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Arthur Semyonov

Airbox PRO: How to Install, Configure, and Use the Best Playout and Streaming Software in the Market


Airbox PRO - Broadcast Playout - Software




If you are looking for a reliable, flexible, and powerful playout software for your broadcast channel, you might want to consider Airbox PRO. Airbox PRO is a universal playout and streaming automation software that provides automated content playout for satellite channels, cable head-ends, over-the-air broadcasters, and corporate TV users. It is designed to be extremely robust, in order to meet the highest reliability demands of on-air playout. In this article, we will explain what Airbox PRO is, what it does, how to install and configure it, how to use it for broadcast playout, and how to integrate it with other PlayBox Technology products.




Airbox PRO - Broadcast Playout - Software ...



What is Airbox PRO and what does it do?




Airbox PRO is a software-based playout engine that runs on Windows 10, Server 16, or Server 19 with the Desktop Experience. It supports a wide range of video and audio formats from almost every known platform for production. It also supports third-party video server files like Leitch, Seachange, etc. natively. Airbox PRO can output multiple SDI or IP streams simultaneously in SD or HD resolution. It can also handle SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) streams for low-latency video delivery over public internet.


Airbox PRO allows you to create, edit, and manage playlists with ease. You can schedule playlists for weeks ahead or make changes on the fly during on-air session. You can also insert or execute events or live streams using the Live Show Clipboard feature. Airbox PRO ensures seamless operation even when there are gaps or overlaps in the playlist or when content files or schedules are missing or misplaced. It also provides monitoring and control features such as preview, logging, alarms, GPI/O, etc.


Airbox PRO features and benefits




Some of the main features and benefits of Airbox PRO are:


  • Format efficient: Airbox PRO can play virtually any media file format without transcoding.



  • Multi parallel output: Airbox PRO can output two or more SDI or IP streams simultaneously in any combination needed.



  • Seamless operation: Airbox PRO can handle any changes to the playlist without stopping the current playout session.



  • Live show clipboard: Airbox PRO can insert or execute events or live streams with ease.



  • Scheduling and automation: Airbox PRO can schedule playlists for weeks ahead or automate playout based on time or external triggers.



  • Monitoring and control: Airbox PRO provides preview, logging, alarms, GPI/O, etc. for monitoring and controlling playout.



  • SRT ready and plugged: Airbox PRO supports SRT streams for low-latency video delivery over public internet.



Airbox PRO use cases and examples




Airbox PRO can be used for various broadcast playout scenarios such as:


  • Satellite channels: Airbox PRO can provide automated content playout for satellite channels with high reliability and flexibility.



  • Cable head-ends: Airbox PRO can provide automated content playout for cable head-ends with multiple parallel outputs and format efficiency.



  • Over-the-air broadcasters: Airbox PRO can provide automated content playout for over-the-air broadcasters with seamless operation and live show clipboard.



  • Corporate TV users: Airbox PRO can provide automated content playout for corporate TV users with SRT support and integration with other PlayBox Technology products.



Some examples of Airbox PRO users are:


  • TV5 Monde: TV5 Monde is a global French-language television network that uses Airbox PRO for playout of its 12 regional channels.



  • Al Jazeera: Al Jazeera is a Qatari state-owned media network that uses Airbox PRO for playout of its Arabic, English, Balkans, and Turkish channels.



  • Televisa: Televisa is a Mexican multimedia company that uses Airbox PRO for playout of its 26 pay-TV channels.



  • Microsoft: Microsoft is a technology giant that uses Airbox PRO for playout of its corporate TV channel.



How to install and configure Airbox PRO




In this section, we will explain how to install and configure Airbox PRO on your Windows PC or server. Before you start, make sure you have the following:


  • A valid license key for Airbox PRO.



  • A Windows 10, Server 16, or Server 19 PC or server with the Desktop Experience and the latest updates installed.



  • A compatible video card with SDI or IP output and the latest drivers installed.



  • A stable internet connection for activation and updates.



System requirements and compatibility




The minimum system requirements for Airbox PRO are:


ComponentRequirement


CPUIntel Core i7 or equivalent


RAM16 GB or more


HDD500 GB or more (SSD recommended)


GPUNVIDIA Quadro P2000 or equivalent (with SDI output)


OSWindows 10, Server 16, or Server 19 with the Desktop Experience


NetworkGigabit Ethernet or faster


The supported video formats for Airbox PRO are:


FormatExtension


MPEG-2 Program Stream.mpg, .mpeg, .m2p, .m2v, .vob, .mod, .vro, .ts, .m2t, .m2ts, .mts, .tp, .trp


MPEG-2 Transport Stream.ts, .m2t, .m2ts, .mts, .tp, .trp


MPEG-4 Part 10 (H.264/AVC).mp4, .m4v, .mov, .mkv, .avi, .flv, .f4v, .mts, .m2ts


MPEG-4 Part 14 (MP4).mp4, .m4v, .mov


MPEG-4 Part 2 (DivX/XviD).avi, .divx


MPEG-1 Video.mpg, .mpeg, .m1v


DV Video.dv, .dif


Windows Media Video (WMV).wmv, .asf


QuickTime Video (MOV).mov, .qt


Matroska Video (MKV).mkv


Flash Video (FLV).flv, .f4v


WebM Video (WEBM)<


.webm


MXF Video (MXF)


.mxf


/tr>


/tr>


/table>


The supported audio formats for Airbox PRO are:



/tr>




/tr>


/tr>




MPEG-4 Part 3 (AAC).aac, .m4a, .mp4


Windows Media Audio (WMA).wma, .asf


Waveform Audio (WAV).wav


Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC).flac


Ogg Vorbis (OGG).ogg


Advanced Audio Coding (AAC).aac


Dolby Digital (AC3).ac3


Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3).eac3


DTS Audio (DTS).dts


Installation steps and settings




The installation steps for Airbox PRO are:


  • Download the Airbox PRO installer from the PlayBox Technology website or from the link provided by your sales representative.



  • Run the installer and follow the instructions on the screen. You will need to accept the license agreement and choose the installation folder.



  • Enter your license key when prompted. You will need an internet connection to activate your license.



  • Wait for the installation to complete. You may need to restart your PC or server after the installation.



  • Launch Airbox PRO from the Start menu or from the desktop shortcut.



The settings for Airbox PRO are:


  • General settings: You can access the general settings by clicking on the gear icon on the top right corner of the main window. Here you can set the language, time zone, date and time format, logging level, etc.



  • Output settings: You can access the output settings by clicking on the output icon on the top right corner of the main window. Here you can set the output mode, resolution, frame rate, audio channels, etc. You can also enable or disable SRT output and configure its parameters.



  • Playlist settings: You can access the playlist settings by clicking on the playlist icon on the top right corner of the main window. Here you can set the playlist mode, default duration, gap filler, etc. You can also enable or disable automation and configure its parameters.



  • Event settings: You can access the event settings by clicking on the event icon on the top right corner of the main window. Here you can set the event mode, default duration, live source, etc. You can also enable or disable GPI/O and configure its parameters.



Troubleshooting and support




If you encounter any problems with Airbox PRO, you can try the following troubleshooting steps:


  • Check if your PC or server meets the system requirements and compatibility for Airbox PRO.



  • Check if your video card and drivers are compatible with Airbox PRO and updated to the latest version.



  • Check if your license key is valid and activated for Airbox PRO.



  • Check if your internet connection is stable and working properly.



  • Check if your output devices and cables are connected and working properly.



  • Check if your playlist files and schedules are valid and accessible.



  • Check if your event files and live sources are valid and accessible.



  • Check if your SRT streams are configured and working properly.



  • Check if your automation and GPI/O triggers are configured and working properly.



  • Check if your logging level is set to debug and review the log files for any errors or warnings.



If you still need help, you can contact PlayBox Technology support team by:



  • Email: support@playboxtechnology.com



  • Phone: +44 20 8735 2010



  • Web: https://playboxtechnology.com/support/




How to use Airbox PRO for broadcast playout




In this section, we will explain how to use Airbox PRO for broadcast playout. We will cover how to create and manage playlists, how to insert and edit events and live streams, how to schedule and automate playout, and how to monitor and control playout.


Creating and managing playlists




A playlist is a list of media files that you want to play out in a certain order. You can create and manage playlists using Airbox PRO's playlist editor. To create a playlist, you can follow these steps:


  • Click on the playlist icon on the top right corner of the main window and select "New Playlist".



  • Enter a name for your playlist and click "OK".



  • Add media files to your playlist by dragging and dropping them from the file browser or by clicking on the "Add" button and browsing for them.



  • Arrange the order of your media files by dragging and dropping them within the playlist or by using the "Move Up" and "Move Down" buttons.



  • Edit the properties of your media files by double-clicking on them or by clicking on the "Edit" button. You can change the name, duration, start time, end time, fade in, fade out, etc.



  • Save your playlist by clicking on the "Save" button or by pressing Ctrl+S. You can also save your playlist as a different name or format by clicking on the "Save As" button.



To manage your playlists, you can follow these steps:


  • Open an existing playlist by clicking on the playlist icon on the top right corner of the main window and selecting "Open Playlist". You can also open a recent playlist by clicking on its name in the drop-down menu.



  • Delete a playlist by clicking on the playlist icon on the top right corner of the main window and selecting "Delete Playlist". You can also delete a playlist by right-clicking on it in the file browser and selecting "Delete".



  • Rename a playlist by clicking on the playlist icon on the top right corner of the main window and selecting "Rename Playlist". You can also rename a playlist by right-clicking on it in the file browser and selecting "Rename".



  • Copy or move a playlist by clicking on the playlist icon on the top right corner of the main window and selecting "Copy Playlist" or "Move Playlist". You can also copy or move a playlist by right-clicking on it in the file browser and selecting "Copy" or "Cut", and then pasting it to another location.



Inserting and editing events and live streams




An event is a special item that you can insert into your playlist to perform a certain action or execute a certain command. A live stream is a type of event that allows you to play out a live video source from an external device or an SRT stream. You can insert and edit events and live streams using Airbox PRO's event editor.


To insert an event or a live stream, you can follow these steps:



  • Click on the event icon on the top right corner of the main window and select "New Event" or "New Live Stream".



  • Enter a name for your event or live stream and click "OK".



  • Select the type of your event or live stream from the drop-down menu. For events, you can choose from various options such as GPI/O, Command, Script, etc. For live streams, you can choose from SDI Input or SRT Input.



  • Configure the parameters of your event or live stream according to its type. For example, for GPI/O events, you can set the GPI/O port, mode, value, etc. For SRT input live streams, you can set the SRT URL, latency, passphrase, etc.



  • Drag and drop your event or live stream into your playlist at the desired position. You can also insert it before or after an existing media file by right-clicking on it and selecting "Insert Before" or "Insert After".



To edit an event or a live stream, you can follow these steps:



  • Double-click on your event or live stream in your playlist or click on the "Edit" button.



  • Change the name, type, and parameters of your event or live stream as needed.



  • Click "OK" to save your changes.



Scheduling and automating playout




Scheduling and automating playout allows you to set up your playlists to play out at certain times or based on certain triggers. You can schedule and automate playout using Airbox PRO's scheduler and automation features.


To schedule playout, you can follow these steps:



  • Click on the scheduler icon on the top right corner of the main window and select "New Schedule".



  • Enter a name for your schedule and click "OK".



  • Add playlists to your schedule by dragging and dropping them from the file browser or by clicking on the "Add" button and browsing for them.



  • Arrange the order of your playlists by dragging and dropping them within the schedule or by using the "Move Up" and "Move Down" buttons.



  • Edit the properties of your playlists by double-clicking on them or by clicking on the "Edit" button. You can change the name, start time, end time, loop mode, etc.



  • Save your schedule by clicking on the "Save" button or by pressing Ctrl+S. You can also save your schedule as a different name or format by clicking on the "Save As" button.



To automate playout, you can follow these steps:


  • Enable automation mode by clicking on the automation icon on the top right corner of the main window and selecting "Enable Automation".



  • Select the schedule that you want to automate from the drop-down menu.



  • Set the automation parameters such as start date, end date, repeat mode, etc.



  • Click on the "Start" button to start the automated playout. You can also stop, pause, resume, or skip the automated playout using the buttons on the bottom right corner of the main window.



Monitoring and controlling playout




Monitoring and controlling playout allows you to preview, log, alarm, and adjust your playout in real time. You can monitor and control playout using Airbox PRO's monitoring and control features.


To monitor playout, you can follow these steps:



  • Preview your output streams by clicking on the preview icon on the top right corner of the main window and selecting "Preview Output". You can also preview your playlist files by clicking on the preview icon on each file.



  • Log your playout events by clicking on the log icon on the top right corner of the main window and selecting "View Log". You can also export or clear your log files by clicking on the "Export" or "Clear" buttons.



  • Alarm your playout errors by clicking on the alarm icon on the top right corner of the main window and selecting "View Alarm". You can also configure or mute your alarm settings by clicking on the "Settings" or "Mute" buttons.



To control playout, you can follow these steps:



  • Start, stop, pause, resume, or skip your playout session by using the buttons on the bottom right corner of the main window.



  • Adjust your output volume, brightness, contrast, saturation, or hue by using the sliders on the bottom left corner of the main window.



  • Change your output resolution, frame rate, audio channels, etc. by clicking on the output icon on the top right corner of the main window and selecting "Output Settings".



  • Change your playlist mode, default duration, gap filler, etc. by clicking on the playlist icon on the top right corner of the main window and selecting "Playlist Settings".



  • Change your event mode, default duration, live source, etc. by clicking on the event icon on the top right corner of the main window and selecting "Event Settings".



How to integrate Airbox PRO with other PlayBox Technology products




Airbox PRO can be integrated with other PlayBox Technology products to enhance your broadcast playout workflow. Some of the products that can be integrated with Airbox PRO are:


TitleBox for dynamic graphics and CG




TitleBox is a software-based graphics generator that allows you to create and display dynamic graphics and CG on your output streams. You can use TitleBox to add titles, logos, crawls, rolls, animations, clocks, timers, etc. to your playout. You can also control TitleBox from Airbox PRO using events or GPI/O.


To integrate TitleBox with Airbox PRO, you can follow these steps:



  • Install TitleBox on the same PC or server as Airbox PRO or on a separate PC or server connected to the same network.



  • Configure TitleBox to output to the same video card or IP stream as Airbox PRO.



  • Create and save your graphics and CG projects using TitleBox's editor.



  • Add your graphics and CG projects to your playlists in Airbox PRO as events or GPI/O triggers.



  • Play out your playlists in Airbox PRO and see your graphics and CG overlayed on your output streams.



ListBox for playlist preparation




ListBox is a software-based playlist editor that allows you to create and edit playlists for Airbox PRO offline. You can use ListBox to prepare your playlists in advance and transfer them to Airbox PRO for playout. You can also preview your playlists in ListBox using its built-in player.


To integrate ListBox with Airbox PRO, you can follow these steps:



  • Install ListBox on a separate PC or server connected to the same network as Airbox PRO.



  • Create and edit your playlists using ListBox's editor. You can add media files, events, live streams, etc. to your playlists.



  • Save your playlists in ListBox's format (.lbx) or in Airbox PRO's format (.abx).



  • Transfer your playlists to Airbox PRO using a network drive or a removable media.



  • Open your playlists in Airbox PRO and play them out as normal.



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