Home > PRSS Forward > FAQ PRSS® Forward FAQ PRSS Forward Frequently Asked Questions (Revised August, 2011) Thank you to everyone who sent comments and questions in response to the initial editions of PRSS Forward. We appreciate the feedback we received, and we will do our best to provide answers to the questions that were raised. We don’t have answers to all of the queries we received – we’re still early in the planning process and many details are still to be decided. But our goal is to share with the system all of the details and information about the upgrade project as we confirm them. We will continue to update this page as we receive new questions. Check future issues of PRSS Forward for alerts (and a link) to the PRSS Forward FAQ. Click here to jump to the answers to technical questions.  General Questions What is the PRSS Forward project and what is the timeline? PRSS Forward is a system-wide project, which will run through 2013, to upgrade or replace certain hardware and software components of the system. Funded by Congress through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the project will involve significant improvements to equipment provided to PRSS Satellite Interconnected stations nationwide and to internal PRSS systems. We’ve broken the project down into four distinct parts, or blocks, based on the umbrella concept of MOVE. Block M – Receiver and PRSS NOC Upgrade (Sept. 2009 - May 2011) This initiative involves designing, developing and deploying new satellite receivers at 400+ interconnected stations. It also calls for upgrading the current PRSS Network Operations Center (NOC) and making extensive software changes to enable the new head-end equipment to support the new receivers. Block O – New NOC Build-Out (Jan. 2010 – June 2013) This block revolves around the design, construction and testing of a brand new NOC at NPR’s new headquarters. The requirements of this initiative include selecting and acquiring new hardware and developing software. Block V – Ground Equipment Upgrade (Jan. 2010 – June 2013) Block V refers to the effort to assess the condition of downlink-antenna systems at all PRSS satellite interconnected stations. To the pubradio community, this component began in January with the Ground Equipment Questionnaire sent to stations. Now that the questionnaires have been completed, we’re in the process of evaluating the results and will be following up with stations in the near future. Block E –Building Move (Sept. 2009 – June 2013) Block E is the overall effort to plan NPR’s move from 635 Massachusetts Ave. to 1111 N. Capitol Street, with a focus on preparing the new location for installation and activation of the new NOC. This is a far-reaching effort, involving the whole of NPR, and includes logistical plans for the PRSS NOC, the satellite depot, and other pieces of the PRSS infrastructure. Who does this project affect? PRSS satellite interconnected public radio stations. How are announcements, updates and decisions about the PRSS Forward program being communicated to the system? Before the PRSS Forward program began, formal briefings were a part of the Spring and Fall sessions of the PREC for the past few years. Last year, we launched the PRSS Forward monthly newsletter, and we’ve been aggressive about soliciting feedback and comments. There have also been, and will continue to be, numerous informal conversations between the PRSS and interconnected stations and producers. A separate PRSS newsletter, EsPRSS-O, also features news items about the project. To subscribe to either or both of these newsletters, send a request to PRSSPlanning@npr.org. Isn’t it too soon to be replacing equipment? Most of the equipment provided by PRSS was distributed in 2005. We anticipate that stations will begin actually receiving new equipment in 2011 or beyond, making it at least six years since the previous upgrade. My station purchased extra SR2000pro receivers. Will the PRSS be providing us with replacements? Each satellite interconnected station will receive two new IDC SFX4104 Pro Audio receivers. Each of the new receivers will capture both streams and files in a single unit, and will have four completely independent audio outputs/ports – that’s double the number of outputs/ports on the SR2000pro. When are the new receivers being shipped? The roll-out schedule calls for a phased approach that will extend through the fall of 2011, with 96 kits (with each kit including two of the new receivers) being shipped each month in June, July, August, September, and the balance going out on Oct. 1. For those stations that purchased extra decoders for breaking news, are additional receivers going to be available for purchase? Yes, you will be able to buy additional receivers. The plan calls for us to begin rolling out the new receivers in the summer of 2011. Keep in mind that these new receivers are different from those currently in operation. Each receiver will have four audio outputs and one hard drive, twice as many outputs as the current receiver. So it's like two SR 2000s and one SFX 2100 per box. Each station will get two of these receivers. What’s the cost of the new receiver? The price for the new receivers is $4,813 each through the PRSS. Before you decide whether you need more receivers, remember that you’re getting eight audio ports over the two new receivers – double the capacity of two old receivers.    Click here for the receiver order form. Technical Questions I am unable to delete files from my SFX 4104 Pro Audio receiver. What am I doing wrong? The inability to delete files from the Pro Audio receiver could be the result of the receiver’s Samba server default being set to “Read Only.”  In order to delete files, you must change the default to “Read/Write.” This is accomplished by logging into the receiver and going to “Configuration>Samba.” Click the button marked “All Shares Read/Write” on the left navigation bar. Disregard the warning boxes that pop up. The receiver is now configured to allow the deletion of files. Why aren’t the new SFX 4104 Pro Audio receivers configured to allow for manual tuning? The new receivers have been designed to operate as part of a fully networked system, which requires them to function exclusively in automated mode. By running in automated mode, stations will automatically receive new software updates, tuning commands and other services that will be developed and provided in the future. It also provides producers with the ability to track which stations are subscribing to their programs.   In the event of an emergency, how are stations supposed to recover if they’re not able to manually tune their new receivers? While the new receivers do not allow for manual tuning, stations have the option of keeping their legacy SR 2000pro receivers manually tuned to program streams as an emergency back-up.   What is the timetable for transitioning to the new receivers? By the end of October 2011, all qualified interconnected stations will have received their new receivers. The beta-testing of the new receivers by PRSS will also be completed by the end of October. We will then have a six-month transition period for stations to become familiar and comfortable with the new units. At the end of this transition period, the SFX 4104s will become the official receiver and the SR 2000pros’automated tuning option will no longer function. Once a station has migrated its on-air production to the new receivers, they will be able to use their legacy units as manually tuned ‘hot’ back-ups in an emergency.   Will the PRSS continue to support the maintenance of the SR 2000pros? Yes. We will continue to provide maintenance and replacement parts for the foreseeable future. How do I know which of my new SFX4104s works with a specific portal subscription? You can determine the correct match by reviewing the information that is listed for each of your receivers in the ContentDepot portal. This information is located under the "V2 Equipment" listing which can be found by clicking on the "Delivery" tab of your customer "Profile." Here you will find the serial numbers for each of your SFX4104s. Install the new receivers in your equipment racks accordingly. What should stations do when their new units arrive? Stations should feel free to install the new receivers as soon as they arrive, but the units will not receive files and streams until the PRSS replicates existing program subscriptions on the new receivers. Stations should not use the new receivers for on-air production until receiving a formal go-ahead from the PRSS, which likely will be in early 2012. At that point, the old receivers will be phased out, and the SFX 4104 will become the official production receiver of the PRSS. What can you say about the reliability and quality of the new units? Other versions of these receivers have been in service at other radio networks and the reliability has been excellent. It is also important to note that an extensive testing program is being conducted on the receivers. First, the PRSS thoroughly tested the units internally, and a testing program involving 25 volunteer stations experimenting with the new equipment is underway. We will also run a system of dual operations allowing use of the old and the new receivers for approximately six months to ensure that all stations become comfortable with the new units before the old ones are phased out. Are the new receivers capable of supporting Audio over Ethernet (AoE) systems such as Axia LiveWire? Axia LiveWire is currently the only AoE system supported on the SFX 4104. For complete instructions on how to configure the receiver for LiveWire, please refer to page 24 of the IDC SFX Pro Audio Series Satellite Receiver Addendum delivered with the receiver. We’ll let stations know when the SFX 4104 is capable of supporting other AoE systems. Why do the new receivers have DB 9 and DB 15 connectors instead of the XLR connectors featured on the previous units? The DB 9 and DB 15 connectors on the new receiver are the standard issue provided by the manufacturer. Asking the manufacturer to install other types of connectors would have added to the cost of each receiver. Does the PRSS plan to phase out use of MPEG Layer 2 codec? While the SFX4104s are capable of handling several different algorithms, we plan to continue using the MPEG Layer 2 codec for the foreseeable future. Will the sample rate for the SFX4104s playout be 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz? With SFX4104, stations will be able to select either sample rate. What will happen to our existing subscriptions? Will stations have to resubscribe their programs? Approximately two weeks after a station receives its SFX 4104s, all existing ContentDepot subscriptions (for both file-based and live programs) will be automatically replicated on the new units. Stations are free to install the receivers as soon as they arrive, but the units will not receive files and streams until the subscription replication process is complete. This process will not affect or change existing subscriptions in any way. We will automatically assign ports on the new SFX4104 receivers based on stations’ existing subscriptions. There are two options for mapping: Subscription Data Replication (Option 1) Old:                                New: Decoder 1, Port 1       SFX4104 1, Port 1 Decoder 1, Port 2       SFX4104 1, Port 2 Decoder 2, Port 1       SFX4104 2, Port 1 Decoder 2, Port 2       SFX4104 2, Port 2 Decoder 3, Port 1       SFX4104 1, Port 3 Decoder 3, Port 2       SFX4104 1, Port 4 Decoder 4, Port 1       SFX4104 2, Port 3 Decoder 4, Port 2       SFX4104 2, Port 4 Subscription Data Replication (Option 2) Old:                                New: Decoder 1, Port 1       SFX4104 1, Port 1 Decoder 1, Port 2       SFX4104 1, Port 2 Decoder 2, Port 1       SFX4104 1, Port 3 Decoder 2, Port 2       SFX4104 1, Port 4 Decoder 3, Port 1       SFX4104 2, Port 1 Decoder 3, Port 2       SFX4104 2, Port 2 Decoder 4, Port 1       SFX4104 2, Port 3 Decoder 4, Port 2       SFX4104 2, Port 4 These data replication options cover the majority of stations that have four or fewer stream decoders. There are mappings for stations that have more than four stream decoders and have purchased a third (or fourth. . .) SFX4104 receiver. These assignments are designed to cover most stations’ needs without having to touch every subscription. If these assignments aren’t appropriate for local needs, station staffers are free to make any subscription changes needed after they receive their new SFX 4104 receivers. On request, ContentDepot administrators can also change a station’s assignments in two ways: First, ContentDepot administrators can “reset” a station’s SFX4104 assignments to the standard mapping listed above. This might be handy if a station staffer needs to “start over” after making local changes to their SFX4104 assignments that are unworkable. Second, ContentDepot administrators can remove all SFX4104 assignments, leaving it up to station staffers to reassign each individual subscription to locally-appropriate ports. There aren’t many scenarios where this would be necessary, but it’s an option if a station needs it. ContentDepot administrators will not be able to apply SFX4104 assignments other than the standard mapping or to clear all SFX4104 assignments for a station. To be clear, none of the above will change existing subscriptions or assignments to existing SR2000 stream receivers in any way. Have a question about the PRSS Forward project that you'd like answered?  Send it to PRSSForward@npr.org.