate- Switch the selected channel(s)'s playout to their rescue slates. Each channel would use its own rescue slate (also known as “technical difficulty channel creative”), which are managed in ACCOUNT/Linear Channel details.
Override to Live Stream - Switch the selected channel’s playout to a user-input live stream. We currently support HLS and RTMP Pull sources
Return to Scheduled Programming - Resumes the channel’s originally scheduled programming.
Studio-1.44 - 2023/01/19
Features
Manage | Automation Programs: Immediate Execution
Support for the ability for Automation Programs to execute Immediately instead of a specific number of minutes before its scheduled Start time.
For Series (episode selection), we support the Additional Task of “Shuffle FIFO” (first-in-first-out) when used with Do Not Repeat within X Minutes. This allows for Do Not Repeat to repeat episodes when all episodes have been chosen within the Do Not Repeat timeframe, and would repeat the first episode within the range. This ensures that repeated episodes within the timeframe are as far apart as possible when necessary.
Linear Program that matches the scheduled Automation Program duration, and:
Linear Program containing the channel’s title in the Internal Title
Linear Program containing the word “default” in the Internal Title
First linear program that remains based on last modified date
Optimizations
Build
Playlist Lists - Added spacing between word Updated and Time integer under the Created column for Playlist in Build.
Manage
Upload Video Format - The messaging under the video asset upload field was incorrectly stating video files must be at least mp4. This has been updated to reflect all video formats accepted for upload.
Schedule
Automation Programs - The Add to Schedule button is now clickable when an Automation Program was selected from the Programs list in Schedule.
Program Preview - The Preview button is no long clickable when zero Playlist Programs have been selected.
Error Messaging - Program titles are now truncated when displayed in Schedule error messaging.
Studio-1.41 - 2023/01/03
Login | Multi-Account Switching
Studio accounts associated to multiple accounts (sub-accounts or distributors) are now able to switch between them. To do so, click on the user profile icon at the top right and select an associated account to authenticate. For previously logged in accounts, the user can quickly switch between accounts without the need to input login credentials again. Saved credentials across accounts are device-specific.
Connect | For Distributors
Channel Distributors now have a special view of CONNECT with the ability to view channels currently distributed to them from Originators. Distributor users can also view channels not currently distributed to them. Channels not distributed to distributors can be made visible to them on an elective basis. Distributors are able to preview a channel’s current playout stream, contextual metadata, and marketing materials.
CONNECT for Distributors enable critical portfolio management data available:
Dashboard - Playout, scheduling, and streams alerts
Channels - Channels (distributed and non-distributed)
Streams - Streams configurations (channels-to-distributor)
Monitor - Monitoring and playout snapshot history for distributed channels
