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Splitting hairs here, but...


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Posted

I put this here just for discussion to see if I am doing something wrong or if someone can lend me some help.

I trim each one of my sequences to come out on an even second in length. Then I add each sequence's length together to get a length of the show.

When the show plays, real time, the length is always a little longer than the sum of each of the sequences. Why does this matter?

Well, I live on a cul-de-sac and I run a certain number of sequences for the show allowing some "down time" for the automobiles to cycle or let those that just watched the show to leave and the new group to come in for the next one.

I string a group of songs together in another sequence that contains the right amount of time to get me to the next start which is at the hour or half hour.

Using the method above, the show always bleeds over and creates problems in starting the next show on time. I cannot seem to find that "perfect" amount of time to trim, so I cut something like a minute out of my filler song sequence and then end up with "dead air" time where everything goes dark for a while.

My assumption is that windows media player probably takes some time to unload and reload on each sequence, or maybe there is a similar situation with LOR having to load and unload individual sequences.

Ok, call me picky here, but I at one time worked in radio, many moons ago, and was used to timing things where everything hit just right.

If I could get a handle on the extra time that is required per sequence/event, then I could get my timings better.

Anyone have any ideas?

Posted

I think you are correct. The length of time it takes your computer to load the next song is messing with your timing. Unfortunately this time will vary, depending on what else XP is doing at the time.

Posted

Here is my suggestion. Create your regular show at whatever length less than 30 minutes and create a filler show. In the filler show it should be mostly animation sequences or very short (30 seconds or less) musical sequences, maybe voiceovers and announcments.

As an example lets say your main show is 20 minutes and the last song in the show is 3 minutes. Schedule your main show to run from the top of the hour till 19 after. That way the time will run out while the last song is still playing. Schedule the filler to run from 19 after to 30 after. Then schedule the main show to run again at 30 after.....and so on.

With short sequences in the filler show, your main show will always start within 30 seconds of the half hour. If your filler is all animation sequences and no musical ones, the main show will always start right on the half.

Animation sequences will interupt in the middle when time runs out, Sequences in the musical tab will play to the end of that sequence.

Posted

Thanks for the suggestion, but I always play a musical sequence for the filler with Christmas music and hold the lights on steady. During this time I include announcements not to turn around in the neighbor's driveways and to not pull off into their yards.

If my regular show runs, let's say 20 minutes, then I could run one sequence with music for 9 and then run two 30 second short animation sequences or something like that.

I was just fishing to see if anyone else was anal enough to want everything to come out to the second!

Mike

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