Using Saved Searches in Cablecast

Saved Searches are used in a variety of areas throughout Cablecast as well as Cablecast Cloud Services. Let's take a look at how to create Saved Searches in more detail.

Creating Saved Searches

To create a Search, go to the Shows menu item in the left-hand menu bar in Cablecast. Choose the Show Search option.

The default filtering on this page is the Title Contains filter with no text entered in the text bar. This initial filter displays all shows within your Cablecast system. This is the most basic search and is often recommended for those with REFLECT+, as it will upload all of your Show metadata, allowing your schedule to populate on the Cablecast Internet Channels.

If you click the X on the top right of the filter, that will remove the filter. You can add a new filter by clicking the +Add button on the top right, just above the filters list. The list of filter options can pull from any metadata field within a Show Record, including Custom Fields.

You can add multiple filters to narrow down search results by clicking the +Add button again.

The default and most common sorting method is Order By Event Date in descending order. This means that the most recent programs, based on the Event Date in the Show Record, will be displayed toward the top of the list. This sort method is particularly useful for creating Autoschedule Rules that use the Top Search result, as the Rule will replace any currently scheduled runs of a program with the latest Show once there's a show with a newer event date in the Saved Search results.

Editing a Saved Search

If you need to adjust the filtering criteria for an existing Saved Search, you can do so by going to Shows > Saved Searches and clicking on the search you want to edit. You can also delete shows here, but note that if a Saved Search is linked to an Internet Channel, you will have to unlink it from the content within the Internet Channel before you can delete the Saved Search.

Edit the filters as needed and then click the blue Search button again. Now you will see a Save Search button. Click that to overwrite the previous search filters.

Tips

If you're looking to create a Saved Search for a specific program, using the Project filter might be a better option than the Title filter if you're using the Projects field. This is particularly important if you're using the Cablecast Internet Channels and want to create galleries to highlight specific programs, but there's any chance that words from different series will overlap in the title field. For example, if you have different programs geared toward seniors, there's a good chance that the word aging or senior might appear in multiple titles. Using the Project filter will ensure that only Shows with that project assigned show up in the results, regardless of what words are in the title of the Show.

You can use the filter Video On Demand > Has VOD to limit Slideshows or Galleries on your Internet Channels to only include Shows that have a VOD associated with them. This is particularly useful if you pre-create Shows for live events and don't want them to appear in the Galleries/Slideshow until there is a VOD available. Note that this would not prevent the Show from appearing in search results on the Internet Channel unless you also add that Saved Search in the Site Content settings for the Internet Channel.