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The reviewed Cesbo Astra documentation does not explain or verify a feature for switching playlists by time of day. It documents channel ordering and on-demand stream activation, which are different functions. Before configuring a schedule, confirm your Astra edition and version with Cesbo and ask whether that version supports timed playlist switching.
What the Astra documentation confirms
Cesbo’s Advanced Settings documentation describes settings for channel order and stream activation. It does not provide a time-based playlist scheduler or instructions for switching playlists automatically.
- Channel Number determines the order of channels in the playlist. It does not establish when a playlist changes.
- Start stream on demand makes Astra wait for an incoming request before starting a stream. The documentation says this mode is turned off for channels with UDP or HLS outputs.
- Keep Active lets a channel remain active for a period after its last client disconnects. This is an on-demand activation setting, not a schedule.
How to verify whether your Astra version supports daypart scheduling
- Identify the product and version. Confirm that you are using Cesbo Astra for streaming, and record the edition and version shown in your installation or account.
- Check the documentation for that version. Look specifically for playlist scheduling or timed playlist switching, rather than channel ordering or on-demand activation.
- Ask Cesbo support if the feature is unclear. Give them your version and describe the exact behavior you need: which playlist should be active at each time, on which days, and in which timezone.
- Request details before configuring it. Confirm whether schedules support recurring days, how overlapping time windows are resolved, what happens when no playlist is eligible, and how a changeover is handled. The reviewed documentation does not specify those behaviors.
Until documentation or vendor support confirms the feature for your version, do not assume that channel numbers or on-demand settings can be used to create a daypart schedule. This article cannot provide a verified Astra configuration path, schedule syntax, or playlist-handoff procedure.
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Do not confuse Cesbo Astra with the astronomy application named Astra
An unrelated observatory-control application called Astra documents schedules for astronomy actions. Its scheduling guide is not documentation for Cesbo Astra streaming and should not be used to configure media playlists.
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Or let a YouTube stream run in the cloud
If your goal is to keep an uploaded video or playlist live on YouTube around the clock—not to schedule different playlists by time of day—StreamNeo is a separate option. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live; StreamNeo loops the uploaded video from the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. It does not provide a verified Astra daypart-scheduling workflow.
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