Three words appear everywhere in the program and in this manual: cue, playout and module. This page explains them, together with the other terms that you see on screen. Read it once, and come back to it when a later page uses a term that you are not sure about.
The three main terms
| Term | What it is |
|---|---|
| Cue | One line in the cue list: a clip, a still, a scene or a web page. Each cue has its own in and out point, volume, transition and follow action. |
| Playout | One complete broadcast line, with its own cue list, preview, sound and output. You can run up to four playouts at the same time. |
| Module | A separate extension that adds a subject to the base program. A module that is not installed does not appear in the window. |
Cue
The cue is the basic unit of the program, and it is not the same as a file. A cue refers to a file, a scene or an address, and adds what the program needs to play it: where it starts, where it stops, how loud it is, how it comes in, and what happens when it ends.
The same file can therefore appear three times in one list, as three cues with a different trim. And when you replace the file of a cue, the cue keeps its settings.
Cues are numbered according to the structure of the list. The top level is numbered 1, 2, 3, the cues in a group are numbered 3.1, 3.2, and one level deeper they are numbered 3.1.1. When you move a line, the list renumbers itself.
Playout
A playout is a complete, independent broadcast line with its own cue list, preview, transport controls, sound, master fader and output. For a viewer, a playout is “the channel”.
Most installations use one playout. You need more than one when you have several screens with different content, such as the stream and the screen in the hall, or a main output and a side screen that runs all day. Even then, one person operates all playouts from the same window.
Module
A module is an extension that adds a subject to the base program. Modules are supplied separately, and when you switch a module off, its buttons, windows and designs disappear from the window.
The modules in an installation say nothing about the size of your licence; they only show which parts are installed. That is why two installations of Ultimate Playout can look different, and why a screenshot from a colleague may show a button that you do not have.
Each module has its own part of this manual.
Words you see on screen
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Armed | The cue that goes on air at the next GO. It is green, has a NEXT label and appears in the next-cue picture beside the preview. |
| On air / live | The cue that is playing now. It is red and has an ON AIR label, and the preview has a red border. |
| Auto | A cue that starts by itself when the cue on air ends. It is amber and has an AUTO label. |
| GO | Puts the armed cue on air. Use the button, the space bar or the Enter key. |
| Follow action | What happens when a cue ends: hold the last frame, continue with the next cue, repeat, or stop. |
| Transition | How a cue comes in: a hard cut, or a fade of a set length. |
| In / Out | The start and end point inside a file. Use them to trim a cue without changing the file. |
| Group | A container for a block of cues. Groups can contain subgroups, and you can collapse a group to one line. |
| Preview | The large picture in the monitor panel. It shows what is on air. |
| Next-cue picture | The smaller picture beside the preview. It shows the armed cue. |
| Output | Where the picture of a playout goes: an SDI card, NDI, a second screen or a stream. A playout can also have no output. |
| Canvas | The size and frame rate in which everything is built. All playouts share one canvas. |
Terms that are easy to confuse
Armed does not mean on air. Arming a cue does not affect the broadcast, so during a show you can move the green line up and down the list to look ahead, while the picture on air stays the same. Only GO puts a cue on air. This is also true when nothing is on air: an armed cue appears in the next-cue picture, but never on the output.
Stop does not mean pause. Stop ends the cue and takes the playout to black, while pause only holds the picture. That is why the program has two separate buttons. See Going live.