TV channel from playout (files and streams)¶

This document describes how to create a playout in Catena SE — a schedule of VOD files and optionally live streams — and expose it as a TV channel.

The steps are:

1. Create a playout and fill its playlist with files (and optionally streams).
2. Create a TV channel and set its source to playlist:///vod/playout-name.txt.

What you need¶

• Files uploaded to the VOD section in Catena SE (or available by URL).
• A name for the playout (e.g. chan). A playlist file name.txt will be created in VOD under that name.

Step 1. Creating the playout and playlist¶

1.1. Create a new playout¶

Go to the Playout section. In the Create playlist block, enter the playout name (e.g. chan) and click CREATE.

After creation, the playout editor opens with an empty playlist.

1.2. Add files to the playlist¶

Click Add file. A new row appears with a file name field. Enter the path to the file in VOD (e.g. backup.mp4). Add more rows if needed and enter additional files (e.g. agro-drone.mp4).

The order of rows defines the playback order in the playout.

1.3. Save the playlist¶

Click Save. After saving, the playlist will be used when requesting playlist:///vod/chan.txt.

Step 2. Creating a channel with a playout source¶

Go to the Channels section. Create a new channel (e.g. playout-demo). On the channel page, open the Inputs tab, click Add source and set the playout URL:

playlist:///vod/chan.txt

Here chan is your playout name; in VOD it corresponds to the file chan.txt. Save the channel.

The channel will then broadcast according to the playout schedule.

Streams in playout: always set duration¶

If you add streams (live flows) to the playout in addition to files, you must set a duration for each stream. Without duration, the system does not know when to switch back from that stream to the next playlist item, and playback may stay on the stream indefinitely.

For files (VOD), duration is usually detected automatically; for streams it must be set manually when adding them to the playlist.