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How to create a Live Schedule

Overview

The StreamShark Live Scheduler system allows you schedule and play out a playlist of StreamShark Video on Demand (VoD) content as "live" - either at scheduled/defined times (so you can "premiere" content), or on a 24/7 loop. Video content must be fully pre-processed first through the StreamShark Video on Demand system using a specific encoding Profile to ensure MP4 Format assets are generated in the Qualities (360p, 480p, 720p, 1080p for HD; 360p, 720p, 1080p and 2160p for 4K) needed for the Live Scheduler system.

The Live Scheduler platform is currently available for customers on subscription plans with a Dedicated Server attached. Contact your Sales Representative or Account Manager if you wish to know more, or are interested in a trial of the Live Scheduler platform.

1. Prepare the source VoDs

For any new video asset you wish to add to a live schedule:

  1. Login to StreamShark
  2. Navigate to Video on Demand -> +Add Content (https://app.streamshark.io/vod#manage-videos)
  3. Select your source file:
    1. For content less than 5GB, you can upload via the Upload From Computer option.
    2. For content larger than 5GB, you should upload via your File Bucket ahead of time and select it from the File Bucket tab once uploaded. 
  4. Live Scheduler Source field gives you the options to choose how you expect the VoD being processed
    1. Choose Yes if you only use this VoD for Live Scheduler purpose and will not use it for direct VoD access. You may be able to choose a provided Profile from the dropdown list if this has been pre-configured for your account, such as Live Scheduler HD or Live Scheduler 4K. VoD process under this option will be much faster particularly for files with large size.
    2. Choose No if this VoD will be used for purposes other than Live Scheduler.  When going with this option you will need to ensure specific Format and Qualities are selected be able to add a given VoD to a Live Schedule. Select the Custom profile and ensure content is selected to be encoded in
      1. the MP4 Format and the 360p, 480p, 720p and 1080p Qualities for a HD schedule
      2. the MP4 Format and the 360p, 720p, 1080p and 2160p Qualities for a 4K schedule
  5. Click Continue.
  6. Add details such as:
    1. Title
    2. Description
    3. Tags
    4. A scheduled deletion date after which the content will be removed.
  7. Hit Save.

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For any existing video asset you may wish to add to a live schedule:

  1. Login to StreamShark
  2. Navigate to Video on Demand and select the existing VoD you wish to modify.
  3. Click on the Profile tab.
  4. If Automatic is checked, uncheck it so it says Manual so you can add additional qualities if needed.
  5. Ensure the MP4 Format is selected, as well as the 360p, 480p, 720p and 1080p Qualities (for a HD schedule), or 360p, 720p, 1080p and 2160p Qualities (for a 4K schedule)
  6. Hit Save Profile Settings

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In both cases, the VoD must be ACTIVE and all MP4 quality encodes finished to be added to a Live Schedule.

2. Create the Live Schedule

  1. Navigate to Live Scheduler  -> +Add
  2. Give the Schedule a Title and Description
  3. Select your ingest (if applicable)
  4. Select the Quality Mode if applicable
    1. HD - Any VoD added to schedule must be pre-transcoded using the Live Schedule HD VoD Profile, or have the necessary MP4 Format selected, as well as the 360p, 480p, 720p and 1080p Qualities present if edited by hand.
    2. 4K - Any VoD added to schedule must be pre-transcoded using the Live Schedule 4K VoD Profile, or have the necessary MP4 Format selected, as well as the 360p, 720p, 1080p and 2160p Qualities present if edited by hand.
    3. All encodes must be complete & ready.
  5. Configure your Schedule:
    1. For a one-off Live Schedule, set a Time Zone and Scheduled Start Date and Start Time(s). If you select multiple times, they must be on the same day.
    2. For a 24/7 loop, optionally set a Scheduled Start time (or otherwise manually start the schedule later), and select Loop Content.
  6. Optionally, select your Privacy Settings to On if you want to protect access to the Live Schedule (e.g. for non public streams). Leave it Off for publicly accessible events. 
  7. Hit Create.
  8. Once the Schedule is created, it is waiting for you to program content. Select the Schedule title or the gear icon under Shortcuts.
  9. Select + Add Content, select the VoD content you want to program, and select Add.
  10. If desired, re-order the content via dragging and dropping via the hamburger icon, and select Update.
  11. Once the Schedule is in the Ready or Scheduled State, Select Go Live Now to make the playlist active, or if scheduled, wait for the Scheduled Start time and navigate to the Overview tab to grab the HLS and DASH feed URLs, and Player page for the content.

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3. Add Video on Demand (VoD) content to the Live Schedule

Once you have created a new Live Schedule, it is in the Waiting for Content state.

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Select the Schedule title or the gear icon under Shortcuts to begin adding content.

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Select + Add Content to begin adding content to the Schedule. Search by Title, Tag or Creator to quickly find relevant content. You can select and add multiple Videos at a time. VoD Content will only be able to be selectable to Add if it's in the correct format, as described earlier in this document. 

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  1. Select + Add Content, select the VoD content you want to program, and select Add.
  2. If desired, re-order the content via dragging and dropping via the hamburger icon, and select Update.

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After selecting Update, the Live Schedule Status will change to Syncing Content as it prepares the schedule. This step can take several minutes to complete, or potentially longer for a large / lengthy playlist.

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Once the Syncing process is complete the Status will change from Syncing Content to Scheduled or Ready (if the Schedule has been run previously) Status. 

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Once the Schedule is in the Ready or Scheduled State, Select Go Live Now to make the playlist active, or if scheduled, wait for the Scheduled Start time.

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4. How to access video from a Live Schedule

Select the Schedule title or the gear icon under Shortcuts, and navigate to the Overview tab to grab the HLS and DASH feed URLs, and Player page for the content. The Live Schedule can also be added as the Main feed of a Streaming Event, unlocking further control and customisation/theming opportunities. 

5. Using a Live Schedule in an Event

Create an Event via the Streaming Event option:

  1. Select your preferred Event Type.
  2. The Ingest Settings are immaterial as they will not be used for the event.
  3. For the Workflow Settings, select Live Scheduler as the source for the Main Event Source of the Workflow.

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6. Known Issues

  • Pagination does not work correctly with search results in the +Add Content step (e.g. page 2 will not contain your search term).
  • The +Add Content step may let you Add incompatible VoD content (e.g. HLS only Format) to the Live Schedule in some circumstances. You will be prevented from updating/saving the Live Schedule however with a contextual error message.
  • External vtt vod captions are not supported/displayed for live schedule.  Embedded 608/708 captions inside the source mp4 should be passed through but we have not fully tested all permutations - please test with your sources to confirm.
  • Selecting "Go Live Now" from a content item in a Schedule does not work. Use the top level "Go Live Now" button to start a playlist.
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