Overview
SL NEO Studio A/B Player is a dedicated dual-channel playout engine designed for live studio environments. With true A/B playback, tight MOS newsroom integration, and instant media cueing, it gives operators precise control over on-air playback without delays, file preparation, or workflow interruptions.
Optimized for news, talk shows, and studio-based production, Studio A/B Player allows content to be prepared, previewed, and played live in parallel — ensuring smooth transitions and reliable on-air performance.
As part of the SL NEO Media Platform, it integrates seamlessly with ingest, graphics, teleprompter, and newsroom systems.
Highlights
Dual-Channel A/B Playout
Key Features
- A/B Architecture
- ▸ Two independent playout channels (A and B)
- ▸ Pre-assigned or auto-selected output per rundown item
- ▸ Parallel preparation of upcoming clips during live playback
- Video Output Formats
- ▸ SDI
- ▸ SMPTE ST-2110
- ▸ NDI
- Rundown & Playback Control
- ▸ Instant preparation of rundown items
- ▸ Pause and scrubbing of individual items
- ▸ Playback progress and next-item visibility
- ▸ Hot-loading of new media files during live shows
- Media Handling
- ▸ Manual or automated media import
- ▸ Supports all common broadcast formats
- ▸ Video format conversion on the fly during playback or during import
- Hardware & External Control
- ▸ JLCooper SharpShot button panels
- ▸ X-Keys programmable panels
- ▸ GPIO signaling for tally and external automation
Workflow
Playlist automation controls two player outputs and enables playback in the traditional A/B style. The outputs can be monitored directly in AirManager using the Service Monitor displays, and when the A/B player preview is shown, Service Monitor provides the operator with playback controls, allowing them to also send commands such as play, stop, and pause from the monitor window.
Service monitor control buttons:
1. Play – starts playback
2. Pause – pauses or resumes playback
3. Stop – stops playback and pre-cues the next clip
Event triggering can be performed by:
1. Buttons in the toolbar
2. Control buttons in the Service Monitor windows
3. Buttons in the Start column
When a clip is being prepared or started on output A, the next clip is automatically queued for preparation on output B.
SL NEO Studio A/B Player can now be integrated into Newsroom workflows using the new MOS Gateway module. MOS Gateway interacts with NRCS software, turns the SL NEO Studio A/B Player into a MOS device, and enables the Storage, Program, Graphics Lists, and Prompter modules to communicate via the MOS protocol.
Supported features include:
▸ Media catalog synchronization
▸ Media asset status reporting to the NRCS
▸ Creation of filler clips
▸ Linking the Running Order to the AB player, basic playlist automation, graphics lists, and prompter
▸ Rundown item filtering based on the selected item player
▸ Rundown item status reporting to the NRCS
▸ Dynamic updates of playback duration for growing files
MOS integration has been tested and is fully operational with Octopus Newsroom and Arion S-News.
Integrated Ecosystem
The SL NEO Studio A/B Player fully integrated into the SL NEO media services platform — a modular, software-defined environment where specialized modules operate together in real time across one or more hardware platforms.
Additional modules — including Graphics, Ingest, and other workflow components — can be integrated to create a fully tailored broadcast solution:
Use Cases
Technical Specifications
SYSTEM
| Chassis | 1U — 4U, dual hot-swap power supplies |
| CPU | 1 or 2 x Intel Xeon or AMD Epyc Series |
| Memory | 48 / 96 GB DDR4 |
| System Drive | SSD for OS |
| Network | 2 x onboard 1GbE |
| Storage | Built-in RAID-10, 4 or 8 x SAS 3.5″ RE drives (4 or 8 TB), useful capacity |
| OS | Windows Server |
ENVIRONMENTS
| Rundown Control | MOS-based |
| Cue/Playback Latency | Instant |
| Media Conversion | Real-time or during import |
| Control Interfaces | Desktop client, Web UI, API |
CHANNELS
| Output Channels | Dual (A/B) |
PROTOCOLS & DEVICE SUPPORT
| Monitoring | SNMP (SL NEO Software) |
| Hardware Panels | X-KEYS XK-24 / 60 / 80, XKE-64 Jog T-Bar |
| Automation | REST API, Router & GPI control, Schedule, MOS Integration |
VIDEO FORMATS & COLOR SPACES
| Formats | 625i/525i, 720p, 1080i/1080p, 2K 2048×1080p, 2160p |
| Frame Rates | 25 / 29.97 / 50 / 59.94 / 60 fps |
| Color Spaces | BT.601 / BT.709 / BT.2020, HDR: SMPTE ST 2084, ARIB STD-B67 |
I/O STREAMS: INTERFACES, PROTOCOLS, CODECS
| SDI | SDI 1.5G to 12G, embedded audio |
| IP (Broadcast) | SMPTE ST 2110 |
| IP (Streaming) | NDI |
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