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Introducing TV Playout - What is it & How to create one?
Introducing TV Playout - What is it & How to create one?

Run a continuous playlist for 24 hours with scheduled content

Khandoker Zishan avatar
Written by Khandoker Zishan
Updated over a week ago

In This Article:

  1. What Is TV Playout?

  2. How To Create A TV Playout

  3. Plan Restrictions

What Is TV Playout?

Castr's TV Playout allows you to upload and schedule your content for continuous 24-hours broadcast.

You can create daily playlists and schedule the content in advance, simply by adding the media assets into the timetable. Both pre-recorded video files and live content can be added to the playlist.

This feature is especially useful for TV channels and OTT Apps that require continuous, 24x7 broadcasting in accordance with a content calendar.

How To Create A TV Playout

In Easily create your own TV Channel using the 'TV Playout' feature. Add contents from your account and schedule them to be played one after another at the scheduled time.

Create a Playout from here:

The various sections of the TV Playout are described below:

  1. Schedule

    1. Type:

      1. Daily: This will allow to schedule contents for a day

      2. Weekly: This will allow to schedule contents for an entire week. You can decide what will be played on each day.

      3. Line Up: This will allow to schedule contents sequentially. You can learn more here.

    2. Date: The date when the TV Playout will go live.

  2. Mode: There are 2 modes available:

    1. One-time: Selecting this will make the TV Playout end once 24 hours is over

    2. Loop: Selecting this will make the TV Playout repeat the next day once 24 hours end. An end date needs to be selected for which the loop will continue on for. Maximum 15 days of loop can be set, but if you want more, contact sales team.

  3. Destination: An All-In-One stream will be used as a destination for the TV Playout, so an All-In-One stream must be created beforehand to stream the TV Playout.

  4. Advanced Settings: You can configure the resolution and FPS of the outgoing stream.

  5. Timetable: Contents will be added here and adjusted when they play. Content will start playing at 12 a.m. local time and run for 24 hours. You can fill up 24 hours' worth of content.

  6. Content Section:

    1. VOD: All uploaded videos from your Video Hosting will be shown here.

    2. Livestreams: You will be able to add All-In-One streams to the timetable.

  7. Set Schedule: This will activate your TV Playout, and the content will be played at the scheduled time.

  8. Time-zone: During the creation of the Playout, you will be asked to set the time zone and it will be fixed for that Playout.

  9. Retain Contents: Toggling it on, will allow the contents to be in place once the stream ends. If you want the timetable to be cleared once stream ends, toggle it off.

  10. Content Lists: All the contents added on the Timetable will be shown here.

To add VOD content to the timetable, you need to click on the plus icon.

To add Livestream contents, open the the Livestream tab.

You can also hover over the content to check its time and name.


Contents can be dragged as well to fit in the timetable:

Please note: if the gap between the contents is less than 5 minutes, we will attach the contents together, and the time difference between them will be 1 second.

For preparing the TV Playout for going live, you need to:

  1. Select a date

  2. Set a destination

  3. Add at least one content to the timetable

  4. Click on Set Schedule

If you make any changes to your destination or timetable, ensure that you click on Set Schedule again to enforce the changes that you have made.

The TV Playout will end once 24 hours is up.

Important: Please refrain from replacing or moving content that is currently being played on the TV Playout. If it becomes absolutely necessary to replace or move such content, kindly disable the TV Playout first and then proceed with the changes. This policy applies exclusively to content that is currently LIVE. For all other content, you are free to replace or move them as desired.

To ensure proper playback from TV Playout, follow this guide.

Plan Restrictions

Plan Name

Line Up Mode (Maximum video duration)

Daily Mode

Weekly Mode

Maximum Loop days

Advanced Settings

Trial

1 hours

0

Starter

4 hours

2

Standard

6 hours

4

Professional

10 hours

✅

7

Premium

15 hours

✅

✅

15

Ultra

24 hours

✅

✅

30

✅

We are allowing all All-in-One plans to have one TV Playout option.

Important: Plans which does not allow Daily Mode or Weekly mode, the output stream will show Castr logo baked on the stream.

We are excited to see you use this feature to create your own channels.

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