So we're switching to ENPS...

[RollTide98]

...and as a "super-user," I've spent the last few days creating rundown templates, helping co-workers with the system, etc...

But I'd also like to hear from those of you who are familiar with the system in day-to-day operations. Any lessons learned that may help us avoid problems when we go live? Any suggestions on archive conversions (switching from News Center) or other procedures that could help ease the transition?

Thanks.

[LittleBabyPuppy]

We switched to ENPS from news center years ago, and the transition was very easy. It shouldn't be tough...just print out that macro sheet from Day 1.

[McCovey Cove Returns]

Create a list of shortcuts and macros, it makes life much easier not only for the users, but for you.

Producers may ask you to tweak a few things, ENPS allows for lots of options in the rundown. You will find it more writer-friendly than producer-friendly.

[Poo(h)]

ENPS is not a bad system -- once you're used to it.

Please double-check how your anchor read rates are set, and .. if they're not done .. hound someone to do it. ENPS is a lot more sensitive to time than AvStar, and if you set the anchor read rates, it can be one hell of a tool.

Are you using MoS/Deko? If so, get set to use your art department a lot less .. and make sure you save your popular OTS images and even a good mug library!

[ April 11, 2007, 03:41 PM: Message edited by: Poo(h) ]

[Spx Guy]

We've been using it for a year or two. I like it a lot better than what we had.

[RollTide98]

Oh, we've got plenty of macro "cheat sheets" that we're passing out to everyone. We've also set read-rates.

No MoS/Deko... We'll still be physically taking maps and hand-drawn graphics requests to the art department (ugh).

Here's a question for you... NewsCenter automatically places all full-screens, OTS needs, etc. in the still-store column as soon as they're written in a script. Producers never need to manually insert still-store needs in the actual "still-store" column for the chyron dept. to see.

However, the AP people say that ENPS requires producers to manually insert all still-store needs into the still-store column after they're written into a script... No automatic updating like NewsCenter. It really seems like there should be a way around that. Having formerly served as a producer, that extra step can be time-consuming in a graphics-intensive show.

[Produce man]

I've never used it, but someone here says it stands for Everyone Needs a Piece of Sh!t. :D

[WalMartNation]

I used AP Newscenter for years before going to a shop with iNews... then I went to a shop that had just upgraded from AP to ENPS. I'd rather had the AP, I thought ENPS was a piece of **** after using iNews for three years... but that's me.

[Poo(h)]

Originally posted by RollTide98:
Oh, we've got plenty of macro "cheat sheets" that we're passing out to everyone. We've also set read-rates.

No MoS/Deko... We'll still be physically taking maps and hand-drawn graphics requests to the art department (ugh).

Here's a question for you... NewsCenter automatically places all full-screens, OTS needs, etc. in the still-store column as soon as they're written in a script. Producers never need to manually insert still-store needs in the actual "still-store" column for the chyron dept. to see.

However, the AP people say that ENPS requires producers to manually insert all still-store needs into the still-store column after they're written into a script... No automatic updating like NewsCenter. It really seems like there should be a way around that. Having formerly served as a producer, that extra step can be time-consuming in a graphics-intensive show.ENPS without MoS/Deko, to me, kills some of the inherent advantages in ENPS, such as being able to do things without an art department! Methinks you need to yell at those who control the purse strings. Or, is adding MoS/Deko maybe a "further down the line?"

Good on ya for setting the read rates. You WILL like that a lot better than other systems. Just make SURE everyone uses the same initials for anchors. Only takes one writer using THREE initials to make ENPS not see who the anchor really is. So make sure you're standardized on that one.

As for the gfx insert problem, let me ask. I think there may be a way around that, but I can't remember now.

ENPS does have a really good online demo you probably want people to see, available at www.enps.com. (http://www.enps.com.)

Hang in there. ENPS is, at times, seemingly counterintuitive. But get it running right, and the damn thing can almost make your lunch.

[Stack It]

I'm an iNews convert, and I love it... especially since we've added MoS/Deko to our system. My only advice with AP ENPS is to utilitize it to its maximum potential. It has a plethora of macros you can setup, you can adjust read rates, add all sorts of crazy stuff to the rundown, I just remember it being a pain while producing. Depending upon how its set up, floating a story can create hell for a director in a tape-less system. We had a problem with atuo-redeck lettering at one station. The rundowns can be highly customized too, make sure you show people how they can set up their own custom settings and load them when they open a show. We had one producer who liked to front time her show, so she had her own settings, another liked the writer column in a certain spot, it can make everyone happy. The biggest difference is in the writing of scripts, you can really bang stuff out quickly with the macros. You can practically insert every necessary command in a flash. I remember some reporters who had macros for intros and tags for weekly pieces.

[ April 12, 2007, 03:16 PM: Message edited by: Stack It ]

[RollTide98]

Thanks for the comments...

Today was the "go live," and the shows went well.

I've shown producers how to customize their rundowns and save them so they automatically appear as they like it when they open a show. Getting rid of unnecessary columns helps alleviate the gigantic slugs that appear once CGs and still-stores are added.

An AP tech worker helped create a setup to automatically insert still-store needs into the still-store column... MUCH easier now...

An encouraging day... But I'd still like to hear any more suggestions on customization tricks that worked for your station... Thanks!

[ April 12, 2007, 07:16 PM: Message edited by: RollTide98 ]

[DoneThatToo]

Originally posted by Stack It:
. . Depending upon how its set up, floating a story can create hell for a director in a tape-less system. We had a problem with atuo-redeck lettering at one station . .How did that create a problem? If you assign server channels in the rundown, and the Director already has the script marked for that server then it should just flow. The only thing to watch for would be if the video was already cued into the playback channel. If it is then you have to manually next to the correct video. Of course not knowing how many playback channels you were using it could be a little more difficult then that . . . we use 4 so it usually isn't that big of a deal.

[SamG]

Regarding read rates in ENPS... while it will time an entire story based on the read rate, if you "time selection" (hilight some copy, script rover, time selection), it uses a "generic" read rate, NOT the read rate assigned in the script.

Our biggest issues have been w/Chyon interface (something new called LUCI), which has the news personnel creating not only lower 3rds, but boxes and full screens. It's a visual layout (you actually SEE the finished graphic on your ENPS computer), but it's much slower has has bugs.

[Poo(h)]

Originally posted by SamG:
Regarding read rates in ENPS... while it will time an entire story based on the read rate, if you "time selection" (hilight some copy, script rover, time selection), it uses a "generic" read rate, NOT the read rate assigned in the script.

Our biggest issues have been w/Chyon interface (something new called LUCI), which has the news personnel creating not only lower 3rds, but boxes and full screens. It's a visual layout (you actually SEE the finished graphic on your ENPS computer), but it's much slower has has bugs.I think there's a way to "selection time," too, for a specific talent. I gotta look THAT one up. Too.

[SamG]

Nope. We were told BY ENPS, that when you use "Time Selection", it uses the "generic" read rate. So if your anchor reads :30 seconds of copy in :22, it will show that for the entire story read, but if you highlight a paragraph (or so) in the copy and time it, it uses the generic time.

[AutoTranz]

Originally posted by SamG:
Our biggest issues have been w/Chyon interface (something new called LUCI), which has the news personnel creating not only lower 3rds, but boxes and full screens. It's a visual layout (you actually SEE the finished graphic on your ENPS computer), but it's much slower has has bugs.Yeah, a good operator would solve that problem.

[DoneThatToo]

Originally posted by SamG:
. . Our biggest issues have been w/Chyon interface (something new called LUCI), which has the news personnel creating not only lower 3rds, but boxes and full screens. It's a visual layout (you actually SEE the finished graphic on your ENPS computer), but it's much slower has has bugs. . .What do you mean by much slower? We make almost all of our FS graphics using LUCI. You put in the info, hit preview and see the gfx in about 3 seconds.

And what bugs are you having? If templates are not built correctly then funny things can happen, both with the preview and also the playout of the completed gfx.

No I'm not a Chyron rep or sales but we use the system and it pretty much does what we want it to. Just tryin' to help you out is all.

edit to add: Yes a good operator would be nice, but at some stations that isn't an option!
graemlins/icon_kidra.gif

[ April 13, 2007, 10:03 AM: Message edited by: DoneThatToo ]

[SamG]

Originally posted by DoneThatToo:
[QUOTE]What do you mean by much slower? We make almost all of our FS graphics using LUCI. You put in the info, hit preview and see the gfx in about 3 seconds.2 line super Old way (in Newstar): type following: [2-First Line/Second Line; hit time]
2 line super New way (w/LUCI): Right click Globe Rover, Select "Chyron", scroll down to find (or do a "search") to find the 2 line shell, double click it. Click in first box, type "first line", hit TAB key, type "second line" in second box. Click "Preview" (optional), Click "Insert"

Obviously more steps = longer.


And what bugs are you having? If templates are not built correctly then funny things can happen, both with the preview and also the playout of the completed gfx.One bug acknowledged by Chyron: Can't always click the "search" button in LUCI. If it doesn't work, press ALT-CTRL-S.
Another bug acknowledged by Chryon: Can't see all graphics in LUCI in a single list. MUST use search.
Both these bugs are supposed to fixed with an update "around NAB"

Now, other bugs we're having are probably operator error, but our ISQ machine (which controls the Chyron's during the show) locks up... probably related to how graphics built templates.


No I'm not a Chyron rep or sales but we use the system and it pretty much does what we want it to. Just tryin' to help you out is all.

edit to add: Yes a good operator would be nice, but at some stations that isn't an option!
graemlins/icon_kidra.gif What Chyron's/Lyric are you running? How long have you been running it? We transitioned a couple months ago (from Deko), and while Chyron (like ENPS) can do a LOT, it doesn't seem (like ENPS) to be as intuitive/user friendly from someone who's never used one.

[RollTide98]

Sam... You can't just use the "CTRL-G" macro to pull up a CG menu?

I had an interesting surprise as I walked into the newsroom this morning. Our morning show EP informed me that one of the techs was working to install uniformed personal macros (at the request of producers) on everyone's ENPS. The process resulted in everyone losing all of their personal settings. And even then, the macros didn't work.

Yargh.

Lots of time spent showing people how to restore their "My ENPS" settings, along with printer settings, etc.

Also had to turn a package.

I'm ready for the weekend.

[Clubbeat]

We have it as part of our training for future journalists here and I used it briefly before getting out of the biz.

Like most applications it has its quirks, but the little time I use it, it worked fine.

The true test for us will be in the fall, where we will do a live daily newscast produced by our students. So I might be asking you Roll in a fw months what you and others who have spent time with ENPS think.

Congrats on the rollout and good luck!

[pleasestandby]

Are you part of a "group" ENPS install, in other words...can you see rundowns from other co-owned stations? If so, watch out.

We are, and it seems everytime a new station is added the ENPS tech changes something for that station that affects the entire group. Just last month all times for anything in the assignment grids were wipped out. Before that, you couldn't manually type anything into the show notes column.

You'd think by now the ENPS techs would understand that if you make changes for one, you make changes for 30 other stations.

If your main server fails, you have a buddy server. Sometimes during the switch back to the main server rundowns can disappear. They return in a few minutes, but not before producers are screaming and pulling their hair out. Also, when on backup ours will not search archives. Anyone else have this issue too?

One last thing...have you called support yet? They are helpful IF you get Washington. But if your call gets tranfered to the blokes in London the best advice is to hangup and try later. They must speak another language over there because I've never gotten a problem solved by them.

Bottom line: ENPS is a good system, once you get used to its quirks.

[SamG]

Originally posted by RollTide98:
Sam... You can't just use the "CTRL-G" macro to pull up a CG menu?
Nope. The Chyron LUCI interface replaces the CTRL-G command. I'll admit, on paper, it sounds cool, but in practice... not so much.

[RollTide98]

Originally posted by SamG:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by RollTide98:
Sam... You can't just use the "CTRL-G" macro to pull up a CG menu?
Nope. The Chyron LUCI interface replaces the CTRL-G command. I'll admit, on paper, it sounds cool, but in practice... not so much.</font>[/QUOTE]Sam: I guess that's reminder that, sometimes, old technology can still be better than newer inventions!

Standby: Thanks for the heads-up on the "group" situation. Right now, we are not a part of a group, but our company's flagship station has the software, and I imagine we'll be hooking up with them on ENPS somewhere down the road. I'll keep your caution in mind.

[DoneThatToo]

Originally posted by SamG:
2 line super Old way (in Newstar): type following: [2-First Line/Second Line; hit time]
2 line super New way (w/LUCI): Right click Globe Rover, Select "Chyron", scroll down to find (or do a "search") to find the 2 line shell, double click it. Click in first box, type "first line", hit TAB key, type "second line" in second box. Click "Preview" (optional), Click "Insert"

Obviously more steps = longer.
OK I buy that. We still use the old CG templates to make our lower thirds. Only making full screens through LUCI. But even with the old templates you have to scroll through the list to find the one you want. Never a perfect world is it?

One bug acknowledged by Chyron: Can't always click the "search" button in LUCI. If it doesn't work, press ALT-CTRL-S.
Another bug acknowledged by Chryon: Can't see all graphics in LUCI in a single list. MUST use search.
Both these bugs are supposed to fixed with an update "around NAB"

Now, other bugs we're having are probably operator error, but our ISQ machine (which controls the Chyron's during the show) locks up... probably related to how graphics built templates.

Yes we too have the 'search' button failure. We just upgraded to v5 of ENPS and that is when we started having trouble. Some folks and some computer stations it works for, others it doesn't. Hmm.. AP seemed to act like they had never heard of that . . .

By graphics do you mean templates or drop in graphics to go on a template? If it is templates how darn many do y'all have? Most of our templates are built to accept various graphic elements. Currently we have around twenty full screen templates that can be customized through LUCI by selecting a graphic from our every growing library.

What Chyron's/Lyric are you running? How long have you been running it? We transitioned a couple months ago (from Deko), and while Chyron (like ENPS) can do a LOT, it doesn't seem (like ENPS) to be as intuitive/user friendly from someone who's never used one.Hyper X running Lyric v5.14. We've had it for about 6 months. It seems to have a funny mix of improved features which are Photoshop like in their use (text handling anyway) and the old Chyron style of having to jump through hoops.

[kingnv]

One really fun thing to do with ENPS...while in a script, right click and select the "mark 'not to be braodcast".
This will put a "not for broadcast" in blue at the top of the script. You can not delete the script, you cannot throw the script in the trash, you can't even zero out the estimated duration line. The only thing you can do is to drag the script all the way down under the black line at the end of the rundown. I learned this the hard way when I was introduced to ENPS...accidentally hit it one day and, wala!
By the way rolltide, don't let Pollone push you around over the changes, he just doesn't know.

[SamG]

DoneThat... We're doing probably about 95% of our graphics (lower 3rds, over the shoulders, "monitors", and some full screens) through LUCI.

We went Chyron about 6-8 months ago (from Deko), and operators are still trying to figure it out. If you haven't used it, creating a graphic in Deko is EXTREMELY easy. If you're somewhat familiar with word processing, you'd have no problem with Deko. For example, highlight some text, hit CTRL-B, and it's bold!

We went to ENPS a month or so ago, so the only people who ever used the CTRL-G command are those who used it at their old station, we've used LUCI from the start.

The ISQ lockups have been on "monitor" graphics (basically just a picture saved as a lyric file so producers can call them up), and over the shoulder graphics (picture element & two lines of text). They both run out of the same CG, so it might be a problem with that HyperX.

We're using Lyric Pro (6.12).

[RollTide98]

Originally posted by kingnv:
By the way rolltide, don't let Pollone push you around over the changes, he just doesn't know.Pollone and I are in separate shops... So hopefully he won't push me around too much!