Current Projects

This should be a listing of current, ongoing Technical and Computing projects that aren't yet complete enough to merit real documentation. Be warned, this is liable to be outdated and should be used for some idea of what's going on. Also worth a look is the Techie Todo List and the Trac Listings for some of the other ongoing projects.

If you're interested in any of these projects or want to get involved, feel free to email the person listed under the Responsible heading, bearing in mind all YSTV email addresses are of the firstname.lastname@ystv.co.uk form where another address isn't listed.

Ongoing Projects

Website rebuild

Responsible: [[hist:Rhys Milling] and hist:Ben Allen

Status: In progress

The old website is a rather difficult php site with very little in terms of an API. The rebuild is an attempt to both separate the site into components (front, back, api, auth and special pages) and make the site more easy to build upon in the future.

Archive Server

Responsible: hist:Connor Sanders

Status: In heavy development

Write an interface to the Archive server to search for items by name or tag, and retrieve them either by download or to a network drive.

Update 03/08/2021: This is under major rebuild. Previous system has been gone for some time and new method will be a more general archive to link between any and all resources we have.

Single Sign On

Responsible: hist:Rhys Milling

Status: In Progress

Modify the wikis, forums, webmail etc so that if a user is logged into the website, they also maintain that login through the other online services without having to enter more credentials. Also, automatically logging in to the website if your are logged in with your Server account would be good

Update 10/11/2013: See Crowd. Rolled out for FSRV directory for all areas except History Wiki. Update 03/08/2021: In process of being remade for modern systems as 'web-auth' although we do have some fairly well integrated system with the Windows VM's Domain.

Document All The Things!

Responsible: hist:Connor Sanders and/or/as hist:Heads_of_Archives

Status: In Progress

Basically, write up documentation on everything YSTV does on here. Big project!

Update 03/08/2021: Wikis reconfigured and restored. New organisation near complete.

Stalled Projects

Continuous Channel/Scheduling Engine

Responsible: WAS Sam Nicholson NOW hist:Rhys Milling

Status: Being rebuilt as 'playout' and 'video-transcoder'

Write a scheduling and automation tool to allow the Scheduler to come up with shows, and autofill idents, trailers and graphical overlays to make us more like a "real" TV channel. Known as Tarantula.

Update 28/05/2013: Now working enough to be used, tracked at [1]. Won the 2013 NaSTA Technical award. Update 16/10/2013: Deploying now. Update 03/08/2021: It's been ~8 years - we're considering doing 24 hour streams as soon as we can - some system like this needs remaking

Completed Projects

OB Stream/Receive

Responsible: Sam Nicholson/John Caine

Status: Complete

Live Link Laptop

Responsible: Sam Nicholson

Status: Complete

OB Recording

Responsible: Sam Nicholson

Status: Complete!

Write a similar wrapper to the video server one for recording on OBs using the capture cards, along with a client to provide a director with record/stream controls, matrix controls, a running order and potentially internal IRC in one handy window.

External IMAP

Responsible: Alex Williams

Status: Complete, could do with How To guide though

Negotiate with IT Services for an external firewall hole, so that YSTV mailboxes can be read using regular clients or phones from off-campus. At present on-campus works, with this running to completion it's probably worth documenting how to set up external YSTV mail.

PiVT

Responsible: Sam Nicholson

Status: Done.

Create a VT server system using a Raspberry Pi and the on-board HD video decode hardware, which should provide cheap HD VT servers.

Update 16/10/2013: Deployed (mostly!)

Autocue

Responsible: Robert Walker/Sam Nicholson

Status: Complete

Build an autocue. See Autocue.

Scrapped Projects

Easter Refurb

Responsible: Chris Wall, Greg Ebdon, Liz Pascoe, Mike Chislett, Sam Nicholson, Matt Johnson

Status: Scrapped

Still known as the Easter Refurb, despite that holiday being long gone, the plan was to repaint both studio and control room, re-carpet both and generally make the place look nicer. Sort of a tech project.

Currently Chris Teeling (ZFM) has provisionally agreed to fix our blinds but put the floor etc on hold for a little while due to the potential to move into a new space. It should be noted this is a very early stage, the idea to move was mooted but nobody has said yes in any way shape or form. The individuals listed above are working on details.

Update 28/05/2013: Firmly scrapped, however much of the plan may happen in the Summer 2015 refurb of James Nucleus

Update 24/07/2014: Since being 'firmly scrapped', almost all of these things have been done. New blinds have been fitted, as has a carpet, and the studio has been repainted.

DNS Delegation

Responsible: Alex Williams

Status: Scrapped

In theory YSTV could administer our own DNS server, and delegate the zone IT Services manage for us to be managed directly, potentially with access to LanDB for updating our own machines.

UPDATE (26/06/13): Not possible in 'men and mice'

Video Server Recording

Responsible: Sam Nicholson

Status: Scrapped

Write a wrapper to start and stop the Video Server recording live shows over the network.

Update 16/10/2013: Scrapped due to HD upgrade completely changing how this will work

New Muxes

Responsible: Michael Chislett

Status: Scrapped

Build a pair of chainable 8x8 video matrixes, as prototyped for NaSTA 2011. See the history wiki for more.

Update 26/06/13: Will not work with HD, but might be useful for making for the analogue OB trolley

Update 28/04/2014: Needs a power supply, and code for controlling the matrix chip writing/finding. So scrapped until someone with enough time can look into it.

Jack/JAAK

Responsible: Michael Chislett

Status: Scrapped

The mother of all abstraction layers for the video and audio paths. JAAK will essentially be the auto-router, with simple monitoring of gear statuses. Shiny things JAAK will do:

• Cope with instruction (graphic touch screen apps) such as "patch studio 92 to DaVE 4". JAAK then goes off and finds the most suitable routing path (shortest and non-conflicting with existing paths).
• Not need a user manual.
• Poll serial ports for new YVP compatible devices
  • auto-initiate them.
• Have an advanced command interface, supporting commands such as DO, WHEN & ON. It will also cope with basic logic and events such as time, and whole system I/O events.
• JAAK will also detects and avoid (it already can) things such as routing loops.

Update 28/05/2013: Updated status to on-hold pending HD roadmap completion

Update 28/04/2014: Scrapped as not really required - all routing goes through the one Videohub