Glossary

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Audio Manager

The Audio Manager is the studio app that listens to your audio inputs, detects activity and fires commands. It powers audio-directed switching. See Audio Manager. Also called: AudioManager, Audio Manager Client.

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Audio trigger

An audio trigger watches one audio input in the Audio Manager. When the level goes above its threshold it fires its commands, and when the level drops back it can fire release commands. See Audio Triggers.

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Automation

An automation is a rule that runs on a condition. Its Activator Command runs when the condition becomes active, and its Release Command when it becomes inactive. See Automations.

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AutomationLink

AutomationLink connects VRA to your radio automation software, so the now-playing and rundown data of your station is available in VRA. See Radio Automation Data and Link Radio Automation. Also called: Automation Link, alink.

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Broadcaster

The broadcaster is the top-level organisation in VRA, with its own name, logo and timezone. A broadcaster holds one or more stations. See Broadcaster Management.

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Camera angle

A camera angle is a saved shot for a camera: a position, from a preset or a custom position, plus the command that puts it on air. See Camera Editor. Also called: angle.

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Camera Assist

Camera Assist is the studio app that runs the Cameras system. It talks to the camera hardware and makes the live camera previews.

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Command

A command is an action that a trigger, macro or automation executes, like switching a camera, a video switcher input or a playout item. See Audio Triggers and Macros. Also called: commando, the older name still used on some pages.

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Composition

A composition combines several visuals as layers into one layout for Episode Playout. Compositions only work in Manual output mode. See Composition Editor.

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Condition

A condition is a state or event that turns something on or off, like a trigger, an automation, a macro item or a rundown. See Automations.

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Core

The Core is the studio app that links VRA with your video switcher, automations and scheduling. All other studio apps connect to the Core, by default on port 3002. See Set up a new Core app.

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Episode

An episode is one airing of a scheduled program. Its rundown usually stays the same from week to week. See Episode Playout.

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Fallback

The fallback is what VRA does when no audio triggers are active: after a delay, it cycles through the fallback commands. See Audio Manager.

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Macro

A macro combines several commands into one action. Its items run in sequence or in parallel, and an item can be a command or a wait in milliseconds. See Macros.

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Media Hub

The Media Hub is the file manager in VRA Cloud, where you upload and organise the media you use in outputs, scheduling and the Visual Designer. See Media Hub.

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Media Server

The Media Server is the studio app that syncs and caches media from Cloud so it is ready for playback, and reads the recordings for Clips. See Media Server Ingest Sources. Also called: Media Server Client.

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On air and off air

On air means a studio, program, output, mic or camera is broadcasting right now. The opposite is off air. A Core v2 studio with recording turned on has a third state, Recording. Also called: onair, offair.

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Output

An output decides what content is shown and when, and plays it through an Output Player. See Output Editor.

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Output Player

The Output Player is the studio app that plays your outputs as NDI, SDI or Cloud Live. See Output Settings.

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PGM and PVW

PGM (program) and PVW (preview) are the two buses in playout. PVW shows the next item, and Play or TAKE moves it to PGM, the on-air signal. See Manual Playout.

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Playout

Playout is where you control what an Output Player shows, by hand or along an episode’s rundown. See Manual Playout and Episode Playout.

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Preset

A preset is a position slot stored in the camera itself, numbered 1 to 99. A camera angle can point to a preset. See Camera Editor.

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Presenter

A presenter is a person behind a mic in the studio. Presenters belong to a station and are linked to programs, where each one is marked as host or guest. See Presenters. Also called: host.

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Priority

Priority decides which audio trigger wins when several are active at the same time. See Audio Triggers.

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Program

In Scheduling, a program is a show on the calendar, with a title, presenters and a repeat pattern. It can turn outputs or triggers on while it airs. On a video switcher or in playout, program (PGM) is the bus that is on air.

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Rundown

A rundown is an ordered list of items. An output rundown loops through its items while its condition is active, and an episode rundown lists the graphics for that episode. See Output Rundowns.

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Station

A station belongs to a broadcaster and broadcasts from one or more studios. Outputs, variables and users are set up per station. See Broadcaster Management.

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Studio

A studio is where a station broadcasts from, and runs the studio apps. Every station has one master studio, and its other studios are backups. See Broadcaster Management.

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Tally

Tally tells whether a camera’s input is on the program or preview bus of your video switcher. See Routes.

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Variable

A variable is a value that visuals read at playout. A Station variable is usable in every visual, a Visual variable is saved with one graphic. See Variables. Also called: station variable, visual variable, output variable.

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Visual

A visual is a graphic made of layers in the Visual Designer. Once saved, you can use it across VRA Cloud.