The Recorders tab of web control console allows you to configure server modules of File Recorder, configure VTR control for batch tape recording, configure recording profiles for each recorder.

The SL NEO File Recorder module settings window contains several tabs:

The General tab contains the fields of the basic settings of the File Recorder module. The Frame Rate, VTR address, VTR Number, VTR TC offset fields are intended for adjusting the VTR control when recording from the tapes.

The fields Filename Prefix, Filename Middle, Filename Suffix are used for masking file names when recording to the server database or file folders. If there are no parameters in these fields and if the file name is not specified by the user, the recorder automatically assigns a name to the clip in the database (or to the file) in the following format: live_YYY.MM.DD_HH.MM.SS.FF. If you set the values in the Filename Prefix, Middle, Suffix fields, the names of files/clips will be formed like this: Prefix_YYY.MM.DD_Middle_HH.MM.SS.FF_Suffix. This function is relevant for 24-hour fragmented recording (for example, in broadcast control recording servers, i.e. loggers).

The Backup Recorder Address and Backup Recorder Channel fields are intended for configuring synchronous parallel recording on the main and backup SL NEO servers.

Router output pin and Router Layers fields are responsible for configuring the control parameters of the matrix switch, which outputs are connected to the server inputs. During the execution of record-list events, the switch can automatically “preselect” sources for recording.

The Destination Profiles tab is used to create and edit recording profiles. The profile contains information about video and audio codecs, file container, destination path for recording.

Several profiles can be created for each recorder. Each profile is used for certain tasks, for example - one profile for direct recording to DB and the following on-air playback, the second one for production (writing to a file folder). The selection of a profile is made quickly from the list, directly on the client workstations, in the rec-list management windows of the Air Manager application.

A new profile is created in the Destination Profiles tab by clicking the Add button; in the window that opens, in the Profile Name field enter the name (arbitrary). In the Video Format field, select an appropriate parameter from the list. The value set in this field may not coincide with the resolution and frame rate of the capture service, in this case the up-conversion, down-conversion or “cross-conversion” will be performed. In the Format Conversion field select the type of conversion when the aspect ratio of the input stream and the aspect ratio required for the output files do not coincide.

The example of conversions for the case when the input stream has a 16×9 aspect ratio, the files should have a 4:3 ratio.

The None parameter means that the 16×9 source material will be exactly fit into a 4×3 frame horizontally and vertically (the geometry will not be saved, the image will be compressed horizontally). Crop means that 16×9 material will be copied into a 4×3 frame with the left and right sides cut off (geometry will be saved). Box means that 16×9 material will be copied into a 4×3 frame with the top and bottom areas filled with black borders (geometric proportions remain intact). Letter means that the 16×9 material will be copied into a 4×3 frame so that the top and bottom areas will be slightly cut off, and the left and right areas will be filled with black borders, but less than in the Box case (geometric proportions will also remain the same).

The Audio Channels field specifies the number of tracks for the audio track. Force Deinterlace allows you to remove interlacing during recording, at that the server CPU will be involved - you should control the CPU load, especially at multichannel recording. Write Timecode allows you to activate the function of writing timecode to the generated files.

The Storage tab is used to select the storage type (Storage Type field) and to set the basic parameters:

File Folder - storage type selected for writing to the file folder. Disk Path - path to the disk, the root folder can be specified here, Root Folder - subfolder in the root folder, where one more folder in YY_MM_DD format will be generated by default, or the folder specified in the record-list line and where files will be placed. In the Container field you select the container type for all files for this profile.

SL NEO Media Storage - the type of storage selected for writing to the server database under SL NEO Media Database. The Storage Address field specifies the IP address of the server where the Media Database service is activated (in case of writing via network). If the database service is activated on the server itself, the Storage Address field may be left blank or localhost should be specified. In the Storage Number field you should specify the serial number of the database service in case there are several SL NEO Media Database modules functioning on the server. If necessary, you can specify the Root Folder where the records will be stored in the server database. Login User, Login Password - fields for entering data about the user, who has write rights to the server database. Filled in when recording via network, in the database of another server.

Avid/MXF, Avid/Unity - storage types of Avid production systems.

The Hi Res Format tab is used to set encoding parameters for video and audio during recording for this profile. The Denoise option allows you to activate the noise reduction mode for video sequences.

The Proxy Format tab allows you to enable the generation of preview copies (proxy) for this recording profile and to set encoding parameters for video and audio. If you choose the File Folder storage type, files with proxy-copies will be placed in the folder with full resolution files.

The Caption Extraction tab allows you to enable the decoding mode for up to 4 subtitle tracks.

At this point the profile setup is done, you can go back to the main tabs of the Recorder module.

The Time Table Captures tab allows you to configure the automatic recording mode based on the internal server schedule. As a rule, this mode is used when recording broadcasts, in the so-called “loggers”.

To save the settings made for the recorder, you must run the Apply Changes command at the top of the web console interface.