Cisco ACNS Software Program Manager for IP/TV User Guide, Release 5.1 - Chapter 6: Managing Scheduled Programs [Cisco IP/TV Software]

Table Of Contents

Managing Scheduled Programs

Accessing Scheduled Programs

Creating a Scheduled Program

Assigning Programs to Channels

Program Schedule Options

Live-Capture Program Settings

Playing Media Clips Before a Live Event

Reviewing a Scheduled Program

Deleting a Scheduled Program

Editing a Scheduled Program

Duplicating a Scheduled Program

Recording Scheduled Programs

Scheduling a Recording

Creating a Multimedia Data Stream for the Recording

Setting Up the Recording

Reviewing a Recording

Deleting a Recording

Editing a Recording

Using Question Manager

Enabling Question Manager

Accessing Question Manager

Sending a Question to the Question Manager Moderator

Moderating an IP/TV Program

Sorting the Question List

Displaying the Full Text of a Question

Changing the Status of a Question

Displaying Questions in Table Form

Exporting the Question List for External Processing

Managing Scheduled Programs

This chapter contains procedures for defining and managing scheduled programs. Once defined, the programs are listed in the Scheduled Programs window. Topics covered include:

•Accessing Scheduled Programs

•Creating a Scheduled Program

•Reviewing a Scheduled Program

•Deleting a Scheduled Program

•Editing a Scheduled Program

•Duplicating a Scheduled Program

•Recording Scheduled Programs

•Using Question Manager

Accessing Scheduled Programs

In the IP/TV Program Manager main window, click the Scheduled Programs icon to display the Scheduled Programs window. (See Figure 6-1.)

Figure 6-1 Scheduled Programs Window

To sort the scheduled program list by program name, channel, server, or date and time, click one of the headings at the top of the list. The heading you click becomes the new sorting criterion.

For each scheduled program listed in the Scheduled Programs window, the display includes the program name and description, the channel, the source server, and up to three dates and times at which the program is scheduled to be shown.

For each scheduled program, some or all of the following links are available:

•The Review link takes you to the Review Scheduled Program window (see the "Reviewing a Scheduled Program" section).

•The Delete link takes you to the Delete Scheduled Program window (see the "Deleting a Scheduled Program" section).

•The Edit link takes you to the Edit Scheduled Program window (see the "Editing a Scheduled Program" section). This link is not available for programs originating on other IP/TV Program Managers.

•The Duplicate link takes you to the Duplicate Scheduled Program window (see the "Duplicating a Scheduled Program" section). This link is not available for programs originating on other IP/TV Program Managers.

•The Retry ACNS Network Import link initiates a new attempt to import the scheduled program into the ACNS network. (This link is available only for programs inserted into the ACNS network.)

Creating a Scheduled Program

To create a new scheduled program using IP/TV Program Manager, follow these steps:

Step 1 In the IP/TV Program Manager main window, click the Scheduled Programs link. The Scheduled Programs window appears. (See Figure 6-1.)

Step 2 In the Scheduled Programs window, click the New Program link in the banner bar. New Scheduled Program Channel Selection Window appears. (See Figure 6-2.) If IP/TV is set up as part of an ACNS network the New Scheduled Program window displays the ACNS Network Information section also. (See Figure 6-3.)

Figure 6-2 New Scheduled Program Channel Selection Window—Standalone IP/TV

Step 3 Choose a channel or choose None from the list. See the "Assigning Programs to Channels" section for more information about channels.

Step 4 Click a program type.

•If the program you want to create is a live-capture program, choose Basic Live Capture Program.

•If the program is intended to play a media file, choose Basic Media File Program.

•If you want to view all possible program options, choose Advanced Program (Show All Options).

Note If the program is to be inserted into an ACNS network, you must choose Advanced Program (Show All Options). In most other cases, either of the first two options is adequate to set up a program.

Figure 6-3 New Scheduled Program Window—IP/TV Integrated into an ACNS Network

Step 5 If you want to distribute the program over an ACNS network, follow Step 6 through Step 10. If you do not want to distribute the program over an ACNS network, go directly to Step 11.

Step 6 From the ACNS Network Information section of the New Scheduled Program window (see Figure 6-3), click the Select Website button to choose the ACNS network website.

The IP/TV: Browse Websites window appears, listing all the websites for which this IP/TV Program Manager is the origin server.

Note The ACNS Network Information section is displayed only if the IP/TV Program Manager is configured as a part of an ACNS network.

Step 7 Choose the website that has the channel to which you want to add the program.

Step 8 Click the Select Channel button.

The IP/TV: Browse Channels window appears. It lists all the live channels associated with the ACNS network website that you chose in Step 5.

Step 9 Choose the channel to which you want to add the program.

Step 10 Click Create Program to create a new scheduled program.

The New Scheduled Program window appears. (See Figure 6-4.) Depending on the program type you chose, some of the options shown may not appear. When IP/TV is integrated into an ACNS network, the New Scheduled Program window displays the name of the ACNS network channel with which the scheduled program is associated.

Figure 6-4 New Scheduled Program Window

Step 11 Enter the program name. Use a fairly short name, such as Third-Quarter Sales Projections or New Employee Orientation. This is a mandatory field.

Note IP/TV Program Manager permits a name up to 60 characters long. However, when the name of the program is displayed in IP/TV Viewer or on other IP/TV Program Manager windows, the name may be truncated to fit within the display area. For this reason, it is good practice to use short program names.

Step 12 In the Program Information section of the New Scheduled Program window, enter a description of the program. The Description field allows you to enter a longer description of the program than the Program Name field permits. The maximum number of characters permitted in the Description field is 512.

Step 13 If there is a website that provides additional information about the program, you can enter the URL in the URL field.

If you enter a URL, a user watching this program on IP/TV Viewer can click the URL and go to the website.

Step 14 If the program contains copyrighted material, you can enter a copyright statement in the Copyright field.

Step 15 If the program is not assigned to an IP/TV channel, you can set a password for the program by entering the password in both the Password and the Confirm Password fields. Only users who know the password are able to view the program. If the program is assigned to an IP/TV channel, it inherits the password from the channel.

Note Passwords are applicable only in standalone IP/TV environments. The ACNS network does not support password-protected programs. If the ACNS network information has been entered in the ACNS Network Information section of the New Scheduled Program Window, IP/TV Program Manager does not display the password fields in the New Scheduled Program window.

The password protects the audio, video, and SlideCast streams in the program. If the program includes a web presentation stream, the web presentation stream is not protected.

Note Password-protected programs cannot be viewed by users of the Apple QuickTime player. Such programs can only be viewed using IP/TV Viewer.

Step 16 If you want to enable Question Manager for this program, check the Question Manager check box. See the "Using Question Manager" section for more information about the Question Manager function.

Step 17 If you do not want the program to be announced or to appear in program listings, but you do want to save the program information, check the Hide the Program from Viewer/SAP Announcements check box.

Step 18 In the Schedule section of the window, enter the program schedule. (See Figure 6-5.)

Figure 6-5 Schedule Section of the New Scheduled Program Window

Table 6-1 briefly describes the schedule options.

Table 6-1 Program Schedule Options

Field

Description

Play Program Continuously

Sets the program as a continuously active program.

Play Program once on

Sets the date and time of the first showing of the program.

Length

Sets the total length of the program.

Do not repeat it

Limits the program to a single showing.

Repeat it every

Sets a simple repeat schedule.

Repeat it

Sets a more complex repeat schedule.

Last repeat ends on

Sets the end of the repeat schedule.

Step 19 In the Multimedia Source Information section of the New Scheduled Program window, enter information about the program.

If the program is assigned to a channel, nearly all of these options are determined by the channel defaults. In this case, the only options that appear are the check boxes for video, audio, SlideCast, and web presentation.

The options that appear on the window also differ depending on whether you chose Basic Live Capture Program, Basic Media File Program, or Advanced Program in the New Scheduled Program window.

Figure 6-6 shows an example of the options for a basic live-capture program.

Figure 6-6 Multimedia Source Information—Live-Capture Program

Table 6-2 describes the options in the Multimedia Source Information section for a basic live-capture program.

Table 6-2 Multimedia Source Information Options

Field

Description

Preferred Video Format

Defines the preferred video format. This field defaults to the format specified in the Preferences window. Choices include H.261, Indeo, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 full D1, MPEG-2 half D1, ISO MPEG-4, Microsoft MPEG-4, and other Video for Windows codecs.

Compression Quality

Sets the H.261 compression quality level. Applies only to live-capture video compressed with the H.261 codec. The default value is 8.

Preferred Audio Format

Sets the format to be used for live-capture audio. This field defaults to the format specified in the Preferences window.

Video Frame Size For `MPEG4 - ISO' Format (Width x Height)

Sets the ISO MPEG-4 frame format to either predefined or customized dimensions in pixels (width x height). Unlike other codecs, the resolution cannot be changed in the IP/TV Server configuration. By default, the Preferred Audio Format option is set to AAC, 32000 Hz stereo.

Refer to the Cisco IP/TV Broadcast Server User Guide for ISO MPEG-4 minimum requirements.

Play Video

Defines whether the video portion of the file or live-capture stream is included in the program. The Enable QoS?¹ check box allows you to choose to enable QoS, if supported on your network.

Play Audio

Defines whether the audio portion of the file or live-capture stream is included in the program. The Enable QoS?1 check box allows you to choose to enable QoS, if supported on your network.

Play SlideCast

Defines whether the program includes a SlideCast portion in addition to video or audio. The Enable QoS?1 check box allows you to choose to enable QoS, if supported on your network.

For basic live-capture programs two choices of SlideCast playback format are available: H.261 and MPEG-4.

Note A scheduled program cannot contain both SlideCast and web presentation portions.

See Chapter 8, "Managing Online Presentations," for information on the SlideCast feature.

Play Web Presentation

Defines whether the program is a web presentation in addition to video or audio.

For information on the Web Presenter feature, see Chapter 8, "Managing Online Presentations."

Note The Play Web Presentation and related options are not available for programs that are inserted into an ACNS network.

Multicast content to client (required for ScreenCaster)²

Pushes the HTML pages and embedded graphics files of the web presentation to the client browser. If this option is checked, the pages are multicast to all viewers. If the option is unchecked, the browser of each viewer individually requests the HTML pages, and the server unicasts the pages to each requester, which adds the cumulative bandwidth required to deliver the HTML pages to the bandwidth required for the program itself.

Serve Over MPEG2 Transport

Enables MPEG-2 transport streaming capability. The Preferred Video Format option must be set to MPEG-2 full D1 or MPEG-2 half D1. The Preferred Audio Format option must be set to MPEG. The MPEG-2 transport option allows a program with a valid MPEG-2 transport file to be streamed as a single composite stream, instead of separate audio and video streams. MP2T is the standard format used in the cable industry.

AudioPID

Specifies the audio packet ID (PID) of the program. The range is 16 through 8190.

VideoPID

Specifies the video packet ID (VID) of the program. The range is 16 through 8190.

Share SlideCast with³

Specifies whether the program you are defining includes the SlideCast stream from the program you choose in the list.

Share Presentation with3

Specifies whether the program you are defining includes the web presentation stream from the program you choose in the list.

Audio/Video Bandwidth

Sets the audio/video bandwidth in kilobits per second (kbps). The default is 1150.

Note If the preferred video format of the program is ISO MPEG-4, you cannot change the bandwidth setting of the program directly. To change the bandwidth, you must change the video frame rate or the source video size.

Maximum Video Frame Rate

Sets the maximum number of frames per second for the video portion of the program. Applies only to MPEG live-capture streams and MPEG files. The default is 30.

Start Page URL (Optional)

Specifies the HTML page that the user goes to at the start of the presentation. It can be either a URL Internet address or the full path name of an HTML file on the local hard drive of the server, for example, http://www.cisco.com or C:\BoardMtg\slide001.htm.

Audio/Video Server

Specifies the name or IP address of the IP/TV Server assigned to play the audio or video portions of the program. Choose a server from the list or enter the name of a new server.

Select Capture Card

Assigns the capture card port for live-capture. The drop-down list shows the available capture card ports depending on the codec selected. For MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, it lists 3 (1,2,3) ports, whereas for other codecs, it lists 6 (1,2, 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4) ports.

SlideCast/Web Presentation Server

Specifies the name or IP address of the IP/TV Server assigned to play the SlideCast or web presentation. In the case of SlideCast, this server cannot be the same as the audio/video server unless audio, video, and SlideCast were all recorded to a media file. In the case of a web presentation, the server can be the same.

¹The Enable QoS Option is not available for programs assigned to ACNS network channels.

²This option must be chosen if the HTML pages are to be served by a server that is not configured as a web server or is not accessible to the browser of the user. This option must also be chosen for Web Presenter programs that multicast content captured with ScreenCaster, either live or from a previously recorded .mp4 file.

³The start and end time of the program you are defining must be within the range of the program that contains the SlideCast or web presentation stream.

Figure 6-7 shows an example of the options for a basic media file program.

Figure 6-7 Multimedia Source Information—Media File Program

Table 6-3 describes those options in the Multimedia Source Information section for a basic media file that are not explained in Table 6-2.

Table 6-3 Multimedia Source Options—Basic Media File

Field

Description

Select media file

Specifies the media file to be associated with the program.

Click Select media file and choose a file from the list displayed in the Browse Media Files window.

When you choose a file, the Multimedia Source Information section is automatically populated with information about the file, such as length and bandwidth.

Note If you manually enter information about a file (such as filename, length, or bandwidth), IP/TV Program Manager cannot verify the information. Be careful to enter the information accurately.

Play Once and Stop

Sets the program to play the specified file once and stop, even if the program is defined as having a longer duration than the file.

Loop for Program Duration

Sets the program to loop continuously until the interval specified by the program length has elapsed.

Play From Start to End

Sets the program to play the entire file from beginning to end.

Play .rtp Offset

Sets the program to play only the data between the first and the second offset. You must set both values. Applies only to Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) files.

Web Base URL (Optional)

Base portion of the URL that identifies the web server or local file path.

Server

Specifies the name or IP address of the IP/TV Server assigned to play the file. Choose a server from the list or enter the name of a new server.

Step 20 Enable QoS (Quality of Service) for improving transmission quality, if supported on your network.

Note The Enable QoS option is not available for programs that are inserted into an ACNS network.

The Enable QoS? check box to the right of the Play Video, Play Audio, and Play SlideCast check boxes lets you enable QoS using RSVP (Resource Reservation Protocol). QoS provides superior transmission quality in networks with RSVP-enabled routers running under Windows 2000.

To view details regarding QoS, click the QoS Details link.

The QoS Details window appears. (See Figure 5-14.)

Table 6-4 lists the UDP port ranges used by IP/TV Program Manager for various types of data streams. If you decide to specify port numbers explicitly rather than letting IP/TV Program Manager assign them, you should choose even-numbered ports within these ranges.

Table 6-4 UDP Port Ranges

Type of Stream

Port Number Range

Audio

16,384 through 32,766

Web presentation

32,768 through 49,150

Video or SlideCast

49,152 through 65,534

Step 21 In the ACNS Network Delivery Mode section (see Figure 6-8), choose the mode of content delivery over the ACNS network. (See Table 6-5.)

Figure 6-8 ACNS Network Delivery Mode

Note The ACNS Network Delivery Mode section is available only for programs that are assigned to an ACNS network channel. This section is not displayed if ACNS network channel information has not been entered for the program.

Table 6-5 ACNS Network Program Delivery Modes

Mode

Description

Live Multicast and Live Split

Live multicast and live split are the two available content delivery modes on an ACNS network.

•In live multicast mode, the root Content Engine receives programs as unicast streams from IP/TV Broadcast Server and then unicasts them to the edge Content Engines that are subscribed to the channel with which the program is associated. The edge Content Engines then multicast the stream to the clients that are connected to them.

•In live split mode, the entire process is unicast. The root Content Engine receives programs as unicast streams from IP/TV Broadcast Server and then unicasts them to the edge Content Engines subscribed to the channel. The edge Content Engines in turn unicast the streams to clients on a per-request basis.

An ACNS network may or may not be configured for live multicast, but it always supports live split. However, in the IP/TV New Scheduled Program window, the Live Multicast and Live Split option is selected by default. If you intend to reach a wider audience, use this option.

Live Split Only

If this option is selected, the ACNS network uses only the live-split mode for content delivery. If the program is intended for a small audience only, use this option.

Step 22 In the Multimedia Address Information section of the New Scheduled Program window, enter information about the program.

The options that appear in the window differ depending on whether you chose Basic Live Capture Program, Basic Media File Program, or Advanced Program in the New Scheduled Program window. Most of these options also depend on whether the corresponding global option to allow them to be selected is enabled or not (in the Preferences window).

Note If the program is to be delivered over an ACNS network using live multicast mode, you must use the same multicast IP address for audio, video, and SlideCast streams.

See Chapter 3, "Setting Up IP/TV Program Manager," for source-specific multicast (SSM) and multicast address information.

Figure 6-9 shows an example of the Multimedia Address Information options for a basic live-capture program.

Figure 6-9 Multimedia Address Information—Live-Capture Program

Table 6-6 describes the options in the Multimedia Address Information section for a basic live-capture program.

Table 6-6 Multimedia Address Information—Basic Live-Capture Program

Field

Description

Use SmallCast (Forward to Source Server's Unicast List)

Determines whether the program will be forwarded to unicast addresses. The default is off (no SmallCasting is allowed). This option is not available unless the option to allow SmallCast is enabled globally (in the Preferences window).

SmallCast Only; Do Not Multicast on the Source Server

Suppresses multicast from IP/TV Server. IP/TV Server only sends out unicast streams. This option is not available unless the option to allow SmallCast is enabled globally (in the Preferences window).

RTCP Feedback Suppression

Suppresses interactive responses from any viewer that is RTP/RTCP-compliant. The three options are:

•Suppress multicast RTCP feedback—Suppresses only multicast RTCP feedback; unicast feedback is allowed.

•Suppress all kinds of RTCP feedback—Suppresses both unicast and multicast feedback.

•Do not suppress any RTCP feedback—Allows both unicast and multicast feedback.

Capture Live MPEG Data for Recording to File; Do Not Multicast

Records streams sent from the video capture card of IP/TV Server to disk. No multicast streaming is performed. This option is not applicable to a media file program.

Figure 6-10 shows an example of the Multimedia Address Information options for an advanced program.

Figure 6-10 Multimedia Address Information—Advanced Program

Table 6-7 describes the Multimedia Address Information options for an advanced program that are not explained in Table 6-6.

Table 6-7 Multimedia Address Information—Advanced Program

Field

Description

Select Global Scoped Addresses¹

Determines whether globally scoped addresses will be used for the program. This option is not available unless the option to allow administratively scoped addresses is enabled globally (in the Preferences window).

Select Addresses Manually¹

Allows the user to specify multimedia address information for the program. This option is not available unless the option to allow modifications of IP addresses, UDP ports, and multicast range is enabled globally (in the Preferences window).

Multicast TTL Range¹

Sets the multicast range for the program.

Video IP Address¹^{, ²}

Defines the video IP address for the program.

Video UDP Port¹

Defines the video UDP port for the program. See Table 6-4 for UDP port ranges.

Audio IP Address¹^,²

Defines the audio IP address for the program.

Audio UDP Port¹

Defines the audio UDP port for the program. See Table 6-4 for UDP port ranges.

SlideCast/Presentation IP Address¹^,²

Defines the IP address for the SlideCast or web presentation portion of the program.

SlideCast/Presentation UDP Port¹

Defines the UDP port for the SlideCast or web presentation portion of the program. See Table 6-4 for UDP port ranges.

Use SSM¹

Enables SSM for the program when multimedia addresses are configured using the Use these Addresses option.

¹This option is available only if the Allow modification of IP addresses, UDP ports and Multicast Range check box is checked in the Preferences window.

²If the program is to be delivered over an ANCS network using live multicast mode, you must use the same multicast IP addresses for audio, video, and SlideCast streams.

Step 23 In the Contact section of the New Program window, indicate whom users can contact if they have questions about the program.

Step 24 Click Create Program to send the form to IP/TV Program Manager.

If IP/TV Program Manager finds errors or omissions in the form, the Data Entry Errors window prompts you to return to the New Program window to modify the information.

When you have finished correcting the errors, click Create Program again to submit the corrections to IP/TV Program Manager.

If the form is properly completed, you return automatically to the Scheduled Programs window.

Step 25 If you want to undo the changes you made, click Reset to restore the original settings.

Assigning Programs to Channels

IP/TV Program Manager allows you to set up programs that are not assigned to any channel. However, channels offer a few benefits:

•Each channel has many default characteristics. If you assign a new program to a channel, the program automatically receives the defaults.

However, if you set up a program that is not assigned to a channel, you must enter much more information about the program.

For example, each channel has a unique set of multicast addresses and UDP port numbers.

All programs assigned to that channel automatically use the same addresses and port numbers, so you need not remember which addresses (or address ranges) to assign to the program.

•In the IP/TV Program Manager main window, programs can be sorted by channel. In a busy network with many programs having multiple repeat showings, the list of programs can become very long. The administrator can assign programs to channels as one way to make the list easier to navigate and programs easier to locate.

For more information on channels, see the "Programs and Channels" section.

Program Schedule Options

For any live-capture session, it is a good idea to set the start time a little earlier and the end time much later than you expect the live-capture session to start and end. Setting the start and end times this way allows for any slip in the actual start or end of the event. When a recording is made, "dead air" at the beginning and end of the session is not saved in the file.

When you decide how to schedule a program, you first must determine whether the program is a continuous or noncontinuous program:

•A continuous program is "on the air" at all times. One analogy is a 24-hour news station on cable television. The news program is always on but has no explicit start and stop time the way a network TV program does.

If you define a program as continuous, and assign it to a channel, you can still define noncontinuous programs on that channel. The noncontinuous programs simply overlap the continuous program (but are not allowed to overlap each other). Note that if the continuous program is a prerecorded file, the continuous program restarts from the beginning when the noncontinuous program has finished. Noncontinuous programs must be multicast from the same server as the continuous program that they overlap.

An example of a continuous program that has a noncontinuous program overlapping it is a 24-hour news service. The news program is always on, and users can tune in whenever they want to get a news update. Suppose, though, that the financial news is always discussed for a half-hour starting at 3:00 p.m., and some users want to subscribe to the financial news so that IP/TV automatically launches the program for them. You can define a noncontinuous program that begins at 3:00 p.m. and runs for 30 minutes. This noncontinuous program is a subset of the 24-hour news program, and overlaps it for that 30-minute interval.

•A noncontinuous program has a start and stop time for its first showing, and possibly one or more repeat showings.

For noncontinuous programs only, you can do one of the following tasks:

•Set up a simple repeat schedule, in which the program repeats after the number of minutes, hours, or days you specify. For example, the program can repeat every 24 hours, or every 7 days. Keep in mind that some intervals may fall at hours or on days when there are no IP/TV Viewer users on site to watch the program.

•Set up a more complex repeat schedule. For example, you can set the program to repeat weekly on Mondays at 0900, Wednesdays at 1600, and Fridays at 1200.

Note If you define weekly or biweekly repeats, the "Play Program once on" date and time must be on a repeated date and time. For example, if the program starts on a Monday at 1400, one of the repeats must be Monday at 1400.

These two choices are either/or choices. You cannot combine them for the same program. If your program needs a repeat schedule with more complexity, set as much of the schedule as you can in this window. Then, once the program is submitted to IP/TV Program Manager and you have returned to the main window, click the Duplicate link for that program to create a duplicate of the program. You can set the remaining repeat schedule in the duplicate program. See the "Duplicating a Scheduled Program" section for tips on using the Duplicate Scheduled Program window.

Live-Capture Program Settings

When you define a live-capture program, you must set the video format, audio format, data rate, and frame rate parameters to values appropriate to the video capture card and codec (compression/decompression) used by IP/TV Server that will capture and multicast the program. Refer to Appendix A in the Cisco IP/TV Broadcast Server User Guide for recommended settings for the most common codecs.

Playing Media Clips Before a Live Event

This feature helps IP/TV administrators set up a program of media clips to play before the broadcast of a live event. This program has the same attributes as the live event and plays before the scheduled broadcast of the live event. The program starts playing at the time set by the administrator and stops when the live event starts playing. The live event plays in the same window as the program of media clips. Administrators can use this feature to broadcast related programs and information and to keep the viewers tuned to the scheduled broadcast of the live event.

The feature also helps the administrators verify that users can view the scheduled broadcast. If the users can view the program of media clips with no difficulty, then they will also be able to receive the broadcast of the live event. Playback of media clips before a scheduled event is implemented using the channel concept. For more information about channels, see the "Programs and Channels" section and "Assigning Programs to Channels" section.

To set up playback of media files before a live event, follow the steps:

Step 1 Create a channel that has the same attributes as the live event.

a. In the banner bar of the Scheduled Programs window, click Channels.

b. In the Channels window, click New Channel.

c. Enter a name and then set the attributes to match those of the live program.

d. Click Create Channel.

Step 2 Go to the New Scheduled Program window.

Step 3 Choose the channel from the pull-down list.

Step 4 Create a new program.

Step 5 Set the end time of the program to be not later than the start time of the live event.

Step 6 Create a live program in the same channel.

Note Check the Hide program from viewers/SAP announcements option in the New Program window when creating the live event. This prevents the live program from being listed in the Scheduled program list.

Reviewing a Scheduled Program

To review a scheduled program, follow these steps:

Step 1 In the Scheduled Programs window, click the Review link for the program you want to be reviewed.

Step 2 Scroll through the Review Scheduled Program window to find the information you want to see.

Step 3 Click Scheduled Programs to return to the Scheduled Programs window.

You might want to review an existing program under these circumstances:

•The program description is too long to fit in the program list in the main window.

•The program is scheduled to repeat more than three times. The next three repeats after the current date and time are displayed in the main list; the Review Scheduled Program window displays the entire schedule.

•The program information you want to verify is not included in the brief list in the main window. The Review Scheduled Program window displays all information stored for the program.

Note The Review Scheduled Program window contains the Load Plug-In and Load Helper Application buttons for publishing programs on a web page. In order to use these buttons, you must have plug-ins installed. For more information on using plug-ins, see "Using IP/TV in a Web Browser."

Deleting a Scheduled Program

To delete a scheduled program, follow these steps:

Step 1 In the Scheduled Programs window, click the Delete link for the program. Or, in the Review Scheduled Program window, click Delete Program at the bottom of the window.

IP/TV Program Manager displays the Delete Scheduled Program window and asks you to confirm that you want to delete the program.

Step 2 Click Delete Program to delete the program, or click Scheduled Programs to return to the Scheduled Programs window without deleting the program.

Note The deleted program may still appear on the IP/TV Viewer program list until the list is updated.

Editing a Scheduled Program

To modify a scheduled program, follow these steps:

Step 1 In the Scheduled Programs window, click the Edit link for the program. Or, in the Review Scheduled Program window, click Edit at the bottom of the window.

Step 2 IP/TV Program Manager asks you to choose a channel for the program. Choose a channel in the list, click None, or leave the channel unchanged.

Step 3 Click a program type, or accept the default provided by IP/TV Program Manager.

Step 4 Change the information in the ACNS Network Information section, if you wish.

Step 5 Click Revise Program at the bottom of the window to continue.

IP/TV Program Manager displays the Edit Scheduled Program window.

Step 6 Scroll through the window to find the information you want to change. You can change any field that was entered when the program was created.

Step 7 Click Revise Program at the bottom of the window to send the changes to IP/TV Program Manager.

If IP/TV Program Manager finds errors or omissions in the form, the Data Entry Errors window prompts you to return to the Edit Scheduled Program window to modify the information.

When you have finished correcting the errors, click Revise Program again to submit the corrections to IP/TV Program Manager.

If the form is properly completed, you return automatically to the Scheduled Programs window.

Note If you edit a program that plays a disk file and manually enter information about the file (such as server, filename, or bandwidth), IP/TV Program Manager cannot verify the information as would be the case if you use the Select Media File button. Be careful to enter the information accurately.

Note Avoid changing the audio format, video format, IP addresses, or UDP port numbers assigned to a program less than 10 minutes before the program is scheduled to begin or while the program is playing. Changes of this nature can prevent IP/TV Viewer from displaying the program properly.

Duplicating a Scheduled Program

To duplicate a scheduled program, follow these steps:

Step 1 In the Scheduled Programs window, click the Duplicate link for the program. Or, on the Review Scheduled Program window, click Duplicate Program at the bottom of the window.

Step 2 IP/TV Program Manager asks you to choose a channel for the duplicate program. Choose a different channel for the program from the list, click None, or leave the channel unchanged.

Step 3 Choose a program type, or accept the default provided by IP/TV Program Manager.

Step 4 In the ACNS Network Information section, change the information if you wish, or leave it unchanged. If you do not want the program to be inserted into the ACNS network, leave the fields in ACNS Network Information section blank.

Step 5 Click Duplicate Program at the bottom of the window. IP/TV Program Manager displays the Duplicate Scheduled Program window.

Step 6 Scroll through the Duplicate Scheduled Program window to find the information that is different for this duplicate program.You can change any field that was entered when the original program was created.

Step 7 Click Duplicate Program at the bottom of the window to send the information about the duplicate program to IP/TV Program Manager.

If IP/TV Program Manager finds errors or omissions in the form, the Data Entry Errors window prompts you to return to the Duplicate Scheduled Program window to modify the information.

When you have finished correcting the errors, click Duplicate Program again to submit the corrections to IP/TV Program Manager.

If the form is properly completed, you return automatically to the Scheduled Programs window.

You might want to duplicate an existing program under these circumstances:

•You are responsible for entering and managing many programs, and the information for all of them is nearly identical (perhaps only the title and description are different). Rather than entering the information again for each new program, you can duplicate a similar program and change only a few fields.

•The repeat schedule for a program is so complicated that the available repeat schedule choices do not allow you to set all the repeats at once. Set as many of the repeats as you can in the original program, and then set the rest in the duplicate.

Recording Scheduled Programs

IP/TV allows you to record a scheduled IP/TV program and save it in a media file on the local disk of IP/TV Server. This feature is usually used to record content that is acquired through live capture for playback at a later time.

IP/TV provides two recording types—MOV recording and native recording. MOV recording saves the program in a .mov file, whereas native recording saves the program as an .mpg file or .mp4 file.

Note MPEG and MP4 recording can be done only on the encoding server that is on the same IP/TV Server where the live capture is running. Use MOV recording for remote recording.

The following factors determine which file format is used to save the live-capture content from a native recording:

•If the live-capture data stream is MPEG-1 or MPEG-2, and if the same server is used both to capture the data and to record it to a file, the file format must be MPEG (that is, the file must have an extension of .mpg).

•If the live-capture data stream is ISO MPEG-4, the file format must be MP4 (that is, the file must have an extension of .mp4).

To display a list of all scheduled recordings, click Recordings in the IP/TV Program Manager main window. The Recordings window is shown in Figure 6-11.

Figure 6-11 Recordings Window

For each recording, the information displayed includes the name and description of the program to be recorded, the name of the source server, and up to three dates and times at which the program is scheduled to be recorded.

For each recording, the following links are available:

•The Review link takes you to the Review Recording window (see the "Reviewing a Recording" section).

•The Delete link takes you to the Delete Recording window (see the "Deleting a Recording" section).

•The Edit link takes you to the Edit Recording window (see the "Editing a Recording" section).

Scheduling a Recording

This section describes the procedure for setting up a recording. It has two steps:

•Creating a multimedia data stream for the recording, or choosing an existing program to record

•Setting up the recording

Creating a Multimedia Data Stream for the Recording

If the content you want to record is not already defined as a program, see the "Creating a Scheduled Program" section for instructions on setting up a new program.

If you want to record an existing program, you need not define a new program before you can record it, since it is already defined in IP/TV Program Manager.

In addition, consider the following points:

•Set the start and end time in the Schedule section of the New Scheduled Program window.

For any live-capture session, it is a good idea to set the start time a little earlier and the end time much later than you expect the live-capture session to start and end. Setting the start and end times this way allows for any slip in the actual start or end of the event. When a recording is made, "dead air" at the beginning and end of the session is not saved in the file.

Note If you are using media streams from two servers for a recording, you must make sure that both servers have the same time settings. If the clocks on the servers are not synchronized, your program also may show synchronization problems, such as media streams losing synchronization. To synchronize clock settings on different devices running Microsoft Windows, use authoritative time server (ATS) settings in Windows. For more information on this subject, refer to the Microsoft Support website.

•In the Multimedia Source Information section, be sure to check the Play check boxes for Video, Audio, SlideCast, and Web Presentation as appropriate for the content to be recorded.

Note Web presentation programs can be recorded when they are part of a program that contains ISO MPEG-4 video and MP3 or AAC audio. The web presentation server must also be the same as the audio and video server.

•In the Multimedia Address section, choose the servers that capture the data. In addition, verify the status of the Capture Live MPEG Data for Recording to File; Do not Multicast check box.

–If you are recording the program but not multicasting it simultaneously, check the check box.

–If you are recording the program and also want to simultaneously multicast it, uncheck the check box.

Setting Up the Recording

To set up a new recording, follow these steps:

Step 1 In the Recordings window, click the New Recording link in the banner bar. The New Recording Program Selection window appears. (See Figure 6-12.)

Figure 6-12 New Recording Program Selection Window

Step 2 Choose an IP/TV program or an MBone session in the list and click Create Recording. The New Recording window displays information about the program you chose. (See Figure 6-13.)

Figure 6-13 New Recording Window

Step 3 Review the Program Information section of the window to be sure that you have chosen the correct program.

Step 4 In the Name field, enter a name for the recording, or accept the name supplied by IP/TV Program Manager. The default name is the same as the original program name.

Note IP/TV Program Manager permits a name up to 36 characters without the file extension. Usually, IP/TV Program Manager assigns the file extension depending on the recording mode chosen. However, if you choose to provide the file extension, you can use up to 40 characters including the extension.

Step 5 In the Recording Information section, enter a description of the recording, or accept the description supplied by IP/TV Program Manager. The default description is the same as the original program description. The maximum number of characters permitted in the description field is 512.

Step 6 In the Recording Schedule section (see Figure 6-14), the default recording schedule is the next showing of the program that ends after the current date and time, plus any repeats scheduled for the program.

Accept the default schedule, or override it by changing the information in any of the editable fields.

Figure 6-14 Recording Schedule Section of the New Recording Window

Step 7 In the Recording Instructions section (see Figure 6-15), specify whether the recording includes the video and audio portions of the program. By default, all the data streams included in the program itself are enabled for the recording.

Figure 6-15 Recording Instructions Section of the New Recording Window

Step 8 Enter the full path name of the file in which the recording is to be stored.

Step 9 Choose the type of recording that you want to set up. If you want the program to be recorded in MPEG or MP4 file formats, click the Native Recording button. For recording in the MOV format, click the Mov Recording option button. For details on supported codecs for different types of recording, refer to the Cisco IP/TV Broadcast Server User Guide.

Step 10 Specify whether an existing file by the same name should be overwritten.

If the Do not overwrite existing file check box is checked, unique filenames are generated to prevent the first recording from being overwritten by a later recording of the same program. Note that if you choose not to overwrite repeated recordings, these files occupy a great deal of disk space and may quickly fill the server disk drive.

Step 11 Choose a server from the drop-down list or enter the name of a new server. This name must be the name of the server that performs the recording and stores the file on its local disk drive. Note that the live-capture server or the server serving the program cannot be the same as the recording server unless you are recording an MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 data stream to an MPG file.

Step 12 In the Contact section, (see Figure 6-16), enter the name, telephone number, and e-mail address of the person whom users can contact with questions about the recording.

Figure 6-16 Contact Information Section of the New Recording Window

Step 13 Click Create Recording at the bottom of the New Recording window to send the form to IP/TV Program Manager.

If IP/TV Program Manager finds errors or omissions in the form, the Data Entry Errors window prompts you to return to the New Recording window to modify the information.

When you have finished correcting the errors, click Create Recording again to submit the corrections to IP/TV Program Manager. If the form is properly completed, you return automatically to the Recordings window.

Step 14 IP/TV Server automatically records the program to the specified file according to the schedule you set. Refer to the Cisco IP/TV Broadcast Server User Guide for information on administering IP/TV Server.

As soon as the recording session is completed, you can create a scheduled or on-demand program using this file.

Reviewing a Recording

To review a recording, follow these steps:

Step 1 In the Recordings window, click the Review link for the recording that you want to review.

Step 2 Scroll through the Review Recording window to find the information you want to see.

Step 3 After you have reviewed the information, click Recordings to return to the Recordings window.

Deleting a Recording

To delete a recording, follow these steps:

Step 1 In the Recordings window, click the Delete link for the recording that you want to delete. Or, in the Review Recording window, click Delete Recording at the bottom of the window.

IP/TV Program Manager displays the Delete Recording window and asks you to confirm that you want to delete the recording.

Step 2 Click Delete Recording to delete the recording, or click Recordings to return to the Recordings window without deleting the recording.

Editing a Recording

To modify a recording, follow these steps:

Step 1 In the Recordings window, click the Edit link for the recording that you want to modify. Or, in the Review Recording window, click Edit Recording at the bottom of the window.

Step 2 Scroll through the Edit Recording window to find the information you want to change. The window allows you to change any field that was entered when the recording was scheduled.

Step 3 Click Revise Recording at the bottom of the window to send the changes to IP/TV Program Manager.

If IP/TV Program Manager finds errors or omissions in the form, the Data Entry Errors window prompts you to return to the Edit Recording window to modify the information.

When you have finished correcting the errors, click Revise Recording again to submit the corrections to IP/TV Program Manager.

If the form is properly completed, you return automatically to the Recordings window.

Using Question Manager

Question Manager is a text-only feedback mechanism that allows users to submit questions to the moderator of a scheduled program. The moderator can display the questions that apply to the program, sort the questions, answer the questions as part of the presentation that is being shown, export the questions to be stored or manipulated in an external spreadsheet or database application, and delete the questions after the program is complete.

Question Manager is useful for environments such as distance learning and training. It allows remote users to participate in the question and answer portion of the presentation.

The Question Manager function applies to scheduled programs, but not to on-demand programs.

Note This participation is not fully interactive. Question Manager is a unidirectional tool; it sends questions to the program moderator, but does not return answers to the user. Answers must be provided as part of the program content.

Enabling Question Manager

Before a user can submit questions about an IP/TV program to the program moderator, or before an administrator can moderate a program, Question Manager must be enabled for that program.

To enable Question Manager for a scheduled program, check the Enable Question Manager check box in the New Scheduled Program, Edit Scheduled Program, or Duplicate Scheduled Program window. An example of the New Scheduled Program window is shown in Figure 6-4.

Accessing Question Manager

Viewers of IP/TV programs can access Question Manager in different ways, depending on the viewer application they are using. Table 6-8 describes the various methods of accessing Question Manager.

Table 6-8 Methods for Accessing Question Manager

Viewer Application

Method

IP/TV Viewer

•Click the Ask a Question button.

•Choose View > Ask a Question.

IP/TV Viewer browser plug-in

•Click the Click Here to Ask a Question to the Speaker link in the browser window.

•Click the Ask a Question button in the IP/TV Viewer window.

QuickTime browser plug-in

Click the Click Here to Ask a Question to the Speaker link in the browser window.

Clicking the Ask a Question button or choosing View > Ask a Question in IP/TV Viewer brings up the Question Manager dialog box (see Figure 6-17), in which users can enter a question.

Figure 6-17 Question Manager Dialog Box

If users are using a browser plug-in, Question Manager opens in a new browser window.

Note Question Manager is available only for programs for which the Question Manager option is enabled by the program administrator. The Ask a Question button of IP/TV Viewer is disabled when Question Manager is not enabled. In the case of browser plug-ins, the Click Here to Ask a Question to the Speaker link is not provided unless Question Manager is enabled by the program administrator.

Sending a Question to the Question Manager Moderator

You can enter the subject and the question in the respective fields of the Question Manager dialog box. Question Manager uses the e-mail address provided in IP/TV Viewer User Information dialog box as the "From" address. If no username or e-mail has been provided, the moderator receives the question from Anonymous.

If changes are required in the "From" information, click in the From field and enter the changed information. When you click Submit, the question is sent to the Question Manager moderator. Questions can be submitted even before the program begins.

Moderating an IP/TV Program

To use the Question Manager moderator, your web browser must have Java support enabled.

To moderate a Question Manager-enabled program, follow these steps:

Step 1 In the Scheduled Programs window, click the Question Manager link in the banner bar.

Or, start a web browser and enter the following URL:

http://Programmanagerhost/iptvfiles/qmselect.htm

where Programmanagerhost is the DNS name or IP address of the IP/TV Program Manager managing the program.

The Moderator Program Selection window appears. (See Figure 6-18.)

Figure 6-18 Question Manager Moderator Program Selection Window

Step 2 Choose a program from the drop-down list. As soon as you choose a program, information about the program is displayed in the Program Information section of the window.

Step 3 Click Start the Moderator to begin moderating the selected program. The Question Manager Moderator window appears. (See Figure 6-19.)

Figure 6-19 Question Manager Moderator Window

The Question Manager Moderator window displays the list of outstanding questions for the program. Initially, the list is displayed in the order in which the questions were received.

For each question, the display includes the status of the question, the name of the person who submitted the question, the date and time the question was submitted, and the Subject field from the Question Manager dialog box the user filled in.

Sorting the Question List

To sort the question list by status, name, date and time, or subject, click the column heading to be used as a sort criterion. As new questions are submitted, they are added to the list and sorted according to the current sort criterion.

Displaying the Full Text of a Question

To display the full text of a question (that is, the text entered in the question box on the Question Manager dialog box of the user), choose the question by clicking anywhere in that row.

Changing the Status of a Question

Initially, every question has the status "Q," indicating that the question has not been answered. Questions may be answered in several ways. Note that none of these ways results in feedback to the person who submitted the question other than through the program content itself.

During the course of the program, if the program content addresses a user question, the moderator can change the status to "A," meaning "answered." Or, if the program includes a question and answer period, and the question is answered by the presenter, the moderator can change the question status to "A."

To change the status of a question, choose the question and click Answered. The status field for that question changes from "Q" to "A."

If the list of questions is long and many questions have been answered, the moderator can delete answered questions from the list by choosing each answered question and clicking Delete.

Deleted questions disappear from the question list of the moderator, but IP/TV Program Manager does not purge them completely until it deletes the program itself.

To purge deleted questions before IP/TV Program Manager deletes the program, the moderator can click Purge All Deleted.

Displaying Questions in Table Form

At any time, the moderator can display the questions for the program in table form by clicking Show All. The List All Questions window appears. (See Figure 6-20.) This is a convenient form to print out and give to the program presenter, so the presenter can answer the questions during the question and answer portion of the presentation.

The list displayed in the List All Questions window includes all questions for the program being moderated, and whether their status is asked, answered, or deleted.

Figure 6-20 List All Questions Window

Exporting the Question List for External Processing

To export the list of questions as comma-delimited ASCII text so that the data can be manipulated in an external spreadsheet or database application, click Save to File. A dialog box allows you to specify the path and name for the file.

Each question in the list is exported as a single line having these fields:

•Date and time the question was submitted

•Program name

•Question status

•Username

•Subject

•Full text of question

For the first sample question shown in Figure 6-20, the exported text looks like this:

3/3/1999 4:19:00 PM, "Sales Outlook", "asked", "Joe Smith", "What are the sales projections for the next 6 months?