ProppFrexx ONAIR User-Forum

I return on the 5.6.

Wish you a happy vacation bernd, i'll be doing some tests and get back to you whenever you are ready

Hello Bernd, i've made my test and here is another video to demonstrate the problem http://youtu.be/6hqRa6lg_Hc what i found is that when resolving the Overlays into playlist it moves on them all, if he found a track assigned to the slot it resolves it as it's (intro AD outro) but if he found a slot with no ad assigned to it, it buts an empty container with nothing in it but the duration on the ad slot (in my case 10 minute) what will solve the problem is to skip the unassigned ad slots and but the assigned when in it's right order. the video will show you all the process.

Thanks.

Great the we have identified the bug, hope you fix it soon

That could explain it as in my tests all slots have been assigned.

As said, I return on the 5.6. and will fix that soon!

Hi Bernd, Hope you returned safely , any news about the update?!

I was looking at your provided videos again and at your 'test data/setup/configuration'.
I guess all is fine and by design

The issue is the following:
- you are preparing a template playlist for a future date and you have chosen to resolve overlays as embedded containers
- now you have several overlays/slots to which you currently (at the time of the creation of the template playlist) have not assigned any campaigns yet
- as such these overlays result in having (currently) no tracks assigned
- and as a result of this ProppFrexx 'displays' these dynamic embedded overlay entries with the approximate duration as defined in the overlay scheduler (in your case 10 minutes)
- whereas if the dynamic embedded overlay entries do already have advert campaigns assigned, the current estimated duration is being displayed
Or in other words:
- If a dynamic embedded overlay entry can be resolved its current estimated duration is shown
- If a dynamic embedded overlay entry has currently no tracks assigned its approximate duration (overlay duration) is shown

As the template playlist is for a future date, it might of course not reflect the 'exact' duration/time at the time when it is generated vs. when it is effectively played.
Note, that after the playlist generation ('simulation' as you call it) and before the effective playout you might still add campaigns, modify the overlay/slot assignement etc. - all that will be reflected at the effective playout time!
As such the above 'restriction' applies (the estimated duration is shown when entries are already available - else the overlay duration is shown).

Let me know, if you 'see' this behavior incorrect or 'wrong'...

Thx Bernd for your feedback, the description you mentioned is exactly what is happening, i had to delete all the empty embedded container to get the actual time of my playlist, as if i left them the playlist estimated time will be for ex. 10 hours instead of 5 hours, i generate my playlist, resolve the actual overlays in it, record my voice tracks, and close it, that's the process, having an empty overlays of course should cause me a big problem in playlist effective time specially in recording VT, i hope that only the overlay that exist in an ad slots that's the one would be generated, if there is an empty one, just skip it don't insert it's duration and if u want to add/remove or modify campaign sure i will open the playlist manually and do any desired modifications, hope you fix it soon.

I try to explain this again, as this is not a bug, so I am afraid, that there is not much to fix...maybe a new option to include, but I need to check this...

Let's assume you run the playlist wizard on the 5th of a month for a target date of the 10th of the month.
And you have defined 3 (advert) overlays which are due within the target time.
But on the 5th there is one advert slot (overlay) to which on that date currently no campaign is assigned.
If I would now skip this overlay and NOT include that into the playlist (as a dynamic item) it would NEVER be resolved - even if on the 6th or 7th someone would effectively assign some campaigns to it.
This fact would also be seen as a bug!
As such I do include ALL defined overlays into the template playlist (even currently 'empty')!
And if you do not want to have these 'empty' items being further included...yes, you can simply delete them manually - but I guess there is no real way to decide this automatically by default...think of other customers with other requirements...

However you should also note, that at the time when the playlist template is effectively played out - that at this time any dynamic container which resolves to no entries will be skipped automatically.