Individualized User-Interface

Flow Archive is a dedicated GUI for editorial users. It is simple, intuitive, all drag & drop. It is all about managing your media content and media processes - and not have to worry about anything technical.

The tasks and reponsibilities of the archive module centre around ingest, media archiving and editing, as well as metadata archiving and processing. In particular ingest, media and metadata management and user/rights management is configurable here.

 

Archive

Ingest

  • Upload in any quality, quantity with or without metadata XMLs, TAR packages, etc.
  • Upload via web forms and watch folders, network transfers, ftp etc. using APIs in collaboration with specialized (file movement) transportation software such as Signiant, Aspera, etc.
  • Automatically checks the file for correctness and compatibility (Though FlowCoder, Flow Works own integrated transcoding unit).
  • Complete Quality Control via an API-integrated third-party application such as Barton or others.
  • Automated transcoding jobs are appended to the ingest process. Newly ingested content is automatically converted to the selected preview and delivery formats after approval is completed. These derivatives will be added into the container.
  • Trigger the transcoding work (and also on demand requirements) by user interaction or the nominated delivery processes and workflows.

 

Media and Metadata

  • Monitor and set all video, photo, audio and files of any type.
  • One „container“ per project. This means that an entry (container) is not only the source file, but also holds all other derivatives (such as transcoded versions). Associated audio tracks, subtitle tracks etc reside here as well.
  • No unnecassary copying and duplicating of identical content since all variants (along with their metadata) reside in one location
  • Metadata is completely free and customisable to meet your requirements.
  • Metadata is also added to the container and can be used in all variations: differentiated access rights/write rights of individual user types, automated imports from third-party systems, delivery and synch with third-party systems (such as databases or play-out systems like web services, etc).

 

User / groups / rights management

  • As many user/rights combinations as required, all easily changeable and easy to maintain.
  • User administration can be associated with LDAP systems.
  • Easily set and edit the access, the rights combinations (eg according to presets or individually), access duration, functional rights, etc.

 

User Workflow Engine

This area includes all editorial and administrative processes. These workflows can be individually configured per customer or per user group and underlines our flexibility.

Editorial processes and functions including:

  • Upload
  • Keywording
  • Classifying (Examples: Secret vs. public content, timestamps, usage rights, etc.)
  • Search by arbitrary, adjustable type, including:
    o Full text
    o Categories (models, subjects, areas, media types, etc.)
    o Sub-categories
    o Tags
    o Search for particular content and project folders (see also project management)
  • Views
    o Previews
    o Metadata (depending on the setting / user rights also partial data)
    o Browse by related content
  • Edit (depending on user rights combination) including:
    o Add / Edit Metadata including language variants
    o Browser-based edit of video content (segmentation, cut, dissolve, etc.)
    o Timecode-based comment
    o Timecode based branding
    o Timecode based crawls and straps creation
    o Muxing of different languages (upload & add new sound tracks)
    o Cropping of photos
    o On-demand transcoding to other formats according to presets (recommended) or entirely free according to individually compiled specifications
  • Project management
    o Create new project folders, including their own unique metadata
    o Create new sub-projects (as many as required)
    o Fill projects with content (from the content pools of the user) via drag & drop
    o Invite other users into the project ("Member")
    o Classify the folder (Eg."Secret")
    o Deleting Projects

 

Screening & Approvals

An essential part of each workflow process around the production processes or the content publishing is the screening, commenting and approval process. In this area, the content is shared specifically, simply and transperantly between users. For this purpose the Flow Center provides (as part of the solution) several simple screening and approval surfaces so that content can be shared with third parties.

Features include:

  • Open screening & approval rooms
  • Ability to add content via drag & drop from the „pool“
  • Easily select users (from a list of registered users or as a mail address if allowed / required)
  • Write text (comments, requests for feedback, etc.)
  • Send
  • Recipient receives email with formatted text, then acceses the content via a link embedded in the email. If necessary can be via a log-in
  • Selected content is displayed
    o Preview
    o Comment (including timecode)
    o Approvals
    o Download (if sender has allowed for this)
  • Sender receives notification mail with comments and approval information
  • All comments / approvals are stored in the system
  • On request an approval can also trigger a further automated running workflow eg start a delivery, required format etc.

 

Publish / Deliver

In this area, the system manages the processes involved in the distibution and delivery of content by authorized users.

Featues include:

  • Search for content
  • Check approval / rights status
    o If a user accidentally publishes unapproved content, this can be detected and prevented by the system – (as per the required settings)
  • Choose the desired delivery destination from a list.
    o The delivery targets are set, including all necessary specifications in advance. This is done in the "Device & Workflow Manager" by an administrator or super user
  • Fill the delivery destination from the content pool using “drag and drop“
  • Selection of specific delivery options, such as:
    o Priority
    o Latest time of delivery at the receiver
  • Again, general target settings are set in advance by the administrator. Some of them can be modified by the users if required.
  • The Admin / User can be linked to third-party software (Aspera, CDN, etc). He does this, however, via the Flow user interface
  • Check status:
    o Check Workflow Progress (import, transcoding, delivery, etc.)
    o Check Estimated time of arrival
    o Check Error Messages (configurable messages to the users in case of errors)
    o Stop / Pause Jobs
    o Restart Jobs