Overlay delay and other questions

[hdradio]

1) I have noticed that when an overlay delays (waiting for example a song to finish) the buttons Play and Delay dissapear.
Why is this happening and is there a way to avoid it ?
For example if I need to speak something live, between the end of the current track and the overlay, I can't because the overlay will start anyway.

2) Also in the following situation :
The playlist has some tracks to play.
The Auto Play is dissabled.
An overlay has to play and starts to play.
Immediately after overlay playback the first track from list starts playing too (that is something that I don't want).
What settings prevents that ?

3) Why those red icons (is that exclamation mark or microphone?) appear at the lower left and lower right corner of timecode window?

[hdradio]

1) You might want to set the following overlay options:
AllowDelay: The user is allowed to delay the overlay start (up to the 'Max. Overlay Delay').
AllowCancel: The user is allowed to cancel/stop the overlay.
AllowModeratorChanges: The user is allowed to change the overlay settings before it starts.

I have already set those options.
The buttons appear when the overlay shows, but disappear when counter reaches 0 and starts counting back again until the end of the currently playing song.

2) You might want to set the following overlay options:
StopAfterOverlayPlayout: The current playlist will not automatically be resumed once the overlay finished.

If I set that option, do I have to manually start the first track every time an overlay ends ?
If yes this would be useful only on live shows. But if you create all overlays automaticaly with adv manager, how can someone know if in a future hour will have a live show or a auto playlist ?

[radio42]

to 1): Now I got you.
Sure, an overlay can not be delayed anymore once it's start time has been reached - that's why the 'Delay' button is hidden.
The 'Play' button is also hidden at that stage (when waiting for a current track to finish) if you did not specify a 'Manual' start type or used 'Auto' start type but AutoPlay is disabled.
This because it also makes no sense anymore to immediately start playback of the overlay when you specified an automatic start type, as this might lead to the overlay and playlist track playing together in parallel!
So you might use the 'Manual' or 'Auto' start type in that case.

to 2) I didn't know what you exactly wanted from the info in your first post.
However, if this is exactly the same playlist which is resumed after the overlay play out (as the one when the overlay was started), the overlay will only automatically resume (re-enable AutoPlay) if AutoPlay was active when the overlay was started.
If however a new playlist was automatically created in between the program scheduler, then AutoPlay is re-enabled, if that new program has not a 'Manual' start type, else AutoPlay would have of course to be re-enabled, as you defined the new program to start automatically.

[hdradio]

1) I have set 120 as overlay delay. That means that the "delay" and "play" buttons disappear and the only option is cancel.
If during those 2 minutes you change your mind (which is very possible) and want to play that overlay you can not. Correct ?
In my previous question here you suggested to used soft instead of auto, so I created all my overlays as soft.
Now I have to change them back all to auto, but (except that I have to do everything from scratch) that might be in contrast to the problem I had then.

2) I have a live show from 20:00 to 21:00. There is a playlist open, having my songs.
At 20:25 there is a telephone call and start talking on the phone live on air.
AutoPlay is disabled.
At 20:30 there is a (commercial) overlay appearing.
I am concentrated on the caller and I don't see the overlay on the screen.
Suddenly the overlay is on air by itself !!!!. And then the playlist starts playing!!!!!

If I had my mind on pf screen I should have seen that the overlay has to play and the counter starts to countdown. Then I had to click delay, then again delay, then again delay, until I am finished with my live phone call (which might had 15 minutes duration).
The other way was to cancel the overlay and start it again from ribbon button.

Don't you think that is a little complicated ?

If I am in a live show, means that I am responsible for what will play.
If there is an overlay to play, show that to me and if I want to play it, play it.
If I want to cancel it cancel it.

[radio42]

1) You might want to set the following overlay options:
AllowDelay: The user is allowed to delay the overlay start (up to the 'Max. Overlay Delay').
AllowCancel: The user is allowed to cancel/stop the overlay.
AllowModeratorChanges: The user is allowed to change the overlay settings before it starts.

2) You might want to set the following overlay options:
StopAfterOverlayPlayout: The current playlist will not automatically be resumed once the overlay finished.

3) It's an OnAir indicator (a mic icon).
It is shown (if enabled in the Timecoder window) if you are OnAir - meaning a mixer input channel (which has the 'Unmute on Talkover' option set) and is currently 'open' (fader up and unmuted).

[radio42]

1) I do not see any reason to change everything or start from scratch...since the two question you had seemed unrelated to me and I just try to answer your questions and just describe how the system works.
An overlay starts ahead of time. You can configure that time. And yes, after that time you can currently not manually start playback if you defined an automatic start type, e.g. Soft.
Before you can - so yes, currently you need to make up your mind in that time window.
I guess we will have no dissent, that the 'Delay' button appears at that time, as once the start time is already over, there is not much to delay anymore.
I might take a look, if I relax the handling of the 'Play' button though - as it might seem to be okay, to let it still accessible at that time. Just beware, that clicking will start the overlay play out manually and you might need to stop the underlying playlist as well manually!

In addition you might also use the 'AllowModeratorChanges' options as this might be used until the effective start time to enable changing the start type settings, e.g. switch to Manual, if you need to change things etc. So you might use that option as well.

2) When you know, that you are live OnAir at this time slot, why don't you put the overlays in manual mode at that time as well?
Here we have two things to control:
a) the automatic start of the overlay: set the start type of that overlay to 'Manual' and you are done! Note, you should only change those overlay to manual when you know you are live on air - else choose an automatic start type - that is basically the reason for these different types.
b) Automatically resume the playlist: Same thing as already explained. In your case, if AutoPlay was already OFF - the playlist will NOT automatically resume!

Or instead of clicking 'Delay' and 'Delay' - as explained above - use the 'AllowModeratorChanges' options and then just change the start type to Manual.

I don't think, that it is complicated at all:
If you would have set the start type to 'Manual' or 'Auto' for that specific overlay (the one you are talking about, where you know, that you are Live On Air) all would have happened as you expected it:
- the overlay needed to be started manually
- the 'Play' button would have been visible all the time
- the overlay would NOT have automatically resumed the playlist
I guess that is simple, as it is only the start type controlling it.
The start type 'Auto' is in such case even the perfect hybrid, as if AutoPlay is OFF - it automatically converts to 'Manual'; if AutoPlay is ON - it automatically converts to 'Soft'.

Again: Only these overlays need to be changed where you exactly know or plan to be live on air - not all.

[radio42]

While further thinking about your real issue, I guess another option might come in much more handy.
Something like a 'While OnAir, disable any automatic Starts' - which would apply to new programs as well as overlays being started resp. resumed.
As such, if a 'Talkover' enabled mixer input channel is up/unmuted (on air) any AutoPlay changes would be suppressed.
I might already see other posts coming in asking me: Why didn't my program automatically start? But, in many cases such an option is effectively what you want when in a live OnAir situation!
I#LL further think about something like that...
...since in the meantime you can use the 'Manual' start type when planning live on air shows...