Setting up Log Smart Transfer in Myriad Playout v5.22 and higher

Introduction

Smart Transfer is a new technology introduced in Myriad Playout v5.22 and makes it incredibly easy to quickly transfer Log Playback from one PC to another and back again.

Note: In Myriad Playout v5.23, this process was improved so you no longer have to manually enable the option to "Allow HTTP Service connections" as Myriad will automatically enable them if it is set as an allowed Location for Log Transfer.

Example scenarios

A typical scenario is where you have a Studio PC and an Automation PC, and overnight the Automation PC plays the log, leaving the studio free for use, or even just so it can be turned off to save power.

This means that Log Playback needs to transferred FROM the Automation PC TO the Studio PC every morning at the start of live programming, and then back at TO the automation PC at the end of the day.

Currently, this would need to be done with either physically attending the Automation PC perhaps via a KVM switcher, or via a remote control application to remote onto the Automation PC and take/release On Air Control and start and stop the Log playing back.

Another example is as simple as wanting to transfer playback for a few minutes to allow a PC to complete a reboot for Windows Updates etc. Again, you would have to remotely control another PC to cue up the Log, release OnAir control in the studio, take control on the other PC, and then press go. Then repeat that in reverse to bring the Log back to the studio once you are ready.

With Log Smart Transfer this is as easy as clicking a single button and choosing where to send the log to, and Myriad Playout takes care of the rest.

Log Smart Transfer

Log Smart Transfer works Myriad Playout automatically connecting to the requested computer via a network connection and starting an automatic transfer process to transfer whenever you need.

When you click the Transfer button, Myriad Playout automatically connects to the destination PC via it's remote connection port, checks that it has the correct station open, moves the log to the correct position and cues the "next" item in the Scheduled Log into the Dashboard.  Then, when the sender reaches the end of the current item, instead of starting it locally, it releases On-Air Control, and tells the receiving Myriad Playout to take OnAir Control and immediately start the Log playing from that point instead.

Configuring Smart Transfer

There are only 2 changes needed to enable Smart Transfer - each PC must be configured to allow remote connections, and then the database needs to know which ones should be be enabled as transfer locations via the Database Settings window

Enabling Myriad Playout v5.23 and higher to allow remote connections:

By default Myriad Playout v5.23 and higher will automatically allow remote connections when the Location is enabled for SmartTransfer - see below - but if you want to manually enable it as well you can do this in Myriad Playout, by going to the Settings menu and click Application Settings, then click on the Remote Connection tab, and turn on the "Always allow HTTP 'Service' connections on port 9180"  option and click OK:

.

Enabling Myriad Playout v5.22 to allow remote connections:

In Myriad Playout, go to the Settings menu and click Application Settings, then click on the Remote Connection tab, and turn on the "Allow HTTP 'Service' connections on port 9180"  option and click OK. You will be prompted to restart Myriad Playout which you can either do now, or after the next step.

After the restart you will be asked if it is OK for Myriad to make 2 or 3 security changes to your Windows Configuration to allow these connections. This will allow Myriad Playout to open the HTTP connection it requires, and it also opens the required port (TCP 9180) in the Windows Firewall. It's vital that you allow these changes to happen. If you have any problems please contact support.

Configuring Transfer Locations:

Go into Database Settings, and on the Locations tab and tick the "Log Transfer" box for each location that you want to be able to send/receive Log transfers. You should only select the locations that you want to includes - for example, don't include office computers as you are unlikely to ever want to transfer to them, and there is no need to include them in the list of options that will be presented to the studio users. You will see several other columns depending on your configuration, so the layout may be slightly different, than below, but the Log Transfer column is the one you need to tick.

Once you've completed the changes, click OK and then restart Myriad Playout on any PC's that you have enabled so they are ready to go, including the PC you are making the change on. 

After you restart Myriad Playout, you will see a new button on the Dashboard and the icon will change to show whether you are in a position to send or to request the Log:

Using Smart Transfer to send a log TO another computer - e.g. handing Log Playback from Studio 1 TO Automation

When you have On-Air control and the log is running you will see the icon pictured above, and clicking that button will popup a new window asking you which location you want to transfer log playback to:

Just choose the location you want to send to and click OK.

You will then see a Transfer Status panel appear in between the "current" and "next" items in the Dashboard:

As Myriad completes the transfer checks you will see the green bar progresssing to right and then hold at Start Playback.

At the end of the current item, If the end is a green dot, then it will seamlessly start playback on the remote PC, but if it's a red dot then Myriad will stop and wait as usual, so the presenter can complete their final link, and when they press "GO" it will automatically start Log playback on the remote PC and switch to standby.

Using Smart Transfer to transfer the log FROM another computer - e.g. pulling the Log Playback from an Automation PC TO a live studio

The process is very similar to the process above, but when you click the button in the studio you will just see a simple yes/no message box asking you if you want to transfer Log playback from the other PC:

Just click Yes and Myriad will connect to that PC and initiate the send from it - on the Automation PC you will see the same transfer status panel as above, but on the studio PC you will just see the dashboard cue up ready to go.  Because you are doing a blind "pull" from the Automation PC, then if the current item has a red stop, it will be automatically changed to a green dot so that the log can transfer straight away at the end.

All you need to do is then wait until the end of item and your Dashboard will automatically start playing.  Do NOT click "GO" on your local pc as the sending PC will do that for you when the time is right.

Note: Future releases of Myriad Playout will improve this so you can see the status of the "remote" PC's dashboard while you wait, making this process even easier.

Demonstration Video