This page describes the bundle, which is a rundown or a group together with every file it uses. You send a bundle when the material must go to another location, and it solves almost every case where a show plays in one place and not in another.
Creating a bundle
| What you want | How |
|---|---|
| The whole list | Click the arrow beside Save and choose Export as bundle… |
| One group | Right-click the group header and choose Export group as bundle… |
| A selection | Select more than one line, right-click and choose Export selection as bundle… (n) |
The result is one .playoutbundle file in DocumentsUltimate PlayoutExports.
Opening a bundle
Drag the bundle onto the cue list, or click the arrow beside Group in the toolbar and choose Load group. The program unpacks the media into DocumentsUltimate PlayoutBundles, and the cues refer to the unpacked copies. This is why a bundle plays immediately on a computer that has no access to your server.
What it costs
Size. A bundle is as large as the media in it. A service with two video clips is a few hundred megabytes, and a playlist with eighty photos is usually too large for email.
Copies. The media is copied, so if you import the same bundle on five computers, you have five copies. In one building this wastes space, but between buildings it is the purpose of a bundle.
When to use which
| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| Another location or another organisation | Bundle |
| A computer that is not on your network | Bundle |
| An archive of a show exactly as it was broadcast | Bundle |
| Daily work in your own building | A list or a group file |
| Two computers that use the same server | A list. There is then one copy of the media |
Practical notes
A bundle is the best archive. A list and a separate folder of media often no longer match after a year, but a bundle is one file that still plays.
Check the size before you send a bundle. Most mail systems accept up to 25 MB, so use a file-transfer service or a shared drive for a bundle.
Unpacking takes time, depending on the contents. So import a bundle on the day before the service, and not five minutes before it.
A bundle contains the media and the scenes that its cues use. A scene that already exists on the other computer is not changed, and the program shows a list of those scenes. The settings stay with the computer.