Understanding the Send-to-Playback Components and Process

A MediaCentral UX system and an Interplay Production system are required for the send-to-playback process.

- MediaCentral Platform Services (MCS) server. The avid-central-service (sometimes referred to as the middleware) handles STP requests.

- MediaCentral Distribution Service. The Distribution Service coordinates and monitors send-to-playback and mixdown operations. It determines if there is any preprocessing required. If it determines an audio mixdown is required, it submits a Transcode Mixdown request. If Long GOP media is required, it submits an STP Encode request. You can configure your workgroup for more than one MCDS.

The MediaCentral Distribution Service communicates with other Interplay Production Services, but it is not an Interplay Production Service itself.

For information about installing and configuring these components, see the MediaCentral Platform Services Installation and Configuration Guide.

- Interplay Production Services Engine. This component serves as a broker for all Production Services. The Interplay Transcode service and the Interplay STP Encode service are used for MediaCentral UX send-to-playback operations.

For installation and configuration information for the Production Services Engine and Production Services, see the Interplay | Production Services Setup and User’s Guide.

- Interplay Transcode service. This service mixes down audio for script sequences and checks the sequence in to the Interplay Engine. No video mixdown is required when sending a script sequence to a playback device.

- Interplay STP Encode service. This service exports and encodes Long GOP media, then passes the media to the Transfer Engine for a send-to-playback operation. The STP Encode service supports various XDCAM media formats.

- Interplay Engine. This component manages the Interplay Production database. Sequences that are sent to playback are checked into the Send to Playback folder in the Interplay Production database.

- Media Indexer. This component is used to store information of all available resolutions for an Interplay Production asset. It enables relinking of a clip to a particular resolution (Dynamic Relink).

- Avid System Framework (ASF). This component is used for various Interplay Production interactions. For send-to-playback, it identifies the high-availability group (HAG) that includes the Media Indexer used for relinking.

- Interplay Transfer Engine. This component sends the sequence to the playout device. If you are sending to an Avid AirSpeed 5000/5500, Avid AirSpeed Multi Stream, or Avid AirSpeed Classic server, you do not need a separate Transfer Engine, because it is included as a component of the AirSpeed server. For installation and configuration information, see the Interplay | Transfer Setup and User’s Guide.

- AirSpeed 5000/5500, AirSpeed Multi Stream. A playback server that can handle different formats, including HD media. It includes a Transfer Manager as an installable component.

- AirSpeed Classic. A playback server that can handle different formats but only one at a time.

- Third-party playback servers

You can send to playback (STP) a sequence that includes an in-progress (edit-while-capture or EWC) clip. However, you cannot STP an in-progress clip. If you load an in-progress clip, the STP button is disabled.