Introduction
This Getting Start Guide is designed to introduce new users of Bionic Talkshow (previously called PhoneBOX) to some of the basic concepts and functions within the application. In many cases Bionic Talkshow offers multiple ways of achieving the same thing, but some options may be more appropriate in certain circumstances. This article aims to present the most straightforward approach to all of the basic functions.
If you experience any problems with your Bionic Talkshow software or for further details on all of the additional functions and operations not covered in this starter guide, please contact your local Bionic Talkshow representative or Broadcast Bionics directly.
Starting Bionic Talkshow
To start Bionic Talkshow, simply double click on the Desktop icon as you would to start any other application.
The splash screen shown below will appear as the software connects to the server:
Once Bionic Talkshow has connected to the server the splash screen will disappear.
It is then possible that you may be prompted by several dialogue boxes prior to the software starting fully. These are:
- Show dialogue (to select the show you are logging in to)
- Line layout dialogue (to select the number of lines you are using)
- Device layout dialogue (to select the screen layout for the handsets/headsets and hybrids you require)
- Optional Devices such as extra TBU’s or Codec’s
If your system prompts you with any of the above dialogue boxes which have not been covered in your user training, please consult either your local on-site technical staff, your local Bionic Talkshow Representative or contact Broadcast Bionics directly.
Screen Layout
Each installation will vary slightly, depending on the number of lines displayed, and also on the number of handsets and TBUs / hybrids shown. This manual refers to handsets and TBUs / hybrids as ‘devices’.
Line & Device Context based menus
Both lines and devices have “slide-in/slide-out menus. The items presented in these menus change depending on the “state” or “context” of the line or device as follows;
- Reject – This will Reject the call without taking it
- History – This will pop up the call History for this caller
- Hang up – This will hang up the call
- Details – This will pop up the call details box allowing you to enter data to the database
- Toggle Lock – This will lock the call to the line protecting it from being hung up
- Call Back – This will mark the call to be called back later
- Block – This will immediately block or blacklist the caller
- Hang up – This will hang up the call
- Details – This will pop up the call details box allowing you to enter data to the database
- On Air – This will send the call to the On Air queue for use by the presenter
- Conference – This will put the device in conference mode allowing up to 4 callers simultaneously on the same line/fader
- Dump Mode – This mode will hang up each caller as the caller is taken to air on the same device
- Hang up – This will hang up the call
- Dump Mode – This mode will hang up each caller as the caller is taken to air on the same device
- Record – This will allow you to record the call for use later
Active Device
The Active device is indicated by a pulsating device number. Any dialing or routing actions will happen on this device until another device is made active. This also includes calling people back from the phonebook.
To change the active device
Click on another device when that device is not in use. The box on the other device you have just clicked on will now pulsate instead and will become the Active Device.
Linebox Layout
Shown below is an example of a typical LineBox on a Bionic Talkshow screen. An explanation of the basic elements follows;
Name
Bionic Talkshow has comprehensive databases built into the system. This means that when a call arrives in the system, if it is from a known phone number (using Caller ID) Bionic Talkshow will present on screen the caller name associated with that number if known. If not, the system will display the phone number of the calling party. If no CLI information is given by the caller then ‘WITHHELD’ will be displayed instead.
In cases where the caller is not known to the Bionic Talkshow system a name may be entered manually in the “call details” window. This information will then simultaneously be seen on the line.
Location
In a similar way to the Name information presentation, Bionic Talkshow will also display a Location for the caller if one is known. If one is not known but CLI is present, then Bionic Talkshow will use its look-up database of STD codes and will display the nearest locality it can match to the area code part of the telephone number.
Again, Location information can be entered manually using the ‘Call Details’ window.
The amount of detail given in the area field will be dependant on where the caller is calling from and the amount of details in the database for your country.
Point
The Point field is used to provide a brief description of what the caller wants to say so that producers and presenters are aware of each caller’s reason for calling before they take the call.
Call State Timer
The Call State Timer shows how long the call has been in its current state. You will notice, every time a call is taken on and off of hold, this counter will clear down to zero.
Call Duration Timer
The Call Duration Timer is the total time that the call has been present in the Bionic Talkshow system. This timer does not reset when the call changes state.
Dialing a call
The simplest way to dial a call in Bionic Talkshow is as follows:
- Highlight the device on which you wish to dial from (this could be a handset or a hybrid). The pulsating device number will confirm you have made it the Active Device.
- Click on an empty line
- The Dial dialogue box appears. Enter the number you wish to dial
- Click the red ‘Dial’ button at the bottom of the Dial dialogue box
- Bionic Talkshow will make the call on the line you chose
If you click the Dial button in the top left of the screen to bring up the dial pad you will also receive a drop down at the bottom which allows you to select which set of lines you dial out on.
When you hit dial the call will be placed on those lines and will use the last slot in that section. Shown below is what would need to be selected on a setup that was in Studio 1 and had an XD line available.
Placing a call on hold
To take a call that is already on a device, and place that call on hold (park the call), simply click on the line box of the line in question. The line box will turn green.
The example below shows firstly the call on Line 1 routed to a Device (the Handset), and then the same call placed on hold. The call has changed from Orange (the Device colour), to Green (the holding colour), and the call is no longer shown on the handset.
Answering a call
A ringing call in the Bionic Talkshow v4 system will pulsate blue and yellow on screen as shown below.
In situations where the caller is sending CLI information, the caller’s phone number be displayed as shown. If the caller is already known to the Bionic Talkshow database then the caller’s name will be shown (as above) in place of the phone number.
To answer a ringing call:
- Choose which device you wish to answer the call on and make it active. The device number will pulsate on the devie you have chosen.
- Now, click on the LineBox of the ringing line
- That call will now be routed to your chosen device and you can answer the call.
Terminating a call
Should a caller hang-up at the remote end then the call will automatically disappear from the Bionic Talkshow screen. If you wish to terminate a call from the Bionic Talkshow, do the following:
- Click on the hangup button from the line menu.
Routing a call
Routing describes the sending of a call that is on hold, and placing it on a device. Shown below is a held call on line 1. Below the line box is the active device, in this case, a handset.
To route the call that is parked on Line 1 to the handset, simply click on the line box for line 1. The call will be routed to the handset device as shown below.
You can see that the call on line 1 has now taken on the colour of the device to which it is routed.
To route a call to a TBU / hybrid follow exactly the same procedure. The only difference would be that you would highlight a TBU / hybrid as the active device rather than a handset, the routed call similarly will take on the colour of the TBU/Hybrid.