1. Format your script with our unique Double Column Script Editor
2. User Portal - Customize to flash wires and recieve user and system messages
3. Split Screen - Drag wire copy directly into a script or rundown
4. Assets - keep all your relevant information attached to the story
5. Control all the newscast's elements with MOS
6. Rundown templates - set up your formats for scripts, graphics, CGs and bumpers
OCTOPUS redefines the way your newsroom works. It manages every single piece of information journalists need to successfully air content and create rich newscasts.
Research through wires, media, email, web or faxes is straightforward with our global search feature. Scripting is easier and faster with our visual scripting engine. And creating the rundown is a cinch, using our innovative drag and drop feature. But that’s not all. OCTOPUS supports major industry standards to make newscasts as fluent as possible. You need a powerful – but extremely easy-to-use – tool that not only lets you stay on top of the technology but lets your audience see its benefits.
Have it your way
From local TVs to 24-hour news networks, many newsrooms around the world enjoy producing news with OCTOPUS. No matter if you have three journalists or staff of 500, we have a solution for every workflow. Ask for case studies and the reference list to get an idea. And that's not all ... OCTOPUS makes your CFO proud and happy.
Never miss the latest news
The unbeatable search feature brings the latest news to your desktop. Wires, media, emails, RSS, story archives, web pages, faxes, contacts … everything is searched instantly to get the most useful information from your valuable data. Research for your story has never been so easy. And with our unique attach feature, all the source data are accessible during production.
Don't wait, plan
An event is often expected. Why not mark a spot in your editorial calendar? OCTOPUS planning diary lets you schedule future stories and collect information to them as the time flows. With a single glance at the calendar see how many stories have been planned for today. With all the content gathered in time, couple of final touches will quickly turn them into rundown stories.
Write the script with joy
So you want to write the script for an anchor/voiceover/sound bite story? Drag and drop the source wire, select the script template and start typing. With OCTOPUS script's elements combine all story parts into one script. CGs along with clips, soundbites and other editorial and technical commands appear on the left hand side of the double column script. OCTOPUS’s unique text formating feature lets you emphasise text on the prompter. Stay on top of the footage with automatic text duration counting. Every user can simply set up their individual reading speed. And every three minutes, your script is autosaved. You'll never lose a story to technical breakdowns.
Watch rundowns come and go
Rundowns in OCTOPUS are automatically scheduled by our unique weekly show scheduler. Common stories, bumpers and breaks are, thanks to templates, automatically created in place. All you have to do is pick your stories and drag them over. Reorganizing the rundown is a matter of seconds. Even if your show already airs, breaking news can be inserted or edited. Script clips and graphics are automatically published to playout devices and update follows every change. Afterwards, rundowns are auto-deleted or archived. OCTOPUS does all the housekeeping for you.
Have it prepared
There are many situations you cannot predict, but there are many you certainly can. Be ahead of your competitors and have rundowns prepared. When the time's up, whole program gets on air within seconds. With all the clips, graphics and CGs.
Let last minute changes wink
Imagine a breaking-news situation. New wire has just come in and you have to get the story on air in minutes. Simply create the story in the rundown, attach the wire and assign it to your writer. Clarify details via user messaging and watch the rundown story winking at you with every content change. Whenever you're happy, just approve and go. Could it be any easier?
Get the opinion
Need to find an expert to interview for a story? OCTOPUS has a searchable addressbook where all your contacts are kept. Call your guest, pre-interview them and save the info in OCTOPUS. When your guest confirms appearance make pre-interview a guest booking.
Play with others too
Do you need to create a placeholder? Integrate with NLE? Browse the video content of your videoservers or archive? Add and preview graphics for your script? Track your rundown playout? It's all possible.
OCTOPUS is fully compliant with the latest version of MOS protocol, supports Chyron Intelligent Interface, ALE, ActiveX and other proprietary or standard protocols. Contact us for the latest list of supported devices and systems. It is long and still growing.
Don't get lost on the screen
OCTOPUS GUI has been built over years and it's based on a rich experience from projects of a small medium and large scale from all around the world. Customizable and storable screen layouts, predefined and user-defined color schemes, full drag and drop support, keyboard shortcuts, clearly defined and intuitive actions. That's what gives OCTOPUS a clean and user-friendly interface.
Use your own language
Chinese? Hindi? Russian? Czech? Thai? Arabic? French? Hungarian? We do speak any language. With full Unicode support, any language can be used with OCTOPUS. Write your story - part in Arabic (right to left), part in English … whatever you need
Access anywhere
OCTOPUS’s only client is Internet Explorer. Opening OCTOPUS is as simple as starting Explorer and typing http://octopus. Or select the bookmark. Anywhere in the world. Even from a cyber café.
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