1. The Applications (v.5.x)

Owned by Georg Deisting
Last updated: Jun 11, 2024 by Manuel Grund
3 min read

Table of Contents

Preface

When choosing or evaluating a playout solution from ToolsOnAir, it is helpful to get to know the software components of the solution as a starting point. In general, our playout solutions are aimed at two focused use cases: Live Production Playout (just:live) and Master Control Playout (just:play) both enabling video and realtime graphics playout with adequate and project-related licensing options. Our playout solutions are designed as true client-server solutions, with the backend applications named Just Out (Engine) and Just Connect (Channel Manager) and the frontend application called Just Control (User Interface). The ability to play out video files and static or realtime graphics as well as triggering/controlling external devices is defined by the number of dedicated video, graphics, or event layers available. To create realtime graphics templates for use with both just:live and just:play, a separate macOS-based application namely Composition Builder () is available as part of a realtime graphics layer licence. The applications Just Connect and Just Control can be installed on as many machines as deemed necessary for the project or workflow requirements, thus enabling you to set up Multi Channel Environments in different ways, whereas the output licence for Just Out is licensed on a per-channel basis.

just:live User Interface – Live Production Playout for Video and Realtime Graphics

The just:live user interface (runs in Just Control) streamlines the Playout of Videos and realtime Graphics in any Live Production environment, with SD, HD, UHD format and SDI, NDI®, SRT, UDP, ST-2110 Live Input/Output support, while maintaining full control over the live production workflow.

just:play User Interface – 24/7 Master Control Playout

The just:play user interface (run in Just Control) drives an automated Master Control playout solution with SD, HD, UHD format and SDI, NDI®, SRT, UDP, ST-2110 Live Input/Output support, seamlessly integrating live feeds and routers as well as GPI events and realtime graphics.

Backend Applications

Just Connect

  • Acts like a centralized channel manager by receiving and sending all the information related to a specific playout channel.

  • Interconnects to all Just Out engine(s) and Just Control user interface(s), related to a particular playout channel and managed by Just Connect. Distributes rendering tasks to playout engines on different machines.

  • Enables the handling of optional redundancy and failover scenarios for playout channels.

Just Out

  • Composites Videos (or a Live Input Signal) and Graphics running as a background application.

  • Able to run on multiple dedicated playout machines, for example, playing videos on one dedicated machine and rendering realtime graphics on another one.

  • Multiple instances of Just Out on different machines can be used to set up a Redundant System – enabling load distribution and fail-safe operation.

Optional functionality such as Event Layers, Redundancy, and Failover may be licensed separately depending on your requirements.

Sample Setup

This setup picture applies to both the just:live and just:play user interface. For simplicity, only Just Control is shown.

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