Getting Started
Sofie can be installed in many different ways, depending on which platforms, needs, and features you desire. The Sofie system consists of several applications that work together to provide complete broadcast automation system. Each of these components' installation will be covered in this guide. Additional information about the products or services mentioned alongside the Sofie Installation can be found on the Further Reading.
If you're looking to quickly evaluate Sofie to see if it's a good match for your needs, you can jump into our Quick Install guide.
There are four minimum required components to get a Sofie system up and running. First you need the Sofie Core, which is the brains of the operation. Then a set of Blueprints to handle and interpret incoming and outgoing data. Next, an Ingest Gateway to fetch the data for the Blueprints. Then finally, a Playout Gateway to send commands and change the state of your playout devices while you run your show.
Sofie Core Overview
The Sofie Core is the primary application for managing the broadcast but, it doesn't play anything out on it's own. You need to use Gateways to establish the connection from the Sofie Core to other pieces of hardware or remote software.
Gateways
Gateways are separate applications that bridge the gap between the Sofie Core and other pieces of hardware or software services. At a minimum, you will need a Playout Gateway so your timeline can interact with your playout system of choice. To install the Playout Gateway, visit the Installing a Gateway section of this guide and for a more in-depth look, please see Gateways.
Blueprints
Blueprints can be described as the logic that determines how a studio and show should interact with one another. They interpret the data coming in from the rundowns and transform them into a rich set of playable elements (Segments, Parts, AdLibs, etc.). The Sofie Core has three main blueprint types, System Blueprints, Studio Blueprints, and Showstyle Blueprints. Installing Sofie does not require you understand what these blueprints do, just that they are required for the Sofie Core to work. If you would like to gain a deeper understanding of how Blueprints work, please visit the Blueprints section.