Download ALCO Professional™ Reporter Broadcast

ALCO Professional™
Reporter Broadcast
Version 11.4.0
User Manual
October, 2012
Table of Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………...
Features and Parameters ……………………………………...
System Requirements ………………………………………...
Downloading ALCO Professional™ Reporter ………………
Getting Started ………………………………………………..
How to use ……………………………………………………
Interface Overview ……………………………………………
Menu ………………………………………………………….
Settings ……………………………………………………….
Playlist Manager ………………………………………………
Introduction
ALCO Professional™ Broadcast is an integrated IP audio Software Codec (Soft
Codec) designed specifically to meet the demands of the broadcast industry for a
high quality Internet audio link solution that provides outstanding audio quality
with low latency and high connectivity.
It is a reliable IP link based on proprietary ATC Labs Audio Technology and
proprietary low delay high fidelity audio compression technology. Be it sports
venue or concert hall, field reporters can deliver high quality, crystal clear audio to
broadcasting stations all with extremely low audio coding delay. ALCO
Professional™ Broadcast uses any available IP network such as 2G/3G wireless or
wired Internet & hotspots.
ALCO Professional™ Broadcast allows the field reporter to transmit live
onsite news for on air broadcast cost-effectively and reliably over any available IP
network including wireless broadband.
ALCO Professional™ Broadcast supports advanced features such as Call
Recording (mp3/wav), Real Time Text Messaging, Playlists Handling, Offline
Reports &Real Time File Transfer. Multiple bit rate options – 32/64/128/256
kbps are supported using ATC Labs proprietary high fidelity low delay perceptual
audio compression technology: Audio Communication Coder (ACC).
ALCO Professional™ Broadcast features reliable point-to-point or point-tomulti point communication. It allows up to 3 Host-Reporter links on a single Call.
Features
1. Outstanding Audio Quality: High Fidelity Stereo/Mono.
2. Extremely low audio coding delay.
3. High connectivity through firewalls using ATC Labs SIP Server, no need
for fixed IP addresses.
4. Receive and share live audio from the field directly and continuously.
5. Conference Calls, Call Hold and multiple Parallel Calls.
6. Mix more than one Audio Source.
7. Switch Codecs and/or Bit Rated on the fly.
Technical Parameters
Technical Parameters
Codec’s Bit rates
Support 32, 64, 128Kbps
Frequency Response (20Hz to 15KHz)
Better than ± 0.06dB
Distortion (THD) (20Hz to 15KHz)
≤ 0.05%
Signal to Noise Ratio (20Hz to 15KHz)
Better than 85dB
Systtem R
Requirremen
nts
1. Dessktop, lapttop or Taablet (recoommendedd) or any PC runniing Windoows XP,
Windoows Vista aand Windoows 7 Opeerating Syystems.
2. Proffessional M
Microphonne and Speeaker eitheer built-in or separatte.
3. Interrnet Connection preeferably high speed bbroadbandd.
4. At leeast 1GHzz processor, 256 MB
B RAM, m
minimum 50
5 MB freee disk spacce
on the hard drivee.
Downloading ALCO Professional™Reporter
1. To download an evaluation copy which is a 3 day version, submit a form
from the following location:
http://www.atc-labs.com/ALCOProfessional.html
2. Click on the link to download the file. Run the file on your computer.
3. Follow the set up wizard to install the application on your computer.
*Purchase license to activate the software for uninterrupted use.
Getting Started
1. Open ALCO Professional™ Reporter on your computer
Locate the shortcut for ALCO from your computer desktop or under
Start > All Programs > ALCO >ALCO Professional and click to open.
2. First time users who have not created the ALCO ID, Click ‘Don’t have
ALCO ID’
This opens a create account window. Type all the required information and
choose ALCO ID and Password, confirm Password and enter your E-mail
address. For this evaluation download, user will be utilizing the ‘atclabs’
Server/Station ID during the evaluation period. After entering these details
click Create.
*Important Note while creating new ALCO Professional Station ID
Station Admin:
Anyone having the ALCO authorization code can establish his/her own Station and
its Station Users.
The authorization code can be used only once to create a Station.
The very first time when you use your authorization code do the following:
1. Click on Station Admin Click Here to create a new station to fill in the
station creation details.
2. Fill in the other details of the Account creation dialog to create an ALCO ID.
Click
Here
The ALCO ID you created will be the ALCO ID for the host of the new station. As
a Station host you have the following privileges:
 Add users to your station
 Delete users from your station
 Invite users to join your station
The station ID and the password will be used by any other person who wishes to
join the station during the creation of the ALCO ID with the specified Station ID.
*The maximum number of users that can be created within a station depends on the type of
the license purchased.
n ID Field
d:
make surre that all the membbers/ colleeagues/repporters at your radioo station
y the saame statioon ID in order to be able
a
to search for
fo your
gues/reporrters and add them too your listt.
ge Station
n ID: Whhile creatinng an ALC
CO ID with
w a statiion other than the
bs’ station,, click on change
c
staation ID too pop up thhe followiing dialog box and
the Stationn ID you aare willing to join annd also givve its passw
word.
How
w to use:
u
Signin
ng In:
Log Inn using youur ALCO IID and paassword.
Serverr Location
n:
 A
ATC Labss USA Serrver – Thiis login makes use of
o the ATC
C Labs Seerver and
m
makes
avaailable all the serverr contacts as
a well as fixed IP ccontacts.
 Local
L
Loggin – Allow
ws only fixxed IP conntacts.
In
nterfacce Ovverview
w
Onlin
ne Status
Ch
hange
Onlin
ne Status
A
Add Server
Con
ntact/ Fixed
d
IP
Contacts
Online
Status
Menu
Playlistt
Manager
Search
Phoneboook
Start a C
Chat
Start a C
Call
Go to
P
Phonebook
k
Start
Chat/Call
End
C
Chat/Call
Men
nu
ALCO
O:
Using this menuu the logged in usser can chhange the online sttatus, editt profile,
mize to tasskbar) andd exit the
changee passwordd, logout, close the applicatioon (minim
applicaation.
Edit yoour profille
You caan edit thee followingg elementss of your profile:




Firsst Name
Lasst Name
Email ID
Profile Picturre
Changge Passwoord
Let’s yyou changee your passsword.
Contaacts:
Let’s yyou add a new conntact, renam
me an exiisting conntact, delette an exissting and
also lett you show
w or hide tthe offlinee contacts.
This m
menu proviides optionns to manaage the conntacts. Opptions incluude:
 A
Add a new
w contact
 Rename
R
oor delete ann existing contact.
 Also,
A
theree is an opttion to hidde or show
w the offlinne contactss.
Action
ns:
Lets’ yyou start a chat, caall only affter selectiing contacct(s) by chhecking thhe check
boxes against
a
theeir names.. Also youu can File a Report.
Chat
Select chat partiicipants frrom the phhonebook by checkiing the chheck boxess against
them aand then select chatt from the menu to start a chat. Or youu can alsoo directly
start chhatting wiith a singlle contact in the phhonebook by clickinng on
next too the contaacts name.
button
Call
Select call particcipants froom the phhonebook by checkiing the chheck boxess against
them aand then sselect chatt from thee menu to start a caall. Or youu can alsoo directly
start a call with a single coontact in thhe phonebbook by clicking on
me.
the conntacts nam
buttonn next to
Previeew offline report
Allow previewinng a reportt when no call is in pprogress.
Playlisst Manageer
Open the
t Playlisst managerr.
Send F
File
Select a phoneboook contacct by clickking on thee contact aand then seelect and ssend file.
Tools:
Option
ns
Using tthis Optioons window
w you cann change thhe followinng:
1. IIncoming codec for a call.
2. Call
C type selection llets you seelect for alll outgoingg calls eithher as a H
Host or as
a Reporteer or to seelect the ccall type uusing the call type selection window
w
which
popps up beforre a call sttart.
3. Input/outp
I
put devicess for calls..
n Panel
Admin
The Addmin Paneel is availaable only tto a loggedd in Station Host.
 Create
C
Usser
Station hoost can create stationn users in eeither of thhe ways:
S
1. Add User
U
– Hosst is directed to create ALCO
O ID dialoog with thee current
station ID. Creattes a new uuser and aautomaticaally adds tthe new usser to the
me is speecified byy Station
contactt list of other stattion userss. Usernam
Adminn and can never
n
be chhanged altthough thee passwordd can be cchanged.
2 Invite User – Sttation Adm
2.
min can seend an em
mail invitattion to thee users to
create ttheir own ALCO acccount for this statioon. The ussers will be able to
choosee their ownn ALCO IID but theey need too manuallyy add otheer station
users too their conntact list.
 Delete
D
Usser
S
Station
hoost can perrmanently delete a sttation userr.
Help:
Displayy the inforrmation abbout the laatest ALCO
O Professiional™ Reeporter Veersion.
This m
menu has aan option tto display version innformationn of the A
ALCO Proffessional
applicaation.
1. A
About AL
LCO Proofessional:: Displayss the verssion of AL
LCO Proffessional
b
being
usedd.
L
Used to chhange the way logs are being generatedd
2. Logging:
Addin
ng a Con
ntact to P
Phoneboook:
Click on
o the ‘Addd a Contaact’ buttonn
bar.
or sselect Con
ntacts > New
N from the
t menu
Serverr Contact:
A winddow pops up, type in
i the nam
me of the contact
c
andd click on the searchh button.
Select the contaact you waant to addd and an iinvitation will be seent to the selected
contactt. Once thhe invitatioon is acceppted, call, chat and file transffer can be initiated
with thhe added contact.
Fixed IP:
Allow adding a ffixed IP too your conntact list.
Startting a C
Call:
To start a Call with s sinngle contaact, click on the Call buttonn
nexxt to the
contactt’s name. You cann also seleect Action
ns > Calll from thhe menu bbar after
checkinng the chheckbox aagainst thee contact’s name. T
To start a conferennce Call,
select contacts
c
bby checkinng the checck boxes correspond
c
ding to thee contact aand click
the Staart Button
.T
To end thee call use E
End Buttonn
.
A selecct call typee window pops up w
which prom
mpt you too select whhether youu want to
call as a Host orr as a Field
d Reporteer.
If you check the “Do not aask again”” option, thhis box wiill not popp up again before a
call is started annd all the ffollowing calls will be based on your pprevious sselection.
Howevver, if youu want to cchange thee call typee or if youu want to sselect the call type
for eacch call, theen go to Toools > Op
ption.
Call ass a Host:
To calll as a Hosst, select S
Station Hoost radio bbutton for call type selection. When u
Call ass a Host yoou have thhe followinng privilegges:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Add particcipants to a conferennce Call.
A
D
Drop
partiicipants frrom a confference Caall.
S
Send
a priivate messsage to a conferencee call particcipant.
C
Change
Codec type for each pparticipantt.
C
Change
voolume leveels for eacch participant.
6) C
Change On
O Air andd Monitorring devicee and theirr volume llevels.
7) Microphon
M
ne mixingg.
8) Set
S particiipants dellay (used to set a ddelay of 3 sec durinng an incoonsistent
n
network
soo that the participannts voice ddoes not coontain glitcch but is delayed).
d
9) Set
S On Air Device delay
d
and Bleep.
Calll as a Rep
porter:
A rreporter-too-reporter call is onne-to-one ccall. Bothh participaants of succh a call
cann convert ccall into a conferennce call anny time byy adding pparticipannts to the
exissting call.
Add
d to call:
Whhile callingg as a Hosst you cann add morre participants to thee existing call. To
addd participaants, clickk on the Add
A to Caall Buttonn. The folllowing vview will
apppear from where thee Host sellects particcipants byy checkingg the checck boxes
agaainst the naames and aadding theem to call.
Staarting a Ch
hat:
1. S
Select thee participaants of a cconferencee Chat usiing the chheck boxess against
t Contaact’s namee. To startt Chat witth a singlee contact, click on the Chat
the
b
button
nexxt to the C
Contact’s nname.
2. Click
C
on
buutton to staart the connference.
3. To
T end thee Conferennce click oon
button.
Chaat as Hostt:
Whhen you staart a chat, you are thhe host of the
t chat annd can perrform the
following acttions:
A more participannt(s) to thee chat.
1. Add
2. Drop
D
particcipant(s) ffrom chat.
R
Receiver Side view
w of a Conference C
Chat
Add
d to Chatt:
Whhen you arre the hostt of a Chaat you can add moree participaants to the existing
chaat by clickiing the AD
DD TO CH
HAT buttoon which oopens up a view to sselect the
Conntact’s to bbe added.
Sim
multaneou
us Calls an
nd Chats:
Anyy time durring a calll or a chatt you can switch too the phonnebook by clicking
the phoneboook button aand can staart anotherr Call/Chaat.
m of thrree simulltaneous calls aree allowedd. All thhe three
A maximum
w a maaximum off 3 particiipants in
singgle/simultaaneous Caalls are suupported with
eachh. For Chaats, the nuumber of pparticipantss in a confference Chhat limits tto 3.
Playiing a report:
You caan play a rreport durring a call by selectting Reporrt from thhe Input S
Source 2
dropdoown box.
Send
d a File:
Using ALCO Professionall™ Reportter you cann send filees of any fformat to a contact
t followiing steps:
using the
1. S
Select a contact
c
by clicking either on the contacct name or
o on the ccontact’s
i
image.
Dooing so willl turn the contact naame to apppear in bluue.
2. Either
E
righht click onn the contaact name or
o select Actions
A
>S
Send File from the
m
menu.
3. A file brow
wser will oopen to seelect a file to be sentt.
4. Once
O
a fille is selectted the folllowing diialog will appear shoowing thaat the file
t
transfer
w
will start ass soon as the file shharing is accepted
a
bby the conntact it is
b
being
sentt to.
5. O
Once the ffile sharing request iis accepted by the seelected coontact, the file
t
transfer
starts. A proogress barr shows thee progresss of the filee transfer.
File can bee sent to all
F
a the partticipants of a call or chat by right clickinng on
t call annd the chatt page resppectively.
the
Setttings
Input Source1
The sooftware auutomaticallly detects and lists the input source deevices avaiilable on
your m
machine. Select the ddesired inpput source from the ddrop downn menu.
Input Source2
Select any otherr input source (eithher a playllist or a rreport) froom the droop down
menu.
Outgoing Codecc
To seleect the auudio transffer codec, click on the Outgooing Codeec Tab andd choose
the coddec from the drop down mennu. ALCO
O Professiional™ R
Reporter usses ATC
Labs hhigh fidellity low ddelay percceptual auudio com
mpression technologgy, ACC
(Audioo Communnication Coder)
C
forr audio traansfer. AC
CC is offeered at 4 different
bitratess: 256kbpps, 128kbpps (CD quuality), 64kkbps (15K
KHz FM quuality) andd 32kbps
(FM-like qualityy).
Impoortant Note
N
The ouutgoing coodec can be changedd while onn a call to aadjust the desired bit rate or
codec. For exam
mple, Repoorter could be transsmitting thhe data (ooutgoing ccodec) to
t ACC at 64kbpss and at thhe same time
t
the inncoming
the Raadio Statioon using the
codec from
f
the R
Radio Stattion could be ACC at
a 128kbpss. The Input Device Volume
can be adjusted w
while on a call.
Playylist M
Managger
Playlisst Managerr allows yoou to creaate and mannage playllists.
Differeent playlissts can be created with various reports ssuch that tthey can bbe played
during calls. Eacch report can
c be trim
mmed be seetting their start andd stop poinnts.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I work Offline?
No. To use ALCO Professional, it’s mandatory to have Internet Connection
preferably high speed broadband.
2. I cannot Logon. ALCO Professional won’t accept my password.
Probably you have forgotten your password. The previous password can be
retrieved by clicking on the hyperlink ‘Forgot your Password’ on the login
page. The password would be sent to you through Email. You can also reset
your password. For this, go to ALCO > Change Password from the menu
bar.
3. There is a problem with hearing the audio at the Host/Reporter end. How
can I fix this?
Check the microphone and speakers settings on your computer and also
check if the Input Source 1 and On Air Device are correctly selected.
Sometimes this could also happen because of low volume levels. So, check
the volume levels at both the ends - Signal In and Signal Out.
4. I had an Internet failure! But even after the network is up again, the
connected call still shows ‘idle’.
If you are facing such a problem, then just Logout of ALCO and Login
again.
5. I hear a lot of interference during the call.
Reduce the volume levels and also try changing the codec levels to different
values. By making these small changes the interferences can be omitted.