A playout can go on air by itself when the program starts. Use this for a screen that must never be black, such as a screen in the foyer or the hall, or a layer that must be there all day.
Switching it on
Go to Settings → Outputs, open the playout’s tab and switch on Always live (start at launch).
From then on, the playout goes live by itself when the program starts, with the cue that was live when you closed the program. It continues where it stopped, which is what a display that runs all day needs.
What it changes
It changes the start. The operator does not need to press GO on that playout after a restart or a power failure.
It changes nothing else. The playout keeps its cue list, its transport and its output, and you can still start cues on it, stop it and edit its list while it runs. It is a normal playout that starts by itself.
What to put on it
Use content that can stay on screen for a long time without attention:
| Use | Typical cue |
|---|---|
| A screen that always shows your logo card | A still, or a hold with a hold image |
| Information that updates itself | A web page |
| A background that repeats | A stills playlist, or a clip with the follow action loop |
| A layer over the picture of a mixer | This is not a cue. See overlay output |
Practical notes
The cue that was live when you closed the program returns. So leave the playout on the cue that you want to see the next day. If you stop the playout before you close the program, it starts in the stopped state.
A permanent playout needs an output. Always live means that the playout always sends its picture to its output. If the output is set to none, the playout is live but the picture is not sent anywhere.
The playout starts when the program starts, so its cue is on air while you are still setting up. If the audience can see the screen, make sure that this first cue is suitable.