evertz MetaCast 2 User manual

MetaCast 2
Instruction Manual
© Copyright 2000, 2001, 2002
EVERTZ MICROSYSTEMS LTD.
5288 John Lucas Drive, Burlington, Ontario, Canada, L7L 5Z9
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Internet: Sales: [email protected]
Tech Support: [email protected]om
Web Page: http://www.evertz.com
Version 2.0 March 2002
The material contained in this manual consists of information that is the property of Evertz Microsystems and is
intended solely for the use of purchasers of MetaCast 2. Evertz Microsystems expressly prohibits the use of this
manual for any purpose other than the operation of the device.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of
Evertz Microsystems Ltd. Copies of this guide can be ordered from your Evertz products dealer or from Evertz
Microsystems.

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
Revision 2.0
REVISION HISTORY
REVISION DESCRIPTION DATE
1.0 Metacast 1 Version Feb 00
2.0 MetaCast 2 Version Mar 02

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
Revision 2.0
This page left intentionally blank

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
Revision 2.0 i
Table of Contents
1. GETTING STARTED...........................................................................................................1-1
1.1. CHOOSING A CONFIGURATION........................................................................................ 1-1
1.1.1. Loading/Creating a Playlists................................................................................... 1-1
1.1.2. Connecting to an Encoder...................................................................................... 1-2
1.1.3. Connecting to a Logo Inserter ................................................................................ 1-2
1.1.4. Sending Data.......................................................................................................... 1-3
1.1.5. Automation ............................................................................................................. 1-3
1.2. LOGO RULES ...................................................................................................................... 1-4
1.3. PLAYLIST PROPERTIES..................................................................................................... 1-4
1.3.1. File Name ............................................................................................................... 1-4
1.3.2. Version ................................................................................................................... 1-4
1.3.3. Rating System ........................................................................................................ 1-4
1.3.4. Airdate .................................................................................................................... 1-4
1.3.5. Optional Properties................................................................................................. 1-5
1.4. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EVENTS ............................................................................. 1-6
1.5. PRIMARY LOG..................................................................................................................... 1-6
1.6. PRIMARY LOGO .................................................................................................................. 1-7
1.7. PRIMARY PROGRAM.......................................................................................................... 1-7
1.8. SECONDARY LOGO............................................................................................................ 1-9
1.9. SECONDARY PROGRAM ................................................................................................... 1-9
1.10. SECONDARY V-CHIP LOGO .............................................................................................. 1-9
1.11. PLAYLIST RIPPLING.........................................................................................................1-10
1.11.1. No Ripple.............................................................................................................. 1-10
1.11.2. Soft Ripple............................................................................................................ 1-11
1.11.3. Hard Ripple .......................................................................................................... 1-11
1.12. STATION PAGE ................................................................................................................. 1-11
1.12.1. Lights.................................................................................................................... 1-12
1.13. STATUS BAR ..................................................................................................................... 1-12
1.13.1. Hardware Status................................................................................................... 1-12
1.13.1.1. Encoder Status..................................................................................................1-13
1.13.1.2. Logo Inserter Status ..........................................................................................1-13
1.13.1.3. Logging Status ..................................................................................................1-13
1.13.2. Misc. Status.......................................................................................................... 1-13
1.14. RATING SYSTEMS ............................................................................................................1-14
1.14.1. TVPG RATINGS................................................................................................... 1-14
1.14.1.1. TV Parental Guidance Rating Categories .........................................................1-14
1.14.1.2. TVPG Flags.......................................................................................................1-15
1.14.2. MPAA Ratings ...................................................................................................... 1-15
1.14.2.1. MPAA Rating Categories ..................................................................................1-16

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
ii Revision 2.0
1.14.3. Canadian English Ratings .................................................................................... 1-17
1.14.3.1. Canadian English Rating Categories ................................................................1-17
1.14.4. Canadian French Ratings..................................................................................... 1-18
1.14.4.1. Canadian French Rating Categories.................................................................1-18
2. PLAYLISTS ........................................................................................................................ 2-1
2.1. CREATING A PLAYLIST USING THE BUILT-IN EDITOR .................................................. 2-1
2.1.1. Overview ................................................................................................................ 2-1
2.1.2. New Playlist............................................................................................................ 2-1
2.1.3. Editing the Playlist .................................................................................................. 2-2
2.2. START TIME, DURATION.................................................................................................... 2-2
2.3. DAY....................................................................................................................................... 2-2
2.4. NAME.................................................................................................................................... 2-3
2.5. RATING ................................................................................................................................ 2-3
2.6. TYPE..................................................................................................................................... 2-3
2.7. URL, WEB DESCRIPTION, WEB TYPE AND WEB EXPIRY.............................................. 2-3
2.8. UPSTREAM BLOCKING...................................................................................................... 2-3
2.9. SAVING THE PLAYLIST...................................................................................................... 2-4
3. IMPORTING ENTERPRISE LOGS..................................................................................... 3-1
3.1. STRETCH PRIMARY PROGRAM EVENTS TO BE CONTINUOUS ................................... 3-2
3.1.1. Enable T2 for Events with 'U' Flag.......................................................................... 3-2
3.2. PLAYLIST FILE SPECIFICATIONS..................................................................................... 3-2
3.2.1. Overview ................................................................................................................ 3-2
3.2.2. File Naming ............................................................................................................ 3-2
3.2.3. File Format ............................................................................................................. 3-3
3.2.4. File Header............................................................................................................. 3-3
3.2.5. Playlist Columns..................................................................................................... 3-6
3.2.6. Playlist Body........................................................................................................... 3-7
3.2.6.1. EventType ...........................................................................................................3-7
3.2.6.2. Start.....................................................................................................................3-8
3.2.6.3. Name...................................................................................................................3-8
3.2.6.4. Duration...............................................................................................................3-8
3.2.6.5. Rating..................................................................................................................3-8
3.2.6.6. Type ....................................................................................................................3-8
3.2.6.7. Day ......................................................................................................................3-8
3.2.6.8. URL .....................................................................................................................3-9
3.2.6.9. WebDesc.............................................................................................................3-9
3.2.6.10. WebType.............................................................................................................3-9
3.2.6.11. WebDate .............................................................................................................3-9
3.2.6.12. Block....................................................................................................................3-9
3.2.6.13. Pass ....................................................................................................................3-9
3.3. EXAMPLE............................................................................................................................. 3-9
3.4. AIRING THE PLAYLIST ..................................................................................................... 3-10

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
Revision 2.0 iii
4. PAGES................................................................................................................................4-1
4.1. AUTOMATION PAGE........................................................................................................... 4-1
4.1.1. Toolbar ................................................................................................................... 4-2
4.1.2. Context Menu ......................................................................................................... 4-2
4.1.2.1. Add Row..............................................................................................................4-2
4.1.2.2. Delete Row..........................................................................................................4-2
4.1.2.3. Play from Here ....................................................................................................4-2
4.1.2.4. Skip to Next Row.................................................................................................4-3
4.1.2.5. Stop Automation..................................................................................................4-3
4.1.2.6. Toggle Load by Date ...........................................................................................4-3
4.1.2.7. Open/Load ..........................................................................................................4-3
4.1.2.8. Update List ..........................................................................................................4-3
4.1.3. Lights...................................................................................................................... 4-3
4.2. CLOCKS PAGE.................................................................................................................... 4-4
4.2.1. Toolbar ................................................................................................................... 4-5
4.2.2. Lights...................................................................................................................... 4-5
4.3. ENCODER STATUS PAGE.................................................................................................. 4-5
4.3.1. Toolbar ................................................................................................................... 4-7
4.3.2. Lights...................................................................................................................... 4-7
4.4. LOGGING PAGE .................................................................................................................. 4-8
4.4.1. Toolbar ................................................................................................................... 4-8
4.4.2. Lights...................................................................................................................... 4-9
4.5. LOGO INSERTER STATUS PAGE...................................................................................... 4-9
4.5.1. Columns ............................................................................................................... 4-10
4.5.2. ToolBar................................................................................................................. 4-11
4.5.3. Lights.................................................................................................................... 4-12
4.6. MESSAGE PAGE ...............................................................................................................4-12
4.6.1. Lights.................................................................................................................... 4-13
4.7. PROGRAM OVERRIDE PAGE .......................................................................................... 4-13
4.7.1. Toolbar ................................................................................................................. 4-15
4.7.2. Lights.................................................................................................................... 4-15
5. FORMS ...............................................................................................................................5-1
5.1. CHANNEL STATUS .............................................................................................................5-1
5.2. CREATING CUSTOM FILENAMES ..................................................................................... 5-2
5.3. NEW PLAYLIST OPTIONS .................................................................................................. 5-3
5.3.1. New Playlists .......................................................................................................... 5-4
5.3.1.1. Recurring Playlist ................................................................................................5-4
5.3.1.2. Unique Playlist.....................................................................................................5-4
5.3.1.3. MetaCast Playlist Wizard ....................................................................................5-5
5.4. PROGRAM TYPE ................................................................................................................. 5-7
5.5. PROGRAM TYPE MAPPING ............................................................................................... 5-8
5.6. SAVE OPTIONS ................................................................................................................... 5-9
5.7. WEB LINKS .......................................................................................................................... 5-9

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
iv Revision 2.0
6. OPTIONS............................................................................................................................ 6-1
6.1. ENCODER STATUS OPTIONS............................................................................................ 6-1
6.1.1. Warning Colours..................................................................................................... 6-2
6.2. OPTIONAL PROPERTIES OPTIONS .................................................................................. 6-2
6.3. PLAYLIST COLOURS.......................................................................................................... 6-3
6.4. PLAYLIST COLUMNS.......................................................................................................... 6-4
6.4.1. Showing / Hiding Columns ..................................................................................... 6-5
6.4.2. Formatting Columns ............................................................................................... 6-5
6.5. V-CHIP LOGO MAPPING..................................................................................................... 6-6
7. AUTOMATING METACAST............................................................................................... 7-1
7.1. METACAST AUTOMATION................................................................................................. 7-1
7.2. BROADCAST TIME.............................................................................................................. 7-2
7.3. CLOCKS ............................................................................................................................... 7-2
7.3.1. Time Source ........................................................................................................... 7-3
7.3.2. Setting the Time ..................................................................................................... 7-3
7.3.2.1. PC Clock .............................................................................................................7-4
7.3.2.2. Encoder...............................................................................................................7-5
7.3.2.3. Manual.................................................................................................................7-5
7.3.3. Daylight Saving Time ............................................................................................. 7-5
7.3.3.1. PC Clock .............................................................................................................7-6
7.3.3.2. Encoder or Manual..............................................................................................7-6
7.3.4. Synchronizing Clocks ............................................................................................. 7-6
8. FILE SPECIFICATIONS ..................................................................................................... 8-1
8.1. LEGACY PLAYLIST FILE FORMATS ................................................................................. 8-1
8.2. PLAYLIST FILE SPECIFICATIONS V. 2.01 ........................................................................ 8-1
8.2.1. Header.................................................................................................................... 8-1
8.2.2. Air Date .................................................................................................................. 8-1
8.2.3. Rating System ........................................................................................................ 8-1
8.2.4. Column Headers .................................................................................................... 8-2
8.2.5. Body ....................................................................................................................... 8-2
8.2.6. Example ................................................................................................................. 8-3
8.3. LOGO MAP FILES ............................................................................................................... 8-3
8.3.1. File Specifications .................................................................................................. 8-3
8.3.2. Example ................................................................................................................. 8-4
9. CREATING A PLAYLIST USING ENTERPRISE'S BMS TRAFFIC SYSTEM ................... 9-1
9.1. OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................... 9-1
9.2. REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................. 9-1
9.3. ASSUMPTION: ..................................................................................................................... 9-1

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
Revision 2.0 v
9.4. SEPARATION OF LOGO BUG EVENTS AND EVERTZ RATING EVENTS: ..................... 9-2
9.4.1. Building The V-Chip Encoding Events in BMS....................................................... 9-2
9.4.2. File to be sent to Evertz.......................................................................................... 9-4
9.4.3. How Evertz and Louth detect a V-Chip Rating event in Enterprise files:................ 9-4
9.4.4. Rules for Extracting V-Chip Rating Data From Enterprise File .............................. 9-6
9.5. DEFAULT PROGRAMS ....................................................................................................... 9-7
9.5.1. Default Program Fields........................................................................................... 9-8
9.5.1.1. Name...................................................................................................................9-8
9.5.1.2. Type.....................................................................................................................9-8
9.5.1.3. Rating ..................................................................................................................9-8
9.5.1.4. Web .....................................................................................................................9-9
9.5.1.5. Upstream Blocking ..............................................................................................9-9
9.5.2. Buttons ................................................................................................................... 9-9
9.5.2.1. Playlist Properties................................................................................................9-9
9.5.2.2. Reset ...................................................................................................................9-9
10. TROUBLESHOOTING ......................................................................................................10-1
10.1. TROUBLESHOOTING ENCODER COMMUNICATIONS.................................................. 10-1
10.1.1. Cannot Detect Encoder ........................................................................................ 10-1
10.1.2. Errors Sending / Removing Packets .................................................................... 10-1
10.2. TROUBLESHOOTING LOGO INSERTER COMMUNICATIONS ...................................... 10-2
11. CONTACT INFORMATION...............................................................................................11-1
12. INDEX ...............................................................................................................................12-1

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
Revision 2.0 Page 1-1
1. GETTING STARTED
1.1. CHOOSING A CONFIGURATION
When opening MetaCast you are prompted to choose a configuration. Having separate configuration files
allows you to run multiple sessions of MetaCast using different settings on one computer. A default
configuration file 'default.evc' ships with MetaCast. To create a new configuration you can simply type a
name into the text box and click OK. Alternatively you can create a configuration based on another
configuration by selecting a file from the list, typing in a new name and clicking Create. Click Yes from the
prompt and then OK.
1.1.1. Loading/Creating a Playlists
In MetaCast, a playlist is a series of events that are played out in sequence to control a logo inserter,
caption encoder or caption decoder. There are three primary methods for creating a playlist in MetaCast:
using the built-in spreadsheet interface, importing an Enterprise BMS log file or writing a conversion utility
to create a MetaCast playlist file from another traffic or automation system.
It is recommended that the playlist not be created solely by hand in order to increase accuracy and
productivity. However, if the required data, i.e. program start time, name, duration, rating etc., is not
available elsewhere, then MetaCast provides a powerful interface for creating the files from scratch.
Depending on your situation, select one of the following links on how to create or load a playlist:
• Creating a Playlist using the Built-in Editor
• Importing an Enterprise BMS Log File
• Converting Traffic Files to MetaCast Playlists

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
Page 1-2 Revision 2.0
1.1.2. Connecting to an Encoder
If you plan to send XDS data (v-chip rating, program name, web link, time of day etc.) or want to
synchronize your PC clock with the 808X LTC reader then you must properly engage serial
communications between the PC and the encoder.
If you are using an Evertz 8070, 8075 or port A on the back of an Evertz 8074 you will need a NULL
modem cable with a unique pin configuration described in the manual you received with the encoder. If
you are connecting to port B or C on an 8074 or any port on an 8084, 8084AD or 8085 then you will need
an ordinary NULL modem cable which you can purchase at any computer supply store. If you plan to use
hardware handshaking, the recommended operating mode, you must ensure that all of the required lines
are connected in the cable, including the RTS and CTS lines.
With a cable running from a serial COM port on the back of the PC to port A, B or C on the back of the
encoder, the next step is to ensure that both devices are using the same communication settings. For the
encoder, these can be selected from the front panel engineering menu. Check your encoder manual on
how to change the port settings. It is recommended that the box be set at 9600 baud, 8 data bits and no
parity.
The next step is to configure MetaCast to the same settings. The encoder communication settings can be
found under Comm Settings in the Encoder menu. On the dialog form, select the port to which the encoder
is connected and choose the same settings in the designated comboboxes. For handshaking, it is
recommended that 'Hardware' be selected but this requires all pins to be connected in the serial cable.
Once configured, If the response window is not visible on the right side of the screen, click Responses
from the View menu. Select Connect from the Encoder menu and watch the All or Encoder tab for
indication of a successful connection. Also, if the statusbar is visible on the bottom of the screen, the left
most panel should say 'Online' and turn green.
If the panel turns red or the response window indicates an error see Encoder Communication Problems for
more information.
1.1.3. Connecting to a Logo Inserter
If you wish to control onscreen logos from MetaCast you will need to successfully engage serial
communications between the PC and an Evertz 9525LG, or 9525DSK-LG Logo Inserter.
First, attach a straight-through serial cable, the NULL modem cable used for the encoder will not work,
between a COM port on the back of the PC and the COM 1 port on the back of the logo inserter.
Click Com Settings in the Logo Generator menu and select the PC port to which the generator is
connected as well as the desired baud rate. It is recommended that the box be operated at 38400 baud.
The generator will automatically detect the baud settings and so the box does not need to be configured
separately.
Once configured, if the response page and the logo page are not visible on the right side of the screen,
click their respective items in the View menu. Next, click the Connect button on the Logo Generator
toolbar and monitor the response window for confirmation that communications were successful. The first
light on the Logo panel should turn green if successful; if the light turns red then see Logo Inserter
Communications Problems for more information

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
Revision 2.0 Page 1-3
1.1.4. Sending Data
Once connected to the required devices, MetaCast must be instructed to begin encoding the XDS data
and to start displaying logos. For this to happen, you must air the playlist by clicking 'Air Playlist' from
either the main toolbar or the Playlist menu. If MetaCast was able to find the current broadcast time within
the playlist or shortly preceding it, the second and third last panels in the status bar will begin counting
down to the next logo and program event respectively. Additionally, any events that are currently active
will be highlighted in the event grid according to the colours defined on the Options/Playlist/Colours dialog.
If MetaCast could not find the current program see Airing your Playlist for more information.
With MetaCast actively running the playlist, logo events will now be sent to the inserter as required. To
send XDS data, you must select 'Encode Playlist' from the Encoder menu. The active program should now
change colour and if any of the program fields contain data, messages will appear on the Response page
indicating they have been sent and the appropriate XDS packets should appear in the Encoder Status
grid. If this does not happen, see Troubleshooting XDS Encoding.
1.1.5. Automation
With a playlist running and the appropriate XDS data and logos being triggered, the next step is to setup
MetaCast automation so that future playlists can be loaded and activated without user intervention.
If the automation page is not visible on the right side of the screen, click 'Automation' from the View menu.
Automation in MetaCast is handled as a list of playlist files that should be run in order and then looped
after the last one expires. By default, the only item in the list should be the current playlist you are running.
The simplest method to automate playlist loading is to append events to the end of the list by clicking the
'Add Automation Entry' button and then double clicking the new row in the File column and selecting a
new playlist. You can also drag files from a Windows folder and then rearrange their order by left-clicking
an entry and dragging it up or down through the list; the black bar shows where the entry will be placed.
Once you have a sequence of playlist files, select the row where you wish automation to begin and then
click the Run button . If you have not yet saved the current playlist, i.e. the MetaCast title bar displays
'[New Playlist]', you will be prompted to do so now. If you choose not to save, than you will lose the new
playlist and it will be removed from the automation list. MetaCast will than proceed to load each item in the
list until it can find one that covers the current time. If it loops through the entire list without finding a
current playlist then it will stop automation. See Airing your Playlist for more information in this situation.
For more sophisticated automation, MetaCast can also load date-specific playlists if programmed to
recognize your file naming format. See Automating MetaCast for more information on this.

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
Page 1-4 Revision 2.0
1.2. LOGO RULES
When automating logos with MetaCast there are a number of rules regarding logo placement and timing
that must be adhered to so that the hardware can display the logos as expected. MetaCast will warn you if
your playlist breaks any of these rules by replacing the event type icon on the left side of the event grid
with a yellow exclamation mark. Right-clicking the offending event and selecting 'View Event Warnings' will
explain the problem.
• There are can only be six logos on screen at any given time.
• Only one animation can be playing at a time. Animated logos are distinguished in MetaCast by
appending a '(ANI)' to the end of the name in the event grid or in the 'Animation' column in the Logo
Inserter Status grid. You must have firmware version 1.06 build 113 or greater for MetaCast to be able
to distinguish animated logos from still ones. See your logo inserter manual for information on
checking and upgrading your firmware.
• New logos cannot be cued while an animation is running. If still logos are to be faded in while an
animation is running, they must be cued previous to when the animation began playing. MetaCast will
attempt to do this automatically.
• Logos cannot overlap. In the logo inserter hardware, the screen is divided into nine equal regions like
a tic tac toe board. You may only have one logo in each of the regions at any time. Logos that span
more than one region will prohibit other logos from appearing in any of the covered regions.
1.3. PLAYLIST PROPERTIES
This dialog allows you to view or edit various properties associated with the playlist. Some properties such
as Call Letters and Station Name do not refer to the playlist itself but the station that is airing the playlist.
1.3.1. File Name
The name of the playlist file. The field will show 'New Playlist' if you have not yet saved your playlist.
1.3.2. Version
The file version of the current playlist. All files created within MetaCast 2 or imported will appear as version
3.00 whereas files created from earlier version of MetaCast will appear as versions 1 or 2.
1.3.3. Rating System
The rating system for which the playlist was created.
1.3.4. Airdate
These controls allow you change whether your playlist will air on multiple days, a.k.a a recurring playlist, or
whether it is intended for one date in particular, a.k.a. a unique playlist. If you select a unique playlist, the
Set button allows you to choose the air date.

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
Revision 2.0 Page 1-5
1.3.5. Optional Properties
These controls allow you to define optional properties associated with the playlist. These properties will be
saved in the playlist file but may or not be used depending on the Optional Properties page in the options
dialog. To add a new property, either type in a name in the combobox or select one from the dropdown
list. Enter the desired data in the text box immediately below and then click 'Add'. The value should appear
in the grid at the bottom of the page. Adding an existing property will update it and clicking 'Delete' will
remove it. The status column in the properties grid indicates whether the property is being used, i.e. 'Valid'
or being ignored as set on the Optional Properties page. If the status indicates 'N/A' then that property is
not used by MetaCast and serves only as a reference for the user. The 'Get Data' button will retrieve
information from various sources in MetaCast depending on what property you have selected in the
combobox.

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
Page 1-6 Revision 2.0
1.4. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EVENTS
In MetaCast there are two levels of events: primary and secondary. Secondary events must always belong
to a primary event and are usually referred to as children of the primary and likewise the primary can be
called the parent event.
The primary difference between secondary and primary events is in the start time. For primary events, the
start time is in 24 hour format and relates directly to the broadcast clock. For example a primary event with
a start time of 13:00:00 will become active at 1:00 PM. In contrast the start time for a secondary event is
recorded as an offset from it's primary parent. For example, a secondary event has a start time of 00:05:00
and its parent a start time of 13:00:00, the secondary event will become active at 1:05 PM. The offset start
time is indicated by a plus sign in front of the time.
Secondary events cannot extend beyond the duration of primary events and will be clipped if you enter a
duration that is too long.
Only program events can have secondary events as children and they will appear as branches under the
'P' icon in the event type column to the left of the event grid. A small arrow also appears next to the 'P' icon
when the a program has secondary events. If the arrow points down, double-clicking the icon will display
the secondary events. If the arrow points up, double-clicking the icon will hide the secondary events.
For secondary logo and secondary v-chip logo events, the necessary logos will be controlled according to
the event times and will not effect other logos, be they primary or secondary, within the Logo rules.
However, since only one set of XDS data may be encoded at once, secondary program events will
supercede their parents for their duration. When they are complete, MetaCast will return to sending the
parent. If an active secondary event is hidden, it's parent will be highlighted.

See Also:
Primary Program, Secondary Program, Primary Logo, Secondary Logo, Secondary V-Chip Logo, Primary
Log
1.5. PRIMARY LOG
Primary logging events allow you to decode captions out of CC1 of the video stream using an Evertz 80xx
Closed Caption encoder and write the results to a time stamped file. Since multiple logs can be written at
once, MetaCast allows you to overlap as many logging events as you wish.
Logs appear by default as light red rows in the playlist with a small book icon in the event type column.
Apart from the universal start time, day and duration columns, the only field used by logging events is the
name. The name column represents the prefix of the file name to which MetaCast will append a date
stamp before saving.
Once you Air your Playlist, active logs will appear on the Logging Status page.

See Also:
Primary Program, Secondary Program, Primary Logo, Secondary Logo, Secondary V-Chip Logo

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
Revision 2.0 Page 1-7
1.6. PRIMARY LOGO
Primary logo events allow you to control an Evertz 9525 Logo Inserter and therefore the ability to fade in
and fade out graphics on screen. The logos must already be in the box by downloading them through
Evertz Instalogo software. You must also be connected to a logo inserter and have retrieved the box's logo
list, see Getting Started for more information.
The hardware allows you to have up to six logos on screen at once so, unlike program events, MetaCast
allows logo events to overlap. Since larger logos can take a noticeable amount of time to be prepared for
display by the hardware, MetaCast will automatically cue logos before their start time when they will be
faded in. MetaCast will then fade the logo out once the event duration has transpired. If MetaCast cannot
perform either the cue, fade in or fade out operations, a yellow exclamation mark will appear in the far left
event type column. Right-clicking the event and selecting 'View Event Warnings' will give you more
information on the problem.
Primary logos appear by default as light blue rows in the event grid with a small picture icon in the event
type column. If you have aired the current playlist, active logos will appear by default in a darker shade of
blue. Both of these colours can be changed through the Options page.
The only field that applies to logo events, aside from the universal start time, day and duration, is the
name field. This represents the name of the logo as it is stored in the logo inserter. if you are connected to
a logo inserter and have retrieved a list of logos then when editing this field you can simply select a logo
from the drop down list. If you are in an offline setup then you must enter the logo names exactly.
Particularly pay attention to capitalization since the logo inserter is case sensitive. When you do load the
playlist online, MetaCast will indicate what logos could not be found in the box.

See Also:
Primary Program, Secondary Program, Secondary Logo, Secondary V-Chip Logo, Primary Log
1.7. PRIMARY PROGRAM
Primary program events trigger data to be encoded in line 21 of the video stream in association with the
current program. This data, except for web links that appear in text channel 2, is called the Extended Data
Service (XDS) and is placed in field two. To broadcast program events you must be connected to an
Evertz 80XX Closed Caption encoder, see Getting Started for more information.
Since only one program can be broadcast at any time it makes sense that you can only encode one set of
XDS packets at a time. Correspondingly, MetaCast does not allow program events to overlap i.e. one
event must end before the next can begin. The exception to this is secondary program events which
momentarily supercede their parent, see below for more information. When a playlist is aired, MetaCast
will highlight the current program event using the colours you defined on the Options page. The statusbar
will also indicate the time remaining in the current program. If no events are highlighted in your list, see
Airing your Playlist for more information. To begin sending XDS, you must click 'Encode Playlist' in the
Encoder menu. The Encoder Status page will indicate what packets are being sent and that they came
from the playlist.

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
Page 1-8 Revision 2.0
Primary program events appear as white rows in the playlist and have an accompanying 'P' icon in the
event type column on the far left side. If the 'P' icon has a small arrow next to it then there are secondary
events associated with that program. When the air points downwards, double-clicking the icon will unhide
the secondary events. if the arrow points upwards then a double-clicking will hide the secondary events.
Secondary events behave exactly the same as primary events in that they can control either a line 21
encoder or a logo inserter. The difference is that secondary events are entered as offset from their
parents, see Primary and Secondary Events for more information. When you edit a primary program data
field like program name or rating, the value will carry over to secondary programs if a specific value has
not been set for them previously.
The following are the valid fields for program events:
Field Name Description
Name Up to 32 characters that describe the contents of the current program.
The program name is encoded as packet '0103' according to the EIA-608
standards.
Rating The V-Chip rating for the current program ha defined by the current
rating system. Packet '0105'.
Type The type/category of program as defined by selecting appropriate
keywords. Packet '0104'.
Web URL A URL that links the current program to associated information on the
web. Encoded in text channel 2.
Web Type The type of web link i.e. sponsor, network, station etc. Encoded as part
of the web URL.
Web Description A text description of the web page. Encoded as part of the web URL.
Web Expiry The last date on which this page will be valid. Encoded as part of the
web URL.
Upstream
Blocking
Allows you to control what upstream information will be allowed to pass
downstream for the duration of this event.
Note: If a field does not appear in the playlist grid you can unhide it by right-clicking the column headers
and selecting 'Show/Hide Columns'. See Playlist Columns for more information.

See Also:
Secondary Program, Primary Logo, Secondary Logo, Secondary V-Chip Logo, Primary Log

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
Revision 2.0 Page 1-9
1.8. SECONDARY LOGO
Secondary logos behave identically to primary logos in that they allow you fade in and fade out on screen
graphics through an Evertz 9525 Logo Inserter. The major difference is that like all secondary events,
secondary logos are intended to control data that changes over the course of a program. This means that
start times are entered as offsets from the beginning of the parent program event and the duration may not
extend beyond the duration of the parent program event.
One possible use for secondary logos is to hide and show station ID logos around commercial breaks.
They also have the benefit of moving in relation to their parent program regardless of what ripple method
is being used.
Secondary logos appear by default as light blue rows in the playlist which become dark blue when active.
See Airing your Playlist for information on how events become active.

See Also:
Primary Program, Primary Logo, Secondary Logo, Secondary V-Chip Logo, Primary Log
1.9. SECONDARY PROGRAM
Secondary events behave identically to primary programs in respect to controlling Evertz Closed Caption
encoding hardware. Specifically, they will control encoding of Extended Data Service (XDS) information
such as program name, rating and web link in association with the currently airing program. See Primary
Programs for more information on what data can be encoded and how to begin encoding.
The major difference is that secondary programs are intended to supercede primary events for a certain
period of the program. This can be used to alter the rating for a specific scene or possibly to update a web
page to precisely match the programs content. Since the secondary program falls within the primary, its
start time is entered as an offset so that if,for example, a primary program begins at eleven o'clock and
you wish to change the rating at a 11:05, you would enter 00:05 as the start time of the secondary
program.
By default secondary program events appear as pale yellow rows in the playlist and have a 'P' icon in the
left most column identical to primary program events.

See Also:
Primary Program, Primary Logo, Secondary Logo, Secondary V-Chip Logo, Primary Log
1.10. SECONDARY V-CHIP LOGO
Secondary V-Chip logos behave indentically to normal secondary logos except that the logo name is
linked to the rating of the parent program. Using a V-Chip logo map available from the Options page,
MetaCast will find the appropriate logo to display whenever you change the rating of the primary program.
You can choose to have MetaCast automatically insert V-Chip logos into your playlist when opening new
playlists using the Logos page on the Options form.

See Also:
Primary Program, Secondary Program, Primary Logo, Secondary Logo, Primary Log

MetaCast II Instruction Manual
Page 1-10 Revision 2.0
1.11. PLAYLIST RIPPLING
To make editing playlist event times simpler, MetaCast provides a sophisticated rippling system that
automatically adjusts adjacent programs to accomodate your changes. Since, program events cannot
overlap, the rippling system will shift programs earlier or later in the day to leave room for the program you
are editing. Playlist ripples are initiated after you change the start time or duration of a primary or
secondary program event. The method used to ripple events depends on the current ripple mode which
can be set from the Playlist menu or on the Playlist toolbar.
1.11.1. No Ripple
This mode allows you to safely edit program events while minimizing the effects to the rest of
your playlist. If you extend the duration or set the start time to begin later in the day, MetaCast will
clip future events so that they begin immediately after the event you have changed. This will
result in the duration of events being shortened so that other events that fall outside of your
change will begin as originally scheduled. Similarly, if you adjust a program so that it begins
earlier in the playlist, earlier events will be shortened so that they end immediately when the new
program begins. In both cases, if the program to be moved is surrounded by empty air space then
no other events will be affected.
As in all ripple modes, secondary events are moved along with their parents and will be clipped if
their parent's duration is shortened. Also, other logo and log events are not affected by this ripple
mode since they can be aired simultaneously along with the programs.