TX workflow and MAM

The amount of professionally produced content being delivered to consumers is forever increasing. Alongside this content there is a large amount of auxiliary information that also needs to be tracked, including extra audios, VOD metadata, graphics, voiceovers and much more. Controlling this flow of media and metadata is a complex operation, that without the appropriate systems can be time consuming and error prone. Busby provides all the tools needed to make these workflows as straightforward as possible, automating what can be automated, and providing user interfaces where an operator is required.

Busby provides to tools to bridge the gap between scheduling and automation. Traditionally scheduling systems make daily schedules and automation systems read daily playlists – operators are required to export and import these files. This approach requires a lot of manual operation, and potentially complex bespoke translation software. Using Busby it is possible to bridge this gap, this page describes how Busby can help.

Busby is the perfect solution for creating schedule and as run translators.

Schedules can arrive as files on mount points, on (S)FTP, S3, Azure Blob storage or through an HTTP API. Once they arrive in Busby there are tools for handling many different base formats – JSON, xml, CSV and BXF.

Using Busby’s low-code framework the incoming format is translated either into the Busby canonical format or directly to the end format. This can include all secondary events, with the ability to generate schedules containing breaks, graphics, logos, VOs, SCTE.

Once generated there are a number of options depending on the downstream automation system. At its simplest a file can be delivered, at the other end of sophistication the automation system can be automatically edited to match the incoming data from the scheduling system within various lock window constraints.

Input endpoints	NFS, SMB, FTP, SFTP, S3, Azure Blob, API
Input formats	CSV, Fixed width, XML, JSON, BXF, custom
Output formats	BXF, BcNexxt, AMPP Playout X, Morpheus, custom
Validation	Validate incoming schedules, send return errors and/or create Busby alarms and notifications
Check schedules	Check schedules match rules, based on channel configuration
Augment schedules	Modify schedules based on rules – eg add text to coming up next graphics
Multiple TX chains	Separate TX chain from channel, to allow for multiple TX chains playing out the same channel
Connect to MAM	Send requests to MAM as schedules arrive to ensure automation system has correct content
Live update of automation	Use BXF or automation API to live update the automation system within a configurable lock window
As run collection	Collect and collate as-runs across multiple TX chains
Multi-tenant support	Create whole schedule translation applications, to support multiple channel groups and tenants

Graphics editing	Customisable forms for different graphics elements – eg End Credit Squeeze
Voiceover recording	Built in VO recording system. Shows VO artist prioritised list of events to record – they can then record straight from Busby.
Automatic updates	Rules can be applied to schedules to augment them automatically. This can be for source look up, to add SCTE info, to create coming up graphics etc. The whole Busby suite of services is available during these updates.
Preview schedules	Create secondary schedules from incoming schedules that are suitable for preview
Merge schedules	Sometimes automation systems require merging data from multiple systems, Busby provides tools for handling this merging