iNEWS Command v2.3.0 ReadMe - Avid

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Avid iNEWS ® Command 

Version 2.3 ReadMe 

Revision History 

Date Revised 

17 February 2009 

Changes Made 

Initial version 2.0 w/ changes between 1.1.4 and 2.0; Fixed ASF reference 

(Rev B-03/09) 

11 March 2009 Added changes between 2.0 and 2.0.1 

7 May 2009 Added changes between 2.0.1 and 2.0.3 

19 June 2009 Added changes between 2.0.3 and 2.1 

30 June 2009 Rev B – Added note about Play While Record w/AMS 

21 August 2009 Added changes between 2.1 and 2.3 

Important Information 

Avid recommends that you read all the information in this ReadMe file thoroughly before installing or 

using any new software release. 

Note: Search the Avid Knowledge Base (http://www.avid.com/onlinesupport) for the most up-to-date ReadMe 

file, which contains the latest information that might have become available after the documentation was 

published. 

This document describes compatibility issues with previous releases, hardware and software requirements, 

software installation instructions, and summary information on system and memory requirements, when 

applicable. This document also lists any hardware and/or software limitations.

Command v 2.3 ReadMe 

Contents 

Important Information ............................................................................................................................................... 1 

Compatibility ............................................................................................................................................................. 5 

Microsoft Windows Operating Systems ................................................................................................................ 5 

Avid Service Framework ....................................................................................................................................... 5 

Avid Interplay ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 

iNEWS Server ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 

iNEWS Client ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 

AirSpeed ................................................................................................................................................................ 5 

AirSpeed Multi Stream .......................................................................................................................................... 5 

Deko ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5 

Deko MOS Gateway .............................................................................................................................................. 5 

Deko MOS Macro Server ...................................................................................................................................... 6 

Deko Select Plugin ................................................................................................................................................ 6 

Thunder and Thunder Select Plug-in ..................................................................................................................... 6 

MOS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6 

ENPS ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6 

3 rd Party Devices via Avid Video Device Service (VDCP)................................................................................... 6 

Qualified Localization Languages ......................................................................................................................... 6 

Installation ................................................................................................................................................................. 6 

DekoSelect ............................................................................................................................................................. 6 

Rover Button ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 

Upgrade ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 

Command v1.1.4 or Earlier to v2.0 and Later ....................................................................................................... 7 

Command v1.0 to v1.1.1 or Later .......................................................................................................................... 7 

AirSpeed Device Service Configuration ............................................................................................................ 7 

Set Playlist Creation option to Item-Only Playlists ........................................................................................... 7 

Hardware and Software Changes ............................................................................................................................... 8 

Between v2.1 and v2.3........................................................................................................................................... 8 

TAG ................................................................................................................................................................... 8 

Media Viewer .................................................................................................................................................... 8 

ENPS Integration ............................................................................................................................................... 8 

Between v2.0.3 and v2.1........................................................................................................................................ 8 

Installation ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 

Graphics Environments ..................................................................................................................................... 9 

2


Vista ................................................................................................................................................................... 9 

User Interface .................................................................................................................................................... 9 

Inventory............................................................................................................................................................ 9 

X-Keys ............................................................................................................................................................... 9 

Playout ............................................................................................................................................................... 9 

Omneon Plug-in ............................................................................................................................................... 10 

Avid AirSpeed Multi Stream Integration ......................................................................................................... 10 

ENPS Integration ............................................................................................................................................. 10 

Between v2.0.1 and v2.0.3 ................................................................................................................................... 10 

Windows Compatibility ................................................................................................................................... 10 

Deko ................................................................................................................................................................ 10 

Inventory.......................................................................................................................................................... 10 

Playout ............................................................................................................................................................. 10 

Avid AirSpeed Multi Stream Integration ......................................................................................................... 10 

Between v2.0 and v2.0.1...................................................................................................................................... 11 

Hand-entered Graphics in iNEWS ................................................................................................................... 11 

Between v1.1.4 and v2.0...................................................................................................................................... 11 

Graphics Playout – Deko Integration............................................................................................................... 11 

User Interface .................................................................................................................................................. 11 

Playout ............................................................................................................................................................. 11 

Cursor Behavior ............................................................................................................................................... 12 

Logging............................................................................................................................................................ 12 

New Features ........................................................................................................................................................... 13 

For Version 2.3 .................................................................................................................................................... 13 

Installing the Avid UMD Service (for the Avid TSL plug-in)......................................................................... 13 

Configuring the Avid UMD Device Service ................................................................................................... 13 

For Version 2.1 .................................................................................................................................................... 15 

Looping............................................................................................................................................................ 15 

Searching for Items in Inventory ..................................................................................................................... 16 

Clock Panel ...................................................................................................................................................... 17 

TAG Indicator ................................................................................................................................................. 18 

Versioning ....................................................................................................................................................... 18 

Playlist Explorer .............................................................................................................................................. 19 

Playlist Icons ................................................................................................................................................... 20 

Configuring the Avid Video Device Service (for VDCP control of an Omneon) ........................................... 21 

New ENPS Workflows .................................................................................................................................... 23 

Deko Select with ENPS and Command ........................................................................................................... 23 

3


MOS Redirection ............................................................................................................................................. 23 

For Version 2.0 .................................................................................................................................................... 24 

Multi Stream Integration ................................................................................................................................. 24 

Omneon Integration ......................................................................................................................................... 24 

For Version 1.1.4 ................................................................................................................................................. 24 

Shortcut Key .................................................................................................................................................... 24 

New Failover Protocol ............................................................................................................................................. 24 

Documentation Notes and Errata ............................................................................................................................. 24 

Installation and Configuration ............................................................................................................................. 25 

Known Limitations .................................................................................................................................................. 26 

TAG ..................................................................................................................................................................... 26 

UMD .................................................................................................................................................................... 26 

Anti-Virus Protection .......................................................................................................................................... 26 

Upgrades .............................................................................................................................................................. 26 

ENPS Integration ................................................................................................................................................. 26 

Omneon ............................................................................................................................................................... 26 

Looping ................................................................................................................................................................ 27 

Localization ......................................................................................................................................................... 27 

Mirrored Playout .................................................................................................................................................. 27 

Newsroom-Controlled Playlist ............................................................................................................................ 27 

Deko .................................................................................................................................................................... 28 

User Interface ...................................................................................................................................................... 28 

Shotbox Viewer Panel ......................................................................................................................................... 29 

GPI Channels ....................................................................................................................................................... 29 

Installation ........................................................................................................................................................... 29 

Avid Service Framework with Command Services ............................................................................................. 29 

Redundancy ......................................................................................................................................................... 29 

Channel Groups ................................................................................................................................................... 30 

Media Viewer ...................................................................................................................................................... 30 

Thunder ................................................................................................................................................................ 30 

Playout ................................................................................................................................................................. 30 

Workflow ............................................................................................................................................................. 31 

Technical Support Information ................................................................................................................................ 32 

Accessing Online Support ................................................................................................................................... 32 

4


Compatibility 

This Avid iNEWS Command release is compatible with the following: 

Note: For the latest specifications regarding minimum system requirements, please visit: 

http://www.avid.com/products/iNews-Command/index.asp. 

Microsoft Windows Operating Systems 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command is qualified for use with Windows XP Professional (SP2 or later) 

and Windows 2003 Server (SP1 or later), and Windows Vista (workstation only). 

Avid Service Framework 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command is qualified for use with Avid Service Framework version 1.2.3. 

Avid Interplay 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command is qualified for use with the Avid Interplay 1.1 or later. 

iNEWS Server 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command is qualified for use with iNEWS Server 2.6.2 or later, but Avid 

recommends using the latest released version. 

iNEWS Client 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command is qualified for use with any iNEWS client software that’s 

compatible with iNEWS Server 2.6.2 or later. 

AirSpeed 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command is qualified for use with AirSpeed versions 2.5.3 and later. 

Unrestricted VDCP is not supported. 

For thumbnails of video on AirSpeed video servers, Interplay v1.1 is required. 

AirSpeed Multi Stream 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command is qualified for use with AirSpeed Multi Stream version 1.0 or 

later. 

Deko 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command is qualified for use with the following Deko models and the listed 

software versions for each. 

• Deko1000 – Versions 4.1.2. 

• Deko3000 – Versions 4.1.2. 

• FX Deko II – Versions 4.1.2. 

NOTE: This version of Command is partially qualified with Deko 5.0. While basic functionality does work, and 

the new auto-motions feature has been qualified with Command, there are a couple of exceptions. See Known 

Limitations in this document for more information. 

Deko MOS Gateway 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command is qualified for use with Deko MOS Gateway version 3.0.3 and 

later. 

5


Deko MOS Macro Server 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command is qualified for use with Deko MOS MacroServer version 3.0.3 

and later. 

Deko Select Plugin 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command is qualified for use with Deko Select version 3.04 and later. 

Thunder and Thunder Select Plug-in 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command is qualified for use with Thunder and Thunder Select. 

MOS 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command is qualified for use with MOS protocol versions 2.6 and 2.8. Avid 

recommends using MOS 2.8, which is the default. 

ENPS 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command is qualified for use with ENPS version 4.5 or later. 

3 rd Party Devices via Avid Video Device Service (VDCP) 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command is qualified with the 360 Systems Image Server. 

This version of Avid iNEWS Command has been tested with the following: 

• Omneon: Spectrum and Media Deck 

• Grass Valley Group: Profile and K2 

Qualified Localization Languages 

The Command 2.x software at the workstation is localized into the following languages and is also 

supported with those languages: 

• French 

• French (Canadian) 

• Spanish 

• Spanish Latin 

• German 

• Italian 

• Chinese (Traditional) 

• Chinese (Simplified) 

Installation 

DekoSelect 

Rover Button 

The DekoSelect client software must be installed on the ENPS workstation before the plug-in will show up 

on the Rover button. 

6


Upgrade 

Command v1.1.4 or Earlier to v2.0 and Later 

Command version 2.0 and later requires an upgrade to the Avid Service Framework 1.2.1.2 (or later). After 

the Framework is upgraded, any Framework application shortcuts in the Quick Launch bar must be remade. 

Command v1.0 to v1.1.1 or Later 

AirSpeed Device Service Configuration 

When upgrading from Command 1.0.x to Command 1.1.x or later, the AirSpeed device service 

configuration settings are not retained. Specifically, the AirSpeed device server host name reverts to the 

local server host name. To fix this, open Avid Interplay Service Configuration, navigate to the AirSpeed 

Device Service, and change the name. 

Set Playlist Creation option to Item-Only Playlists 

Command 1.1.0 now supports item-only playlists. Upgrading to 1.1.x or later sets the default to item-only 

playlists. You can insert breaks in item-only playlists. If you intend to embed newsroom playlists or other 

standalone playlists, you must deselect this option to keep stories in the playlist. 

NOTE: The option was originally called Newly created playlists will not contain stories, but that was changed 

in the software after the help system and user-based documentation was created. 

7


Hardware and Software Changes 

The following changes were made to existing features in iNEWS Command. 

Between v2.1 and v2.3 

TAG 

♦ 

In previous versions of Command, users could edit the IN and OUT times for a loaded playlist, but the 

story slug would not update. Beginning in version 2.3, updating the IN and OUT times on a TAG 

graphic in a disconnected or standalone playlist will reflect the change in the story’s slug. See “Known 

Limitations” for more on updates of loaded/connected playlists. 

Media Viewer 

♦ In previous versions of Command, the Mark IN and Mark OUT values could be edited in the Media 

Viewer for video items in a playlist that had a browse channel. Starting with Command version 2.3, 

those values can also be set for both graphics and video items in playlists that do not have browse 

channels. 

♦ 

In previous versions of Command, the spacebar used to unintentionally set the Mark OUT in the Media 

Viewer. Now, the spacebar only plays or pauses an item in the Media Viewer. 

ENPS Integration 

♦ In previous versions of Command, moving an item right above the float bar caused problems between 

ENPS and the Command MOS Communication service, which required a restart of that service. This 

has been fixed. 

♦ 

In previous versions of Command, certain invalid characters would cause the MOS Communication 

service’s error handling to fail. This has been fixed along with numerous improvements that were 

made to the MOS Communication service’s error handling. 

Between v2.0.3 and v2.1 

Installation 

♦ In Command v2.1, a button on the Command installation autorun splash graphic was renamed. The old 

name, “Copy this CD to a Local Directory” now appears as, “Copy Install Files to Another 

Location”—as shown below: 

8


Graphics Environments 

♦ 

Starting with Command version 2.1, the term, Graphics Environment, will appear changed in the 

software to Graphics style(s)—the term more widely known and used for graphics devices such as 

Avid Deko. This change is most noticeable in the System Settings dialog box when viewing the 

settings for Playlist and for MOS > General. 

Vista 

♦ 

In Command v2.1, Vista UI logs are written to a different location: 

C:\Users|{user.home}\AppData\Local\Avid\avidinewscommand\log 

The logs are still accessible via Diagnostics and Package Remote, as long as the UI is open. 

User Interface 

♦ In Command v2.0, the preview channel would not update if fulfillment data on a CG item was changed 

in iNEWS. This has been fixed. 

Inventory 

♦ 

♦ 

X-Keys 

♦ 

Playout 

♦ 

♦ 

Occasionally, delete and protect did not work and required a restart of the Inventory Manager. This has 

been fixed. 

Delete and protect both now work properly with AMS. 

In previous versions of Command, choosing to restore defaults from the Options dialog box would 

clear the X-keys configuration. This has been fixed. 

In previous versions of Command, any browse channel activity would cause the playback channels to 

eject. This has been fixed so that playing an item in the browse channel no longer engages the Eject 

Previous Item function. 

Ejecting an item that is followed by the identical graphic including fulfillment data now correctly 

reports an Ejected status. 

9


♦ 

Eject previous, with Independent Channel cueing turned off, now works consistently with mirrored 

channel playback. 

Omneon Plug-in 

♦ In previous versions of Command, delete and delete protect did not work with the Omneon plug-in 

inventory. This has been fixed. 

Avid AirSpeed Multi Stream Integration 

♦ The Play While Record feature now works with Avid AirSpeed Multi Stream. With Play While 

Record, a user can (from the Media Viewer in Command) type the mark in point of a video being 

recorded and play it from that point on to the duration of the recording. 


♦ In previous versions of Command, TAG workflow with ENPS and Deko Select didn’t work. This has 

been fixed. 

♦ 

In previous versions of Command, communication problems between Command and ENPS resulted in 

inconsistent autocreates, item deletions, and reporting of item status (playable/not ready). This has 

been fixed. 

Between v2.0.1 and v2.0.3 

Windows Compatibility 

♦ Command v2.0.1 was not compatible with computers running Windows 2000 operating systems. This 

compatibility was restored with version 2.0.3. 

Deko 

♦ 

Beginning in Command v2.0, changing a cued CG item in iNEWS did not update the Deko preview 

channel. This has been fixed. 

Inventory 

♦ 

Playout 

♦ 

♦ 

In previous version of Command, delete and delete protect occasionally would not work. Restarting the 

Inventory Manager service would temporarily fix the problem. This has been fixed. 

In previous versions of Command, with independent channel cueing turned off, Eject Previous Item 

would eject the previous and currently playing item when the eject time was reached. This has been 

fixed. 

In previous versions of Command, when manually cueing an item that had the same template and 

fulfillment data, Command would not clear the cue status of the previous item, which meant the 

playlist could have two or more items cued at the same time. This has been fixed. 

Avid AirSpeed Multi Stream Integration 

♦ In previous versions of Command, strong channel assignment would start at the default channel when a 

change to the playlist occurred (e.g. ABCAABC), instead of keeping the channel sequence (e.g. 

ABCABC). This issue only occurred when Command was controlling playout of media on an Avid 

AirSpeed Multi Stream video server. This has been fixed. 

♦ 

In previous versions of Command, ejecting a cued clip would not clear it from Avid AirSpeed Multi 

Stream, which would cause problems when updating the media via Send to Playback. This has been 

fixed. Now, ejecting a cued item ejects it from the appropriate AMS channel. 

10


♦ 

In previous versions of Command, when loading an iNEWS playlist with Avid AirSpeed Multi Stream, 

all items would show unavailable status for approximately 45 seconds and then correctly report status. 

This has been fixed. 

Between v2.0 and v2.0.1 

Hand-entered Graphics in iNEWS 

In Command v2.0, machine control commands that were hand-entered in iNEWS, used *CG, and had alpha 

characters in the template name would not appear as items in the Command playlist. Instead, they would 

cause the items to have ?ERROR status in the iNEWS rundown, and the items would not get sent to 

Command. This is fixed in Command v2.0.1. 

Between v1.1.4 and v2.0 

Graphics Playout – Deko Integration 

The way Command handles graphic playout was fundamentally altered in this release. Previously, when an 

item is cued, it appears in the preview channel, but it wasn’t until the item was played that the Deko would 

render the clips and motions. This meant that playout was slower. Command will continue to behave this 

way when the Deko device service is set to dual channel mode. However, a new single channel mode is 

now available so that when an item is cued, the Deko renders the motions and clips then pauses them at the 

first frame. This means that cueing is slower but playout is faster than before. 


The icons representing Primary Only and Mirror Only have been changed to the following: 

- Primary Only - Mirror Only 

Note: The background color shown in the Mirror Only icon is a customizable color, but Avid strongly 

recommends that it be set to a bright color (such as orange) so that it helps alert Command users in the 

control room when a mirror only playback situation occurs. 

Playout 

♦ 

♦ 

In previous versions of Command, the cursor wouldn’t automatically advance when playing an uncued 

item. This is fixed. 

Beginning in Command v2.0, Avid recommends changing the heartbeat and retry timeouts for MOS in 

the Command system’s settings (Tools > System Settings) to the following: 

Heartbeat = 30 seconds 

Retry = 5 seconds 

♦ 

♦ 

♦ 

♦ 

In previous versions of Command, when floating a larger number of iNEWS stories, Command didn’t 

properly readjust the autoscroll. This is fixed. 

Additional improvements were made to the behavior of the autoscroll feature and the cursor in 

Command. Now, the cursor moves with any cue changes, such as when an item is added to the 

rundown. Also, when stories above the playing item are floated, the cursor will remain centered on the 

window as opposed to scrolling off screen. 

In previous versions of Command, Deko items would not get fully inventoried after a restart. This is 

fixed. 

In previous German, Spanish, and Italian versions of Command, the play command (Enter on the 

numerical keypad) was not working. This is fixed. Additionally, there were numerous other 

localization corrections. 

11


Cursor Behavior 

♦ 

The behavior for Page Up/Down, Home, and End has been changed. The default is to not move the 

cursor when any of those keys are pressed. In previous versions, pressing those keys would move the 

cursor. There is a new option to control this behavior. 

To set it: 

1. Select Tools > Options. 

2. Then in the Options dialog box, expand Playlist and Shotbox Viewers. 

3. Expand Playlist Viewer. 

4. Select Behavior. From there you can modify the Playlist Behavior setting. 

For more information, see “Customizing the Playlist Viewer” on page 54 in the Avid iNEWS Command 

User’s Guide. 

Logging 

♦ 

The logging feature in Command has been fine tuned to capture the significant playlist activity, such as 

playout status and changes, cursor movement, and channel group lock or unlock events, all of which 

can be very helpful to Avid Customer Support staff. When troubleshooting a problem, it is important to 

get these logs, which can only be collected when the Command client application is open at the 

workstation. 

12


New Features 

The following section provides new features first made available in the specified release. 

For Version 2.3 

Installing the Avid UMD Service (for the Avid TSL plug-in) 

The Avid iNEWS Command user interface allows you to control Under Monitor Display or In Monitor 

Display devices via the TSL UMD protocol, developed by Television Systems Limited, so that the clip’s 

title, the countdown timecode—the one showing the remaining duration—and the tally light for playing 

video can be displayed on or near the video monitor in the control room. 

In previous versions of Command, the timecodes for playing video appeared only on the Command 

Workstation. But with the use of the Avid UMD device service and Avid’s TSL plug-in, the timecode for 

playing video can be displayed on a video monitor in the control room or on a multipurpose text display 

device located next to or under the video monitor. When displayed on a video monitor, the monitor is 

considered an In Monitor Display device (or IMD). When displayed separately, the device is considered an 

Under Monitor Display device (or UMD). 

In general, the device service communicates through a third-party intermediate device, such as TallyMan 

manufactured by Television Systems Limited. 

The Avid UMD device service, along with Avid’s TSL plug-in, is installed from the Command installation 

CD. It is not selected to be installed by default, so if you want to install the device service and plug-in, you 

will have to select the device service as part of the server installation. 

To install the Avid UMD device service: 

1. Insert the Command installation CD (or access the install program from the network). 

2. Follow the standard installation steps provided in the “Installing Avid iNEWS Command on the 

Server” section of the Avid iNEWS Installation and Configuration Guide. 

3. During the installation, when the Custom Setup dialog box appears, expand Avid iNEWS Command 

Services, then expand Device, and select to install Avid UMD Device Service. Avid’s TSL plug-in will 

be installed along with the device service. 

4. Click Next. 

5. When the Ready to Install the Program dialog box appears, click Install. 

6. When the installation is complete, click Finish. 

You are now ready to configure the device service. 

Configuring the Avid UMD Device Service 

For integration between Command and any under monitor display to work, some configuration of the 

device service is required, using the Avid Service Configuration application of Avid Service Framework. 

For more information about this application, see the Avid Service Framework User’s Guide. 

With the TallyMan, one cable is run to the TallyMan and other cables run from it to each UMD. 

Configuration of the device service is covered in the following procedure. 

To configure the Avid UMD device service(s): 

1. Click the Start button, and then select All Programs > Avid > Service Framework > Avid Service 

Configuration. 

2. On the Hosts tab, navigate to and select the Avid UMD Device Service. 

3. When prompted, enter the system administrator password and click OK. If you have not yet created 

one, leave the space blank and click OK. 

13


Note: Avid’s TSL plug-in is preselected for you on the Plug-in Chooser tab. 

4. On the Avid UMD Device Service Settings tab, the Service Name should be set to a unique name that 

represents the current instance of the device service. By default, it first appears as Service Name. 

5. The Show Duration check box determines if the duration of a clip is displayed when a clip is cued. For 

8-character displays, if Show Duration is left unchecked, the clip’s title or ID is displayed as 

determined in the step 6. If Show Duration is selected, then instead of the clip’s title or ID, the total 

clip duration is shown in an abbreviated timecode format (hh:mm:ss, with no frames) when a clip is 

cued. 

For 16-character displays, the clip’s title or ID are always shown. So, if Show Duration is left 

unchecked, the full 16 characters are used to display the clip’s title or ID. If Show Duration is selected, 

then an abbreviated timecode in the format mm:ss is shown (or hh:mm:ss if needed for clips longer 

than an hour) along with a shortened version of the clip’s title or ID. The two are separated by one 

space. 

6. Select the Display Name. Options are: Title or ID. If Title is chosen, and Show Duration is not 

selected, then the clip’s title will be displayed when a clip is cued. If ID is chosen, and Show Duration 

is not selected, then the clip’s video ID will be displayed when a clip is cued. 

Note: When a clip title is displayed, only the rightmost eight characters show up in an 8-character display, so 

if the clip’s title is longer than 8 characters it will be truncated. Generally the rightmost characters will be 

more unique, making it easier to identify the clip. There is no indication when a clip’s title is truncated. 

For 16-character displays, the number of characters is determined by whether the duration is shown and the 

length of that duration. For instance, you could see 10 characters of either the clip’s title or video ID followed 

by a space and the duration in an mm:ss format, as shown in the following example: p-politics 01:32 

14


If the clip’s duration is longer than an hour, the duration will appear as hh:mm:ss, and the clip’s title or ID 

will be truncated to eight characters. 

7. For every under monitor display you want to operate, click Add UMD Device to add a new row to the 

table from which you can then edit the information in each column. Each device is assigned its own 

device number; that is, the Device column is filled out automatically, starting with one (1), and is not 

used in the service’s configuration. 

8. The Channel Index lets you associate a device with a device channel index in Command. Options in 

this drop-down list include numerical values of one (1) through 16. The channel index, which 

corresponds to a playout channel, is set in Command’s System Setting dialog box under the Channel > 

Indices category. You can access that dialog box by clicking Tools > System Settings. 

Note: Four columns shown in the previous graphic (Type, Port, Address, and Tally) relate to the TSL plug-in. 

If an alternative third-party plug-in is used, what you see might vary. 

9. The Type column can be set to one of three options: 

• Single 8 – 8-character display 

• Dual 8 Left – 16-character display, access leftmost 8 characters 

• Dual 8 Right – 16-character display, access rightmost 8 characters 

• Single 16 – 16-character display 

Set the Type according to what king of UMD device you are using. 

10. The Port column is a drop-down list that shows available ports. It is most commonly set to an RS422 

serial communications port. For the TallyMan, all UMD devices on a given TallyMan will have the 

same COM port. 

11. Address is the UMD address, which can be set to numerical values of zero (0) through 126. When 

using TallyMan, except for Dual 8 Left and Dual 8 Right types, which share an address, each UMD 

device on a given COM port should have a unique address. 

Note: If you do not know the UMD address for your device, unplug and reconnect the serial connection. Watch 

the device’s display; it will show its UMD address as Addr plus a numerical value, such as: Addr 001. 

12. The Tally column is a drop-down list that relates to tally indicator control for Command. Its options 

are: one (1) through two (2). UMD devices often have two tally indicator lights. If set to one, 

Command will use the left light. If set to two, the right tally light is used. For TallyMan, however, you 

will have to choose which light to use when you set up the TallyMan. 

13. Click Apply. You can then close the Avid Service Configuration application. 

Note: You can reconfigure UMD devices without having to restart the device service. 


Looping 

♦ 

♦ 

Users must set items to follow-on playout and have only one playout channel for the looping feature to 

work. The playout channel must also be unlocked when setting looping. 

When a standalone playlist (that is not embedded in another playlist) is set to loop, the numerical value 

for how many times it should loop now appears in the Playlist toolbar on the right side along with a 

curved green arrow icon. Looping is set in the Playlist Properties dialog box. 

For instance, if a playlist is set to loop twice, the number 2 will appear on the toolbar next to the green 

arrow icon, as shown: 

15


If the loop count is set to loop indefinitely (as shown below), then an infinity symbol is displayed next 

to the green arrow icon. 

Searching for Items in Inventory 

Avid iNEWS Command enables users to search for specific items in the inventory via the Inventory panel. 

To search for an item: 

1. Use the drop-down arrow next to the Search field in the Inventory panel to select the filter by 

which you want to search. Your options are: ID, Slug, or All (meaning both the item’s slug and 

ID). 

2. Type the ID or slug in the Search field. 

As you type, the list of items shown in the Inventory panel is filtered to show only those items with the 

criteria you specified. 

16


Clock Panel 

♦ 

In previous versions of Command, the Clock panel was not associated with the clocks featured in the 

Playlist Viewer. Starting with Command version 2.1, the Clock panel has some new options, which 

enable the Clock panel to be used to display times and even the playout channel associated with a 

playlist and not just the time of day. 

Note: Because the Clock panel can be undocked, it may be moved to a second monitor in the control room, if 

the Command Workstation is a computer with dual-monitor capabilities. 

To configure the clock: 

1. Select Tools > Options. 

The Options dialog box opens. 

2. In Category, select Clock. 

3. In the Clock section, there are new options for Display, which are: 

• Time of day – displays original behavior of current time based on the workstation’s time. 

• Time elapsed in clip – displays how much time has elapsed since the current clip began playing. 

• Time remaining in clip – displays how much time remains of the clip that’s playing. 

• Time remaining in show – displays how much time is left in the show. 

Note: If changing Display to times related to clips or the show, you must also set Format to 24 Hour. 

4. The new Channel section enables you to include the playout channel in the Clock panel’s display. 

If selected, you can configure the font as well. 

5. A sample of your settings is provided as a preview. When done, click OK. The following graphic 

shows an example of the Clock panel when configured to display the time remaining in a clip and 

the channel on which that clip is playing. 

17


TAG Indicator 

♦ 

Command provides an new indication that there is an impact on the TAG graphic if the version of the 

Video ID is changed. The indicator is an icon ( ) that appears in the playlist next to the title. 

Versioning 

The ID field in a standalone playlist enables users to view (via a drop-down list) the inventory available in 

two ways. By default, all available inventory for the channel group appears in the drop-down list when a 

user clicks in the ID field. However, with Command’s Playlist Viewer options, a user can configure the 

system to display only those versions of items matching a defined prefix and separator. 

For instance, an inventory has numerous items with various IDs, but one item has a video ID called “clip”. 

In the inventory, there are three versions of the item, clip, which are clip-01, clip-02, clip-03. By default the 

separator is a hyphen, and the numerical values are the versions. So if a user clicks on the ID field for that 

item in a standalone playlist, the drop-down list will only display the three existing versions of the item. If a 

user clicks on another item that does not have anything in the ID to match the configured prefix and 

separator, then the entire inventory will appear in the drop-down list. 

To set options for versioning: 

1. Select Tools > Options. If prompted for a password, you must provide it or contact your system 

administrator. The Options dialog box opens. 

2. In Category, expand Playlist and Shotbox Viewers. 

3. Expand Playlist Viewer and select Versioning. 

18


4. Do one of the following: 

Select Show all inventory for channel group. 

Select Show inventory with matching prefix and separator. Then define the separator and/or prefix. By 

default the separator is defined as a hyphen (-). 

5. Click OK. 

Playlist Explorer 

In previous versions of Command, when integrated with MOS-based newsroom systems, the Playlist 

Explorer would display only those newsroom playlists that were ready-to-air. However, a new option is 

available in Command that enables the system to display newsroom playlists that exist but are not yet ready 

to air. 

To turn on the display of non-ready to air playlists: 

1. Select Tools > Options. If prompted for a password, you must provide it or contact your system 

administrator. The Options dialog box opens. 

2. In Category, select Playlist Explorer. 

19


3. Select the check box Show all playlists (even if not ready-to-air). 

4. Click OK. 

Additionally, a new context menu option is also available in the Playlist Explorer panel that you can select 

to disconnect a MOS-based newsroom playlist, turning it into a standalone playlist controlled via 

Command. This menu option, Disconnect, appears enabled only when right-clicking on a newsroom 

playlist that can be disconnected from the newsroom system. The option appears disabled when rightclicking 

on other items in the Playlist Explorer, such as shotboxes or standalone playlists. 

Playlist Icons 

Starting with Command version 2.1, the Playlist Explorer panel displays new icons to indicate which 

playlists are newsroom playlists, and they vary depending on the type of newsroom system with which 

Command is integrated. For instance, the iNEWS icon appears—the first icon shown in the list in the 

sample graphic below—when the playlist is loaded to Command and locked by an Avid iNEWS newsroom 

computer system. 

When Command is integrated with a MOS-based newsroom computer system, such as ENPS, the MOS 

icon appears, either gray for a MOS Active playlist (when option is enabled) or black for one that is MOS 

Active and ready-to-air. Examples of both MOS icons are shown in the above graphic. 

When a newsroom playlist is disconnected—thus becoming the equivalent to a standalone playlist—the 

icon disappears, and only the name of the playlist remains in the Playlist Explorer. 

20


In Command v2.1 and later, these icons also appear on the right side of the Playlist toolbar in place of the 

former icon ( ) that represented when a playlist was locked by a newsroom computer system. Should the 

newsroom playlist become disconnected, a red X will blink over the icon. The following graphics show a 

cropped view of the top right corner of the Playlist Viewer when newsroom rundowns are disconnected— 

one an iNEWS playlist, the other a MOS-based playlist. 

Note: As shown, the Playout toolbar (located above the Playlist toolbar in the Playlist Viewer) will also 

appear red when a newsroom playlist is disconnected; this is not a change in functionality. 

Configuring the Avid Video Device Service (for VDCP control of an Omneon) 

The Avid iNEWS Command user interface lets you control Omneon Spectrum and Media Deck— thirdparty 

video playback devices—via Video Disk Control Protocol (VDCP). In previous versions of 

Command, a dedicated serial port was required to view the device’s inventory at a Command Workstation. 

However, for the Omneon device, a new Omneon Inventory plug-in is available that frees up that serial port 

and instead uses a network connection to communicate inventory lists of media between the device and 

Command. Playout on the Omneon is still accomplished via serial connections. 

For the plug-in to work, however, some configuration is required, using the Avid Service Configuration 

application of Avid Service Framework. For more information about this application, see the Avid Service 

Framework User’s Guide. 

To configure the Avid Video device services: 

1. Click the Start button, and then select All Programs > Avid > Service Framework > Avid Service 

Configuration. 

2. On the Hosts tab, navigate to and select the Avid Video Device Service. 

3. When prompted, enter the system administrator password and click OK. If you have not yet created 

one, leave the space blank and click OK. 

4. On the Plug-in Chooser tab, select Omneon Inventory if you intend to use the Omneon Inventory plugin. 

By default this selection is set to none. 

5. Click Apply. The Change Plug-in dialog box will appear. 

21


6. Click Yes. This will restart the device service. 

7. On the Avid Video Device Service Settings tab, enter the name of the device, which must match the 

name used for the device channel in the Command system settings. 

8. Leave the Frame rate setting as is and the Drop Frame check box selected. 

9. (Optional) If you selected the Omneon Inventory as your plug-in, you can skip this step; You will not 

see Inventory as an option on the tab. 

Note: If the Omneon Inventory plug-in is not selected and the Avid Video device service is configured with 

playback channels only (no inventory port), you will not see the device’s playback inventory in the Inventory 

panel at a Command Workstation. Regardless, the playlist in Command will still reflect inventory status, and 

an unavailable item promptly changes to available once it is transferred to the device. 

10. Enter the network machine address or TCP/IP address of the Omneon’s Media Director. This 

information is obtainable via the Omneon System Manager software; select Configuration. 

11. Leave the Clip Directory field blank to accept the default or enter another pathname for the directory 

that will hold all of the media clips. An example of the clip directory is: /OMN/clip.dir. 

12. Omneon usually stores clip information in MOV or MXF formats. The extension for the default format 

is.mov.mxf so that either format is recognized. 

13. Edit and add port connections accordingly: 

• The first channel index will appear automatically with the port information filled in, but it can be 

modified as needed. The channel index values must match the channel index value when you add 

the device channel in Command. 

• Use the Add Port Connection button to add more port connections. To change a serial port setting, 

click on it and select the proper port being used for serial control from the list that appears. 

For instance, if the serial cables are connected to the first three ports (P1, P2, and P3), these would 

correspond to COM 3, COM 4, and COM 5. The Windows operating system uses COM 1 and 

COM 2 by default. 

• To change a video port setting, click on it and type a new value. Typically, video ports are set to 1, 

2, 3, and 4. 

14. Click Apply and then click Yes when asked to restart the device service. You can then close the Avid 

Service Configuration application. 

Note: If using the Avid Video device service to control an Omneon, and if you want to use Command’s system 

setting, Hold Last Frame—the default for which is five seconds—you must configure the setting, Advance-to- 

22


Cued, to zero on the Omneon device. Avid also recommends setting Last Frame Freeze to zero because 

Command sets that time period. 

New ENPS Workflows 

Command supports two additional workflows with ENPS, the Deko Select plugin and MOS redirection 

workflow: 

Deko Select with ENPS and Command 

When using the Deko Select plug-in with ENPS and Command, some configuration is needed. 

To configure integration for Deko Select with Command and ENPS: 

1. Configure the Deko Select Plugin: Here is a screen shot of the MOS configuration from ENPS – the 

Deko Select configuration is the bottom row. The IP address is the DekoMOS gateway. Further 

information can be found in the ENPS documentation. 

2. Configure the Deko channel group in Command. 

3. In the Deko MOS gateway, add the Primary ENPS server’s MOS ID field. Shown here with MOS ID 

per Channel. 

MOS Redirection 

The primary purpose of MOS redirection is to allow users to load the ENPS rundown to the backup 

Command server in the event of a primary server failure (and failover to backup). It is the equivalent of 

loading an iNEWS rundown to the backup server, but this workflow requires a little more configuration. 

To configure MOS redirection: 

1. In ENPS, configure the primary and backup Command MOS ID’s, which are shown in the above 

ENPS screen shot (barry.command1.mos and barry.command2.mos). 

2. Open the Avid Service Configuration application, go to the MOS Communication Service on the 

backup server, and enter the backup MOS ID (barry.command2.mos). 

3. Open the ENPS rundown properties, toggle off the MOS Control Active (if necessary), and click 

Apply. 

4. To load the show to the backup MOS Communication service, (using my example) enter the following 

in the MOS Redirection field: barry=barry.command2.mos, and then click MOS Control Active 

and click Go. This equation tells ENPS that any device in the rundown starting with barry should get 

redirected to the MOS backup system. Note that you can test this at any time – it does not require that 

the primary server be down. 

23



Multi Stream Integration 

A new Avid AirSpeed Multi Stream video device service is available to integrate Avid iNEWS Command 

with Multi Stream video servers. 

Omneon Integration 

If using the Avid Video device service to control an Omneon, and if you want to use Command’s system 

setting, Hold Last Frame—the default for which is five seconds—you must configure the setting, Advanceto-Cued, 

to zero on the Omneon device. Avid also recommends setting Last Frame Freeze to zero because 

Command sets that time period. 

For Version 1.1.4 

Shortcut Key 

In Command v1.1.4, the new shortcut keystroke combination of Alt+Home will move the cursor to the first 

available item in the playlist and cue all channels. It must be Alt+Home on the keyboard, not the Home (7) 

key on the numeric keypad. 

New Failover Protocol 

The Avid iNEWS Command Best Practices document, which is available as a free download in PDF format 

on Avid’s Knowledge Base, contains the latest information pertaining to failover and hotswap 

functionality, including failover scenarios, symptoms, and recommended recovery procedures. 

However, some new alterations to the recommended procedure for failover and recovery have been made, 

and are, therefore, provided in this ReadMe for your convenience. 

After primary server failover has occurred, to recover: 

1. Continue with current playlist until the show has been finished. 

If there have been changes to the iNEWS rundown after failover occurred, it will be necessary to 

load the iNEWS rundown to the backup server. To switch to the newly loaded iNEWS rundown, 

unlock the channel group on the disconnected playlist and lock on the connected playlist. 

Note: Do not override the lock on any channel group until at least 5 minutes after the failover happened. 

2. After you have reached an opportune time to bring the Command system back to its 

Primary/Backup configuration, shut down all services on the backup server—and primary server, 

if necessary. 

3. Start all services on the primary server. 

4. Wait for at least one minute, and then restart the services on the backup server. 

5. Wait 5 minutes before using the Command system. 

6. Open the Avid Interplay Health Monitor and confirm that the two servers have the expected 

primary and backup status. 

Documentation Notes and Errata 

This section contains information about updates or changes regarding documentation provided with the 

Command software. 

24


Installation and Configuration 

♦ 

The Command installation’s autorun splash graphic was altered after the Install/Config Guide was 

produced, with the name of one button changing. The new wording on the button is: “Copy Install 

Files to Another Location” as shown in the following graphic: 

• User’s GuideAuto-assigning media IDs from within the Avid iNEWS newsroom system for Command 

is a feature undocumented in the current Avid iNEWS Command User’s Guide. 

The default token name in iNEWS to request auto-assigned IDs from Command is ASSIGNID. 

Note: The auto-creation of IDs is only supported by entering the ASSIGNID token in the story form and not as 

a production cue. 

The iNEWS monitor server must be ON for the chosen rundown so it can establish a connection to the 

Avid iNEWS Communication service on the Command Server. Then, when a user types ASSIGNID in 

the video ID field of the iNEWS story, Command will automatically generate an ID and send it back 

via the iNEWS monitor server so the ID will be displayed in the iNEWS story. The ID replaces the 

ASSIGNID text that the user previously entered. 

♦ 

In the User’s Guide, Appendix C provides a table of actions, some of which have changed since the 

guide was produced—namely, references to “channel” under the Control category. The term “Index” is 

used instead. The following table indicates how the actions now appear in the software: 

Category/Subcategory Subcategory/Action Description 

Control Cue/Index 01-16 Cue the media on specified channel. 

Enable GPI playout Enable playout from GPI keypad. 

Pause/Index 01-16 Pause the media on specified channel. 

Play/Index 01-16 Play the media on specified channel. 

Stop/Index 01-16 Stop the media on specified channel. 

• A new Appendix A (on page 147) was added to the User’s Guide, a quick reference of some of the 

most vital icons and alerts that Command operators might see in the control room. Although not all 

inclusive, Avid does strongly recommend printing the single page of information and posting it in the 

control room. 

25


Known Limitations 

This section provides information on known limitations that were not addressed in this release. Any 

available workaround procedures are also documented, when possible. 

Note: For limitations related to compatibility of this release with previous versions/other products, see the 

section of this document entitled, Compatibility. 

TAG 

UMD 

♦ 

♦ 

Users can edit the in and out times for a loaded playlist, but the story slug will not update. The user can 

see the updates in the Start and Duration columns, though, and will have to ignore the out of date story 

slug. If the playlist is disconnected or standalone, the story slug does update with the new times. 

If you restart the UMD device service while clips are already cued (or precued), the UMD device 

doesn't get status on those clips. It will start displaying clips that are playing out and eventually catch 

up to the current state. Although the UMD device is not critical to playout, restarting its service (or any 

service) in the middle of a show is not recommended. 

Anti-Virus Protection 

♦ 

Upgrades 

♦ 


♦ 

Anti-virus software protection, such as Symantect Endpoint, can cause cueing delays and prevent 

proper playout. 

Workaround: Turn “autoprotection” off. 

When a major upgrade is done, such as v2.0.3 to v2.1, the install location reverts back to the install 

default of C:\Program Files\Avid\iNEWS Command. If you installed Command to an 

alternate location, such as the D drive on an older Deko, you need to change the install location at the 

appropriate time during the upgrade installation process. 

If there is a communication breakdown between ENPS and Command and the ENPS rundown needs to 

be reloaded, the rundown might appear disconnected even though it isn’t. 

Workaround: Restart the Command application at the workstation before reloading the rundown. 

♦ 

♦ 

ENPS users might see long IDs even though the Command system is set to use short IDs. This can 

occur whenever the MOS Communication service loses communication with the Command Inventory 

Manager. 

If a story is updated in ENPS and the channel had been changed from the default, when the updated 

ENPS story is saved, the channel in Command will be reset to the default. This is a problem with the 

MOS 2.6 protocol. Avid recommends using MOS 2.8 for the Command MOS ID to avoid this 

problem. 

Omneon 

♦ 

When dragging the slider back and forth the correct position is not reflected in the Media Viewer 

panel. 

Workaround: Use Alt+period (.) and Alt+comma (,) to move the clip position a frame at a time. 

26


Looping 

♦ 

If the playlist that has been set to loop has been played to the end, it will not loop if selected to play a 

second time. 

Workaround: Unlock and relock the channel group to eject playlist or item looping. This fixes the 

problem. 

♦ 

♦ 

For playlist looping, the cursor does not go back to the top when the last item is playing, but cue does 

and looped playout will continue as expected. 

If the number of times to loop a playlist is set while the channel group is locked, the playlist loops one 

less than the set time. Other anomalies can also occur. 

Localization 

♦ 

♦ 

Mirrored Playout 

♦ 

♦ 

Workaround: The channel group for the playlist must be unlocked when setting the number of times 

to loop a playlist. 

In the German UI, in the Optionen dialog box, the options associated with Shotbox are not contracted 

into a tree-like structure, but are provided instead as pathnames. 

In other languages—such as Spanish, French, German, and so forth—some fields in the UI are not 

translated, including the following: 

• Fields in the Create Playlist dialog box 

• Shotbox and Playlist menus 

• Parts of the Inventory panel 

• Tooltips 

For mirrored, single-channel, follow-on playout, when an item is playable on the mirrored channel 

only, the next item—assuming it is available on both primary and mirrored channels—behaves 

differently. When the item plays on the mirrored channel only, the next item does not cue on the 

primary channel, nor does the item’s status appear cued in the playlist. Despite this, the next item does 

play as expected after the mirrored only item finishes playing. 

After a primary only or mirrored only follow-on playout, the items are slightly out of sync. 

Newsroom-Controlled Playlist 

♦ 

If you move an item in a nested newsroom (iNEWS) playlist, it uncues an item in the container 

playlist. 

Workaround: Float the item before moving it. 

♦ 

♦ 

If a large amount of stories (>20) are copied and pasted to the current on-air playlist, you might see the 

stories get added to the bottom of the playlist initially and then get placed in the proper location after 

all of the stories have been inserted into the Command playlist. 

Workaround: Close and reopen the playlist. When it reopens, the items will be in the correct order 

and location. 

Setting MOS Active and Ready-to-Air immediately after each other will cause an ENPS or MOSbased 

playlist to incur up to a five-minute delay in Command receiving and loading the playlist. The 

delay is dependant on the number of items in the playlist. 

Workaround: Set the MOS Active flag for the running order long before making it Ready-to-Air. 

27


Deko 

♦ 

♦ 

♦ 

♦ 

♦ 

For ENPS sites: If the primary ENPS server is down for a long period of time (for maintenance, for 

example), then the Command MOS service should be restarted to delete any messages that are waiting 

to be sent to the Primary. Otherwise it may take some time for these messages to be sent when the 

Primary starts running. 

The new auto-motions feature of Deko 5.0 does work with Command 2.0 with a couple of exceptions: 

First, it does not do the playoff auto-motion when a stopped item is ejected. Secondly, the last item 

does not do its playoff auto-motion. 

Workaround: In the case of the last item not working, add a blank graphic after the last item. Then 

auto-motion will work as expected. 

The Deko Device service must be restarted after any change to a style directory via the Deko Macro 

Server or any addition of a new style via the Deko MOS Gateway. 

FX Deko II freezes after installing Avid Interplay Framework and/or Command. 

Workaround: Any time you restart the computer, do the following: 

1. Disconnect network cable. 

2. Restart machine. 

3. Go into Properties of the My Network Places. 

4. Right click the network card and choose disable. 

5. Wait 10 seconds and then enable the network card. 

6. Plug in the network cable. The machine should not freeze at this point. 

Ejecting a multi-triggered graphic while it’s at one of its trigger points (Command shows it in a paused 

state), the preview buffer of the Deko channel will contain the previous graphic played in the playlist. 

Workaround: Manually cue the next desired graphic. 


♦ 

♦ 

Avid recommends closing the Command workstation application once per day. 

After creating a new playlist that contains a story (not an item-only playlist), you cannot insert a 

placeholder. 

Workaround: Insert a second story first. Or set your options so that new playlists are created as itemonly 

playlists (without stories). 

♦ 

♦ 

Improvements were made to the cursor and autoscroll behavior in Command v2.0, but one problem 

remains. When unfloating or moving items above the currently playing item, it can still cause the 

cursor to scroll off screen. 

If the Command Workstation is running when Command services are shut down, it might function 

improperly after the services are back up. 

Workaround: Ensure that all Command Workstation applications are closed before shutting down or 

restarting Command services. 

♦ 

After changing the 'Use short ID' setting in Tools > System Settings > Inventory, you must wait 

approximately 30 seconds before the change will be propagated back to the Command Workstation. 

Workaround: If you want the setting to take affect sooner, close and reopen the Command 

Workstation application. 

28


♦ 

♦ 

♦ 

The Apple Quick Time Updater feature causes network flood when it tries to automatically update. 

This can prevent the Command system from functioning as expected. 

Workaround: Disable this feature. 

Playlist tabs in the Playlist Viewer are not well separated. 

Workaround: Change the display properties to a Windows XP theme. 

If you change the inactive cursor color preference to white and the background is also set to white, the 

text will be invisible. Command doesn’t automatically detect these color matches. 

Shotbox Viewer Panel 

♦ 

GPI Channels 

♦ 

Installation 

♦ 

If the Shotbox Viewer panel is docked at the top or bottom of the workspace and its size adjusted, 

Command will not retain the size if the panel is closed and reopened. 

Workaround: Undock the panel and size it, or dock it to the left or right sides of the workspace. 

One device service can now support six 2-channel panels or three 4-channel panels, but not a mixture 

of panel types. Users must delete any old panels that were created with only eight events when 

switching to 4-channel mode. Avid only supports 1 GPI card per computer. 

Sometimes you might get an InstallShield 1603 error saying, “A file which needs to be replaced may 

be held in use. Close all applications and try again.” 

Workaround: Click OK and disregard the message. 

Avid Service Framework with Command Services 

♦ 

♦ 

Redundancy 

♦ 

♦ 

If a Command Server running in the backup role is unplugged, users might see availability alerts for 

the Playlist Store and with regard to the playability of some items. This is caused by Avid Service 

Framework sending service unavailable notices when the backup is rediscovered. 

Occasionally a Command service might not get the correct election priority and Avid Health Monitor 

will falsely report a critical status for this service. 

Workaround: This does not affect proper service functionality, so you may either ignore the status or 

restart the service in question to correct the problem. 

In a redundant configuration, if the network connection to the server running the Primary Command 

services was lost, if the server was shutdown, or if the server lost power, the Command system would 

automatically regain functionality after the workstation shows the alert, “The Playlist Controller is 

available,” and the alert details state, “Items can be played again.” 

Reconnecting a network connection to a previously dropped primary Command Server will cause a 

second interruption in playback. In a redundant configuration, if a network connection to the server 

running the primary Command services is lost, the Command system will automatically regain 

functionality after the workstation shows the alert that items can be played again. The limitation comes 

in if the network connection is restored without the original primary services being restarted after the 

disconnection. For example: 

Server A is the primary and Server B is the backup. Server A loses and regains its network 

connectivity while on-air. In this case, when the Server A regains its network connectivity, there will 

be a second interruption in playout control. One interruption for the initial disconnect and a second 

interruption will occur when it regains connectivity. 

29


Channel Groups 

♦ 

♦ 

Workaround: In the example given, shut down Server A until the show is over. This will prevent the 

second interruption from occurring. 

Changes to system settings associated with the MOS Communication service might not take affect 

until the service is restarted. 

Workaround: The MOS service should be restarted after changing anything in the MOS section of the 

system settings. 

If CG channel groups are longer than eight characters, the CG style lists are not sent or received in 

iNEWS. 

Workaround: This is intentional because iNEWS only displays the first eight characters. Therefore, if 

using a CG channel group longer than eight characters, only enter the first eight characters in 

SYSTEM.MAP and SYSTEM.MOS-MAP in iNEWS. 

♦ 

If a channel group gets deleted, then any playlist items depending on channels in that group will get 

marked unplayable. But if you recreate a seemingly identical channel group with the same name and 

the same channels, the items will not get marked playable. This is because it isn’t really the same 

channel group. 

Workaround: If someone deletes a channel group that was assigned to pre-existing playlists, the 

playlists must be recreated via the Inventory panel and dragging the items back in from the newly 

recreated channel group. 

Media Viewer 

♦ 

The Media Viewer can only be used to modify the in and out points of a clip. The use of Media 

Viewer requires that a browse channel is set up as part of the channel group that is locked. 

Thunder 

♦ 

Thunder follow-on play ignores looped clips. 

Workaround: Put a second or third clip in the playlist, and it will play the clip consecutively, as if it 

were looped. 

Playout 

♦ 

In previous versions, if a user used the lock and override feature, the playlist and playout functionality 

would not work properly for one to five minutes after a server failover. 

Workaround: Unlock and relock, if necessary. 

♦ 

♦ 

♦ 

When an item ID is manually changed, the user must wait 2 to 3 seconds before cueing and playing 

that item. 

Preview channels in a channel group don’t show the Preview item playing. Preview channels are not 

supported for Command 1.1.x 

The autocue system settings—accessed via the Tools > System Settings menu, and located in the 

Playout > Autocue category of the dialog box—do not immediately take affect for previously existing 

playlists after clicking OK in the System Settings dialog box. 

Workaround: Wait 15 seconds after clicking OK before expecting the setting changes to take affect 

on pre-existing playlists. 

30


♦ 

After restoring a Command Server to primary status following a failover, items won’t autocue. 

Workaround: Manually cue the items. 

♦ 

The only supported Control Configuration for AirSpeed with Command is Local/Network Record or 

Play. Unrestricted VDCP is not supported. When using Command to control playout on AirSpeed 

video servers, ensure proper configuration on the actual AirSpeed. 

To set Control Configurations on an AirSpeed: 

1. Select Setup > Channels. 

2. Set Control Configurations to Local/Network Record or Play. 

Workflow 

♦ 

If using Command offline with AirSpeed video servers that are also used with a different playout 

control system for on-air broadcasting, this setting must be switched according to which system is 

controlling the video server. 

When you send a package from an editor to your AirSpeed video servers for playout, you must set 

those AirSpeed video servers up as a studio and transfer to that studio from the editor. If you send to 

each AirSpeed individually, the clip’s metadata is actually different for each AirSpeed and, therefore, 

will only show up as available on the first AirSpeed to complete its transfer. 

31


Technical Support Information 

Most products feature a number of coverage options. Avid Assurance service offerings are designed to 

facilitate your use of Avid solutions. Service options include extended telephone coverage, automatic 

software maintenance, extended hardware warranty, and preferred pricing on replacement parts. Offerings 

and options may vary by product and are not available for all products. 

For more information regarding Avid’s service offerings, visit www.avid.com/support or call Avid Sales at 

800-949-AVID (800-949-2843). 

Program availability and details might vary depending on geographic location and are subject to change 

without notice. Contact your local Avid office or your local Avid Reseller for complete program 

information and pricing. However, if you need help locating an Avid office or Avid Reseller near you, 

please visit www.avid.com or call in North America 800-949-AVID (800-949-2843). International users 

call 978-275-2480. 

Accessing Online Support 

Avid Online Support is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Search the Knowledge Base to find 

answers, to view error messages, to access troubleshooting tips, to download updates, and to read/join 

online message-board discussions. 

To access Avid Online Support: 

‣ Go to www.avid.com/onlineSupport. 

Note: Supplemental documentation for this release, if available, is provided on the Knowledge Base. For the 

latest up-to-date information, browse the Knowledge Base at Avid Online Support. 

32


Copyright and Disclaimer 

Product specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part of Avid Technology, Inc. 

The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement. You can obtain a copy of that license by visiting Avid's Web site at 

www.avid.com. The terms of that license are also available in the product in the same directory as the software. The software may not be reverse 

assembled and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the license agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any 

medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement. 

No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and 

recording, for any purpose without the express written permission of Avid Technology, Inc. 

Copyright © 2009 Avid Technology, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. 

Attn. Government User(s). Restricted Rights Legend 

U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS. This Software and its documentation are “commercial computer software” or “commercial computer 

software documentation.” In the event that such Software or documentation is acquired by or on behalf of a unit or agency of the U.S. Government, all 

rights with respect to this Software and documentation are subject to the terms of the License Agreement, pursuant to FAR §12.212(a) and/or DFARS 

§227.7202-1(a), as applicable. 

Trademarks 

AirSPACE, AirSPACE HD, AirSpeed, Avid, Avid DNA, Avid DNxcel, Avid DNxHD, AVIDdrive, AVIDdrive Towers, Avid Mojo, AvidNet, AvidNetwork, 

AVIDstripe, Avid Unity, Avid Unity ISIS, Avid ISIS, Avid Xpress, iNEWS, iNEWS Command, iNEWS ControlAir, LaunchPad, 

make manage move | media, Marquee, Media Composer, MissionControl, Nearchive, NewsCutter, Nitris, OMF, OMF Interchange, OMM, 

Open Media Framework, Open Media Management, ProEncode, Pro Tools, QuietDriveSymphony, Trilligent, UnityRAID, Vari-Fi, Video Slave Driver, 

VideoSPACE, and Xdeck are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. 

All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. 

Avid iNEWS Command v2.3.0 ReadMe • 0130-30212-01 Rev. A • 28 August 2009 

• This document is distributed by Avid in online (electronic) form only, and is not available for purchase in printed form. 

33

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