Fuse wanted to premiere a new kind of video show, where viewers would be able to dedicate a video of their choice to other viewers. Viewers would choose videos and create text dedications on the Fuse website (www.fuse.tv).

A Dedication Airs

At showtime, the most popular videos would be played on air, with the text dedications displayed over the video. Viewers who received dedications would also be given the opportunity to respond by creating replies on the website. These replies would also be displayed over the video. The producers of the show would have the ability to screen the viewer messages as they come in, and direct playout to air after editorial decisions about content have been made. A viewer message could appear on the actual broadcast seconds after it was submitted.

This creates a live, interactive viewer environment during the show. The system would support remote manipulation of playlists and data scheduling on an existing Harris system, real time import of dedications and responses from their web site, and interactive playout on a graphics generation device. All remote systems would have to be able to respond immediately to the editors, stationed 40 miles from the broadcast hardware and show logic engines.

Our Solution

Video Design Interactive provided a software and hardware solution consisting of a graphics generation and playout device, and client PCs for Harris automation interface, graphics system control, and live show authoring.

Committing Videos

The show's producers in Manhattan have control of the Harris automation playlist, and by "committing" videos to air, can reorder the playlist based on the popularity of the videos. This is determined in real-time by the number of dedications sent in by the viewers. The show authors are able to alter the playlist within the logical choices given by the show structure, and are unable to accidentally affect automation events outside the scope of the show.

The show logic engines interface with the Harris automation system to provide a simple interface to the show authors. The authors do not need any specific or specialized Harris training, and need not concern themselves with things such as keyer durations or Harris event codes. This allows the authors to concentrate entirely on the show content, rather than any technical support for the show.

Committing Videos

Scheduling Dedications

When a video is scheduled, all its related automation events are rearranged with respect to other automation events in the playlist, such that the popular choice will play next. Once this video scheduling has occurred, show authors have the ability to schedule dedication and reply messages in the show logic engine, for playout over the corresponding video. The system supports editorial decisions up until seconds before a message is played out, allowing authors to reshuffle the stack of dedications and committed songs , or pre-empt the list altogether. If the authors decide that a dedication they have just received on their website has excellent content, they are able to schedule it as the next item to play out over the video.

The show logic engines will not allow a dedication to be played if it will overlap the end of the video. Stochastic methods are applied to expire dedications that may be cut off by an ending video, providing a seamless appearance and fluid flow to the visual output. The broadcast, geared to the live remarks of its viewers, will not interrupt those remarks. The show engines also take into account the length of the videos, and will never play viewer remarks over video items within the show that are not marked for overlayed playout, such as commercials or promotional clips.

Choosing Dedications & Replies