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http://www.frikanalen.no/ |
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| This is a system that generates a play list, from a web based user interface This platform has a stand alone database and is "controller" for the open playout system. It has a web based interface for video registration, and play list configurator. | This is a system that generates a playlist from a web based user interface. This system has a stand alone database and is a "controller" for the open playout system. It has a web based interface for video registration, and a playlist configurator. A web based scheduler is already implemented in silverlight and can be used as a model for a new scheduler based on open standards. |
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| === "system flow" === Access the web site, and register a video. Upload the video to backend from this site, and publish the content to the monthly scheduler for playout. you can then also access the video in various formats online for viewing purposes, as a community channel |
=== "intended workflow" === Access the web site and register a video. Publish the content on the schedule (calender) for playout. On the registered video it should be possible to upload the videofile to a predefined folder on the backend. If this is done prior to the scheduled time of broadcast, the video will be aired. If the video is not uploaded in time, the user and the administrator should be warned by mail. |
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| Transcoding solution needs to get "what ever format" from Backend, for transcoding to Broadcast, web and open standard formats. Hopefully it can also be network based, so you can connect new modules to accelerate transcoding | Transcoding solution needs to get "what ever format" from Backen and transcode it for broadcast and web (in open standard formats). On a communitysite you can then access the video for validating what you schedule or add comments to vidoes that has been uploaded by other users. Ideally the trascoder should be network based so you can connect new modules to accelerate transcoding. |
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| === "flow" === The system gets a file in a folder, takes the file and transcodes, renames and moves it according to the scheduler database system. if a new computer on the network presents itself to the transcoder as a module, it will add it to the system for accelerated transcoding. |
=== "intended workflow" === The system gets a file in a folder, takes the file and transcodes, renames and moves it according to the schedulers database. if a new computer on the network presents itself to the transcoder as a module, it will add it to the system for accelerated transcoding. |
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| The player is the final output of the system, totally controlled by the scheduler system, that tells what to play when. The player should also be able to pass trough live rtsp/http streams for Live broadcasting. | The player is the final output of the system, totally controlled by the scheduling system that tells what to play when. The player should also be able to pass trough live rtsp/http streams on scheduled time slots. |
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| === "player" === Gets play list and time from Scheduler and copies the files from backend for direct playout. If the scheduled item is a live source, the feed will be played as a normal item. |
=== "intended workflow" === Fetch the playlist from the schedulers database, copy the files needed for the day from backend and play the videos on the SDI output according to the schedule. If the scheduled item is a live source, the feed will be played as a normal item. |
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| Frikanalen today have working implementations of all these modules, created by the company Never.no using Microsoft technology. | |
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| Frikanalen today have working implementations of all these modules, created by the company Never.no using Microsoft technolocy. | The backend is a Windows 2003 server with SAN storage and a tape robot attached. The upload system is based on FileFlow, a third party application. The systems API is SOAP based and uses a MS SQL database to store meta-data. |
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| The backend is a Windows 2003 server with SAN storage and a tape robot attached. The upload system is based on FileFlow, and the system API is SOAP based and uses a MS SQL database to store meta-data. | The scheduler is implemented using Microsoft Silverlight. It presents the content of the video database and allows the user to schedule content two weeks in advance. |
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| The scheduler and the administration interface is implemented using Microsoft Silverlight and talk to the SOAP API in the backend. It presents the content of the video database and allow one to schedule content up to two weeks in advance. | The transcoding system is split in two, one to generate DV-AVI files used for TV broadcasting, and one to generate Windows Media and Ogg Theora files for web publishing. The first uses Adobe Aftereffects, and the second uses Microsoft Expression Encoder 3. Both are quite slow single unit systems which do not handle parallell processing. |
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| The transcoding system is split in two, one to generate DV-AVI files used for TV broadcasting, and one to generate Windows Media and Ogg Theora files for web publishing. The first uses Adobe Aftereffects, and the second uses Microsoft Expression Encoder 3. Both are quite slow single unit systems which do not handle parallel processing. | The playout system is based on a Harris video server with a CG-module attached (Character Generator). |
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| The playout system is based on a Harris video playout with a CGI module attached. Since we have a fully operational backend services, some say we do not need to replace them... We want all users of the big Internet to be included into this «party» and that´s why we creating this project. |
Since Frikanalen have a fully operational backend and frontend system, why should we need to replace them? This project is not aimed at replacing the system we have, but to add modules making this democratic tool available to all. With open standards on the web-based scheduling, more effecient transcoding and cheap implementations of playout we hope to spread the concept of public access TV. |
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| The subsystem need to be stand alone units, for integration with the other parts. Because of this free and open formats must be used, to make sure all subsystems can work together. | The modules need to be standalone units, not to waste time while other modules are in development. Free and open formats must be used and code must be well documented assuring all modules to work together in the final integration. |
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| The playout module is our first priority. The idéa is to listen on the commands from the scheduler, and play out the videoes at the correct time from the scheduler. When there are none videos to be played. We want «show info» to be shown on the channel, creating a «Whats next» type of poster, with a animated background. | The playout module is our highest priority. The idea is to fetch information from the schedule and play out the videoes at the scheduled time. When there are «holes» in the shedule betweeen videos, «What's next» type of poster with an animated background should be shown. For larger gaps, a set of filler videos should be automatically scheduled. |
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| Qualifications: | Qualifications: |
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| * reverse engineering existing scheduler system, for getting the play list * Image magic |
* XML parsing knowledge |
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| its preferred with some OpenGL / OpenCL skills is also good to know to communicate with the Video play out card. | It is an advantage to have some OpenGL / OpenCL skills to be able to get the SDI graphics card working. |
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| This system is the main control system, which connects the Player with the videos, and the Database. it´s design need to be «stand alone» with the possibility to talk to all systems, even the expensive Harris Video server. | This module is the main control which connects the Player with the videos and their scheduled time of broadcast. It should be designed with the ability to communicate with all planned playout modules, even the Harris Video server (and CG) being used today. |
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| This system needs access to the all ready existing Backend system and Schedule system, it needs to be a «clone» of the existing system. but with the possibilities to also work as a stand alone system First off, today this is a «Slave» scheduler for the Silverlight scheduler, where you,get the information on what to play from. Then, after the scheduler can be a slave to the master scheduler, the project moves on to be a stand alone scheduler, with upload possibilities, to backend, and control of the transcoding system. |
The database should be able to register input from the Silverlight scheduler as well as this new scheduler based on open standards. In that way the playout will be functional as a apare (operational redundancy) as well as a parallell distribution with unique scheduled items. |
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| To get «Whatever file type» to known formats, as .dv for the playout system, Ogg Theora for the web system, and the possibility for other formats, as MP4, X264, MPEG 2... | |
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| There are a lot of open encoders out there, you have the FFMPEG project, which a lot is based on, you have Handbrake, and not to mention VLC. | The transcoder should get «Whatever file type and codec» uploaded transcoded to several pre defined output formats. DV-AVI for the playout system, Ogg Theora for the web system, and the possibility for other formats, as MP4, X264, MPEG 2... |
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| This project aims to get a working transcoder to talk to the Scheduler system, and the Backend system. | There are a lot of open encoders out there; you have the FFMPEG project and applications like Handbrake, VLC etc. |
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| When a user uploads the file, the Scheduler database system tells the transcoder, «now the file is ready» the transcoder takes the file and transcodes it to various formats as specified in the scheduler system. | This project aims to get a working open and network based transcoder to utilize the scheduler and the backend system. |
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| If possible, the transcoder system should be able to swap field orders, normalise the sound volume, check 4*3 VS 16*9, also multiply computers rendering farm. | When a user has uploaded the file the database will tell the transcoder that the file is ready for transcoding. The file will then be transcoded to various formats. The scheduler will recognize a clip as online when the DV-AVI is transcoded. When the Ogg Theora file is ready it will be avalable on web (if the clip is published). The transcoder should also be able to swap field orders, normalise the sound volume, check 4*3 VS 16*9 and transform pixel aspect according to output settings. Ideally it should use multiple computers as a rendering farm. |
Welcome to this projects PDF file.
This project is hoping to unite traditional TV-medium with the Internet. TV has always been sort of «analog» and one way communication. There is always an editor that will decide the content of the channel, and the viewers have rarely been able to participate, or contribute to the actual broadcasts. Today we have editing programs on a PC, and we can record, edit and publish right out of the box. Since all people can publish on the web, then why should they not be able to publish their content on the TV - medium?
Right now there are few solutions, and those that exists are proprietary and based on expensive hardware.
Why not make an open TV channel based on open and free software?
TV should not be controlled by few. It should be possible to make a broadcast system available to all.
How about a computer with a SDI card, and an open media player controlled by the web?
Module based
Backend
This is where all the media is stored, it's a computer with multiple SAN devices over fibre channel.
When a person is uploading a video it can be uploaded directly to this server.
The file server has a watchfolder for the transcoder. After transcoding, meta data will be updated in the scheduler showing that the media is available for broadcast. The transcoded file is stored in a broadcast safe format on the backend. The backend is the hub storing files for other systems. Transcoded files for web is also available on the backend.
This system is already created, as well as its central database.
All the communication will be documented in the servers API.
Scheduler
This is a system that generates a playlist from a web based user interface. This system has a stand alone database and is a "controller" for the open playout system. It has a web based interface for video registration, and a playlist configurator. A web based scheduler is already implemented in silverlight and can be used as a model for a new scheduler based on open standards.
"intended workflow"
Access the web site and register a video. Publish the content on the schedule (calender) for playout. On the registered video it should be possible to upload the videofile to a predefined folder on the backend. If this is done prior to the scheduled time of broadcast, the video will be aired. If the video is not uploaded in time, the user and the administrator should be warned by mail.
Transcoder
Transcoding solution needs to get "what ever format" from Backen and transcode it for broadcast and web (in open standard formats). On a communitysite you can then access the video for validating what you schedule or add comments to vidoes that has been uploaded by other users. Ideally the trascoder should be network based so you can connect new modules to accelerate transcoding.
"intended workflow"
The system gets a file in a folder, takes the file and transcodes, renames and moves it according to the schedulers database. if a new computer on the network presents itself to the transcoder as a module, it will add it to the system for accelerated transcoding.
Player
The player is the final output of the system, totally controlled by the scheduling system that tells what to play when. The player should also be able to pass trough live rtsp/http streams on scheduled time slots.
"intended workflow"
Fetch the playlist from the schedulers database, copy the files needed for the day from backend and play the videos on the SDI output according to the schedule. If the scheduled item is a live source, the feed will be played as a normal item.
Page 4
Frikanalen today have working implementations of all these modules, created by the company Never.no using Microsoft technology.
The backend is a Windows 2003 server with SAN storage and a tape robot attached. The upload system is based on FileFlow, a third party application. The systems API is SOAP based and uses a MS SQL database to store meta-data.
The scheduler is implemented using Microsoft Silverlight. It presents the content of the video database and allows the user to schedule content two weeks in advance.
The transcoding system is split in two, one to generate DV-AVI files used for TV broadcasting, and one to generate Windows Media and Ogg Theora files for web publishing. The first uses Adobe Aftereffects, and the second uses Microsoft Expression Encoder 3. Both are quite slow single unit systems which do not handle parallell processing.
The playout system is based on a Harris video server with a CG-module attached (Character Generator).
Since Frikanalen have a fully operational backend and frontend system, why should we need to replace them? This project is not aimed at replacing the system we have, but to add modules making this democratic tool available to all. With open standards on the web-based scheduling, more effecient transcoding and cheap implementations of playout we hope to spread the concept of public access TV.
The project will be creating 3 modules that can be attached to the existing system, talking to the backend system over the SOAP API, and be based on free and open standards. It will also replace the playout unit with a standard PC / MAC with a SDI graphics card.
The modules need to be standalone units, not to waste time while other modules are in development. Free and open formats must be used and code must be well documented assuring all modules to work together in the final integration.
Project one - playout
The playout module is our highest priority. The idea is to fetch information from the schedule and play out the videoes at the scheduled time. When there are «holes» in the shedule betweeen videos, «What's next» type of poster with an animated background should be shown. For larger gaps, a set of filler videos should be automatically scheduled.
Qualifications:
- basic knowledge of VLC, or a player with similar capabillites
- XML parsing knowledge
- general codec knowledge
It is an advantage to have some OpenGL / OpenCL skills to be able to get the SDI graphics card working.
Project two - scheduler
This module is the main control which connects the Player with the videos and their scheduled time of broadcast. It should be designed with the ability to communicate with all planned playout modules, even the Harris Video server (and CG) being used today.
The database should be able to register input from the Silverlight scheduler as well as this new scheduler based on open standards. In that way the playout will be functional as a apare (operational redundancy) as well as a parallell distribution with unique scheduled items.
Qualifications:
- Ajax and general web programing, XML, PHP
- Mysql programing, as a main database
- Basic video knowledge / VLC / Transcoding
Project three - transcoder
The transcoder should get «Whatever file type and codec» uploaded transcoded to several pre defined output formats. DV-AVI for the playout system, Ogg Theora for the web system, and the possibility for other formats, as MP4, X264, MPEG 2...
There are a lot of open encoders out there; you have the FFMPEG project and applications like Handbrake, VLC etc.
This project aims to get a working open and network based transcoder to utilize the scheduler and the backend system.
When a user has uploaded the file the database will tell the transcoder that the file is ready for transcoding. The file will then be transcoded to various formats. The scheduler will recognize a clip as online when the DV-AVI is transcoded. When the Ogg Theora file is ready it will be avalable on web (if the clip is published).
The transcoder should also be able to swap field orders, normalise the sound volume, check 4*3 VS 16*9 and transform pixel aspect according to output settings. Ideally it should use multiple computers as a rendering farm.
Qualifications:
- Codec knowledge
- Transcoding knowledge
- Video knowledge
- Perl, MySQL/PostgreSQL and PHP
- Network and TCP/UDP knowledge