Runs the channel in real time
- Plays video and live sources at the correct moment.
- Executes daily playlists and fixed-time events.
- Renders graphics through TitleBox.
- Creates system and As-Run logs.
- Uses its own deterministic recovery features.
Simple project overview
A safer way to run a 24/7 television channel.
ATHENSA remains the machine that actually plays the channel. Hermes becomes the careful operations layer above it—preparing schedules, checking files, watching what happened, and asking for help when a decision could affect the broadcast.
The basic idea
Two systems, two different jobs
The project is not trying to replace ATHENSA. It is trying to reduce repetitive human work around ATHENSA without making the on-air path less reliable.
Prepares, checks, watches, and reports
- Builds tomorrow’s proposed schedule.
- Checks whether media files and metadata are ready.
- Validates playlist structure before delivery.
- Compares the expected schedule with the real logs.
- Alerts a human when recovery or approval is needed.
What we want to achieve
A dependable daily operating loop
The ideal result is simple: prepare the channel early, catch mistakes before airtime, let ATHENSA play it, and know quickly when reality differs from the plan.
Plan schedule
Check media
Create playlist
ATHENSA plays
Hermes verifies
- Reduce manual playlist preparation and repeated checking.
- Prevent missing files, bad paths, timing gaps, and incorrect schedules.
- Monitor logs instead of relying only on someone watching the screen.
- Coordinate recovery so two systems never fight over the same restart.
- Keep a human approval step for actions that can affect the live channel.
Where we have reached
The offline engineering layer is working
We understand the copied software and the observed playlist format well enough to build and test safe tools. The remaining boundary is acceptance by a licensed, running ATHENSA system.
Product research
Manuals, modules, logs, recovery options, and automation surfaces were mapped.
Exact-build research
The copied v7 programs and local help were inspected without running them.
Planner and PLY laboratory
The planner grid, program-name slots, real playlist grammar, candidate generation, validation, and safe staging are mapped.
Live acceptance
A licensed ListBox/AirBox test must prove that the generated file is truly accepted.
What is proven—and what is not
Honest status
Proven in the offline lab
- No usable AirBox SDK package was found in the copied installation.
- Fourteen daily playlists were parsed, covering 2,657 media uses and 893 unique paths.
- The Telecasting Planner’s five-minute grid and the recent full-day program-name schedule are mapped.
- The latest reference playlist is structurally valid, totals approximately 24 hours, and resolves every media path.
- Several neighbouring playlists contain a small number of unresolved paths and are flagged rather than silently accepted.
- A parser, validator, generator, and MCP file-staging service were built.
- The MCP service can make a validated, byte-identical, atomic copy into an approved test folder.
Not yet proven on a live system
- ListBox has not opened and accepted our reconstructed playlist.
- AirBox has not loaded or played a playlist delivered by Hermes.
- No direct ATHENSA network endpoint has been identified and commanded.
- The exact command framing, configured ports, and acknowledgements remain unknown.
- Nothing has been connected to the on-air channel.
Suggested next steps
Prove acceptance before touching production
The next phase should happen on a licensed but non-live test setup. One calm test is worth more than ten confident guesses.
Safety rule
Hermes should supervise the broadcast—not improvise inside it.
Real-time timing stays inside ATHENSA. Hermes prepares work early, validates it, watches logs, and follows approved recovery procedures. Production deletion, untested restarts, and direct on-air schedule changes remain disabled until the test evidence says otherwise.
Production-readiness gate
We can call the playlist path ready only when these are checked
ListBox opens the generated playlist without repair
Every clip and live source resolves correctly
AirBox loads it on an offline test channel
Timing and item count match the approved schedule
System and As-Run logs show no unexplained errors
Rollback and human approval steps are documented