| Gecko is Video Design Software's solution
for automated playlist control based upon external web events. Gecko manages shows based on web voting in
a completely automated, closed-loop system with no operator necessary. It is currently in use at MTV2 for
Control Freak and at CMT Canada for PowerTrip.
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A Gecko Voting Round |
A typical application of Gecko would be to implement a show whereby viewers may vote on a website for the
video they would like to see next. Current tallies for each candidate video are shown on air during the voting
period. Gecko ties into the station's transmission automation system so the winning video plays automatically with
no operator intervention beyond setting up each round.
Gecko at CMT Canada |
Gecko is architected around a Playout / Graphics Engine which manages graphics generation and timing,
and an Authoring application with which an operator sets up each show and specifies voting rounds.
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Gecko Playout / Graphics Engine Features |
- Flexible screen layout that can vary with each voting round.
- Supports up to 6 video voting choices per round.
- An optional Sponsorship module allows different sponsor logos to be inserted once per round.
- Control of Miranda or Chyron Duet squeezeback hardware for fly-in / fly-out animations.
- Highlighting of the currently leading choice.
- Countdown clock for time remaining in current video.
- Controls Cogix web server polling engine to create polling rounds on the fly, start polls, obtain results, and stop / archive polls.
- Full support of Harris automation systems
- Manages playlist timing to within one video. This is critical to prevent the show from running too long or too short, depending on the lengths of the winning videos. Despite the extreme variability involved in having viewers modify the playlist, Gecko currently keeps video channels like MTV2 and CMT within ±2 minutes per hour.
- Respects "must-hit" breaks to ensure that affiliate (commercial) windows are hit properly.
- Can run shows as short as a single round, or as long as several days, limited only by video server playout capacity.
- Rolling checks ensure the integrity of both the automation playlist and the show schedule. At a configurable time before a video is scheduled to play (usually 1-2 hours before), the Gecko playout engine reviews the show's schedule, reconciles it with the Louth playlist, checks the still images to be used, and reports any errors or warnings immediately on the console and/or via email/pager/network alert.
- System and as-run logs are stored on disk, and may be emailed automatically to one or more system administrators.
Creating a Show |
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Gecko Authoring Tool Features |
- Template-based authoring for fast show creation.
- Visual editing of show layout.
- Supports distributed authoring of shows, with password control for critical operations such as editing and deleting shows.
- Users can create, edit, clone, print and delete shows. Shows can be checked for any critical errors, and reports can be generated that detail any missing stills for the website polling forms and on-air voting results.
- Provides estimates of a show's running time as programmed, as well as time remaining to fill show airtime.
- An optional randomization module allows users to create "random" shows based upon the pool of all previously selected videos.
- Supports import of clip titling data from our AutoClips Clip Titling Suite.
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The Gecko Missing Image Tool |
The Missing Image Tool is a stripped-down version of the Gecko Authoring Tool that provides an easy way for stills management personnel to run reports and identify missing still images by asset ID (cart ID). Once missing images are identified, the operator would correct the problem by obtainingthe corresponding video, scanning a still from it, and uploading it to the stills storage area on the web server..
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