Configuring VTR Control for Recording from Tapes

SL NEO servers of 1000 and 3000 series allow control of one or several recorders (VTR) for recording from tapes. Management is implemented by RS232/422 interfaces and SONY 9 Pin Remote Protocol, or by IEEE1394 (FireWire) interfaces.

Connect Recorder

Connect the tape-recorder control port to the server, or to any other network client station. The server must have at least one RS-232 (COM) control port placed at the back panel of a system unit. If a tape-recorder has the RS-422 control interface, it is possible to use the interface converter or a board with corresponding ports, or make the 422-232 cable.

Configure Server Software for VTR Control

Further settings will be implemented at the machine physically connected to the tape-recorder control interface. When connecting the tape-recorder to the client station control port, preliminarily install a set of SL NEO software onto the station.

Stop the server software components, add a new device to the system.

Right click the blue SL NEO icon in the taskbar and select Stop Server to stop the server components. When the icon becomes red, right click it and select Configure Server Components. Open the setting window, find the new VTR device in the Available components field and add it to the right field.

Launch server software (right click the SL NEO icon in tray and select Start Server).

Further settings will be implemented from the Administrator Control Panel. Login to the console is implemented locally from the server or from any computer in the network at http://ip_address:7901. Login to the control web console as an administrator.

After the login to the control console, click Manage at the left menu. The VTRs tab allows configuring SL NEO Device Server - a VTR management module. Select the VTRs tab, click Service Enabled in the VTR1 window. Find the VTR parameters field and select the video work mode, type of control interface and port number.

To save settings, click Apply Changes at the top of the server control console.

Connect VTR Device Server to Recorder

Further settings will be implemented at the machine with an activated recorder in the process of recording.

Configuring will be implemented from the Administrator Control Panel→Manage→Recorders. Find the VTR address field and specify the IP address of the machine physically connected to the recorder, with the configured Device Server, or leave the field empty, if the recorder is connected directly to the server control port. Leave the VTR number value equal “1” (for the VTR1 service).

To save settings, click Apply Changes at the top of the server control console.

Configuring Air Manager Client Software

Open the Services tab (AirManager→File→Configure→Services→VTR servers) that alows configuring Air Manager connections to VTR control services (VTR Device Server).

In the VTR Services window, set the parameters of Air Manager connections to the VTR control service. Find the Host field and enter the IP address of a physically managed PC with the configured VTR Device Server service. The Num field must contain the service number (“1” in our example). In the Description field, specify a random name for the VTR (for example, VTR1, VTR2).

Tape-recorder management can be launched from lines of a REC-list that controls the recorder connected to Device Server. To activate VTR control from a REC-list line, select the VTR value in the Source field. The Source column defines the type of source used for recording to a video server within a given line. There are two different types of source for recording:

LIVE is a non-manageable source set by default when creating a new line. It formally means recording a signal from an external line switched manually to the corresponding server input.

VTR - activating the function of VTR-device control. The VTR will operate in the play mode, recording materials to the server. In case of using the VTR source type, it is necessary to set for the rec-list the In Point and Out Point values corresponding to LTC values on the videotape.