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Cloud Playout Channels

Create a channel

This endpoint creates a Cloud Playout channel. A channel is a continuous, linear stream that FastPix plays out on your behalf between a fixed start and end time.

Choose the type that matches how you want to program the channel:

  • loop plays a repeating sequence of programs. You build the line-up with the loop program APIs, and the sequence repeats until the channel ends.
  • schedule plays items at specific times. You place each item on the timeline with the schedule event APIs.

How it works

  1. Make a POST request with a name, the channel type, and the startTime and endTime that bound the channel’s run.

  2. Provide the fields that apply to the chosen type. For a loop channel, liveSupport is required, and slateId is required when liveSupport is true. A schedule channel accepts genres. Fields that do not apply to the chosen type are rejected with a 422.

  3. The channel is created in the draft status. The response includes the playbackUrl your viewers will watch, and the identifier of the live stream that carries the channel’s output. Add the channel’s content, then use the activate endpoint to put it on air.

startTime must be at least 3 minutes in the future, and endTime must be after startTime. Both are interpreted as UTC.

Example

A news publisher creates a loop channel that repeats a half-hour bulletin around the clock, with live support enabled so that breaking coverage can interrupt the loop, and a slate to cover any gap.

Authentication

AuthorizationBasic

FastPix APIs are secured with Basic Authentication. Use your Access Token ID as the username and Secret Key as the password in the Authorization header of each API request.

  • Username: Access Token ID
  • Password: Secret Key

Activate your FastPix account to generate your API credentials. See the guide here

Request

This endpoint expects an object.
namestringRequired3-255 characters
A name for the channel. It must be between 3 and 255 characters and can contain only alphanumeric characters, hyphens, underscores, and spaces.
typeenumRequired

How the channel is programmed. A loop channel repeats a sequence of programs, and a schedule channel plays items at specific times.

Allowed values:
startTimestringRequired

The time the channel starts, in yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss format and interpreted as UTC. It must be at least 3 minutes in the future.

endTimestringRequired

The time the channel ends, in yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss format and interpreted as UTC. It must be after startTime.

liveSupportbooleanOptional

Whether the channel can switch to a live source. Required when type is loop, and not applicable when type is schedule.

slateIdstringOptional

The slate to show when no other content is available, given either as the ID of a slate filler or as default to use the FastPix slate. Required when liveSupport is true, and not applicable when type is schedule.

descriptionstringOptional<=255 characters

A description of the channel, up to 255 characters. Only applicable when type is loop.

destinationenumOptional

Where the channel is delivered. Only applicable when type is loop.

Allowed values:
captionsbooleanOptionalDefaults to false

Whether captions are generated for the channel’s output. Only applicable when type is loop.

genreslist of enumsOptional

The genres that describe the channel’s content, used in the channel’s programme guide. Only applicable when type is schedule.

Response

Channel created successfully
successbooleanOptional
Shows the request status. Returns true for success and false for failure.
dataobjectOptional
A Cloud Playout channel.