The pcmovieman.com NSV Scheduler beta .00000001

No documentation except this.

This app is used to schedule FEATURES, COMMERCIALS, and FILLER

FEATURES: movies, cartoons, live cow milking exhibitions, etc.

FILLER: Content that's played when a current feature ends and there's no scheduled FEATURE.

COMMERCIALS: NSV commercials ( typically 15-90 seconds ) that are INJECTED into
the FEATURE and FILLER streams.

Restrictions:


Currently testing on: http://pcmovieman.sprynetwork.net:8052/;stream.nsv
Current Schedule Data: http://www.pcmovieman.com/pcm/tv.asp

A 'Packaged' distribution.
http://www.pcmovieman.com/nsv1/nsvSchedulerPackage.zip

All ( 99%) of configurations are done via the msaccess database EXCEPT
the 'headers.txt' file

Steps:
1: unzip and install
2: edit 'headers.txt' in the application main folder of this application to your server
3: edit the SERVER table in movies.mdb to suit your taste. Uncheck AUTOSTART off for first run
4: clear the SCHEDULE table in movies.mdb
5: add your own movies to the STREAMS table with FULL PATHS ( ie: c:\mymovies\test.nsv ).
You MUST have at least one each: FILLER, COMMERCIAL, AND FEATURE.

6: create a schedule in the SCHEDULE table by hand OR start the app and click AUTO SCHEDULE.


database clues:
Refer to the 'streams' table for movie data
refer to the 'schedule' table for playtimes
configure the SERVER table for your server

You'll also need to place a valid shoutcast headers.txt file
in the app directory. This should really have been configured
in the app and will be in the next rev.

Since it's VB it's relatively self documenting but
please ask any questions - my wife says I assume too much :)

I've already updated the app since this version but nothing
significant - I'm looking at the 'useability' factors now.

autoschedule takes any/all active movies from the 'streams' table
and populates one weeks worth of scheduling. It bases it's decision
on the 'runtime' value for each stream.

The newer version I have adds randomization to the 'autoschedule'.

Ideally the user needs to schedule all content by hand as it's
intention is a scheduler - NOT a randomizer. This is tedious but
so is the program manager's job in real life. You need to juggle
all the streams runtime.

'Filler' streams will be played whenever a gap exists between
'feature' streams.

ie: feature 1 is has a runtime of minutes long but is really
only 5:30. This leaves 30 seconds of 'dead air' to be filled with
'filler' content. I believe filler streams should be no longer then 2
minutes in length otherwise they'll be cut off too quickly. In
my tests I'm using text ads with music as filler.

The majority of data fields are remarked so reading my notes on
the fields in msaccess will help clarify things.

Notes:

Due to buffering on the server end the play times are never
dead on. We may be streaming a film but you may not see it
for up to a minute later. Scheduling to the second is therefore
impossible.

All streams are compressed using the pcmovieman compression
settings from scvi.net - I haven't tested with other settings.

People DO respond to instream commercials. More extensive data to come.






Ken Anthony
KJA Consulting
10737 Westbrook Dr.
Orlando, FL. 32821 
Phone: 1-866-238-6809
Email: kja@rainfall.com 
http://www.rainfall.com
