T·View™
"T·View", "Copyreach", "Switchpitch" and "Screwdriver Plots" are trademarks of Stone House Systems, Inc., Kenilworth, Illinois.

Contents

• Stone House Systems -- Home Page
• T·View -- Main Page
• What Goes Where?

• Version History of T·View for WINDOWS, 1998 to 2015
• Version History of T·View for MACINTOSH, 1991 to 2005
  
  

Version History of T·View for WINDOWS, 1998 to 2015

April 23, 2015

• T·View purchased from SHS by Mediaocean, which bumps the version number to 6.0.

Version 5.37

• Standard TVDs now available: When you just need standard dayparts but with the freshest data, you can now start a new plansheet using a "stock" TVD database, so you don't need to create a script or construct a database yourself. When choosing a database to use with a new plansheet, TView will show pre-built TVDs for recent quarters and selected months. These TVDs are shown with the "~" symbol at the start of the name.
• Additional column in quintile report: Sample count
• Improved methods to develop a TeleDemo from checked n-tiles on n-tile report panel
• Option to import a single daypart from external source
• Fixed: Add Reach / Add Frequency report in Duplication dialog
• Fixed: Crash when placing a vehicle onto plansheet

Version 5.36

• MRI import: more prominent notice of number of items already checked
• Warn if Copyreach is used on a plan with no TV and no online (i.e., no RLD)
• Bug fixes:
  • Duplication report "export" and "copy" buttons
  • Comma in a plan description affected Custom chart graphics
  • Reach/ER pie chart
  • Export from duplication charts
  • Check for personal demo info in older DAT files

Version 5.35.1, April 22, 2015

• Minor bug fixes

Version 5.35

• Improved column headings for "Respondent Characteristics" report
• Fix bug in building database (error 11311)
• Cell hints (that show effect of a single cell) now faster, don't force plan recalcs
• "Show Hints on Entries" is now a toggle on the Edit menu

Version 5.34.3

• Restore "Open Sample Script"

Version 5.34

• Demo import dialog now shows percentage of import line entries that were matched to current database. A caution is added when this percentage seems low.
• Change to accommodate new password procedure to access source data files

Version 5.33.1, March 16, 2015

• New choices in Demo dialog:
  • When using U.S. Nielsen Mid-Minute or All-Minute data:
    • In Demo dialog, "Language" can now be defined as either usage by the household or by individual persons
  • When using U.S. Nielsen All-Minute data, these new personal (not household) characteristics:
    • Principal Shopper
    • Education (adult demos only)
    • Occupation (adult demos only)
    • Three types of moviegoers (Principal, Frequent, Avid)
  • These new choices are available for TVD databases newly created from recent weekly data
  
  
• EXPANDED QUINTILE AND NTILE OPTIONS
  • Quintile/N-tile report and charts now can create groups ...
    • ...by plan exposures (this was the only previous capability)
    • ...by amount of total television viewing
    • ...by amount of broadcast television viewing
    • ...by amount of cable television viewing
    • ...by amount of total Internet usage
    • ...by amount of total Internet usage at home
    • ...by amount of total Internet usage at work
    • These new choices are available for persons demos only, and only if data is supplied in the data source
    • These new options are explained in detail in Help (Help menu > Planner's Guide)
  • Quintile / N-tile chart now shows either reach or frequency or both
  
  
• Opening a plansheet: after selecting a plansheet to open (either with an Open dialog or with the Recent menu), hold down any modifier (Shift, Ctrl, Alt) to bring up special options. You can choose to continue to open the plansheet, or to reveal and open its folder location. If you do open the plansheet, you can choose whether AutoCalc should be turned on to start.
  
  
• In File>Export, entries shown for individual vehicles are now shown same as on plansheet, either GRPs or impressions
  
  
• "Other" media:
  • For plans that use "other" media, cume percent, cume counts and sample cumes are now shown as "na" in Table, Topline, Contributions, Plans & Demos and Plans x Demos
  • Added notice is presented when requesting a Market-by-Market report for a plan that includes "other" media. There already was a notice on the report itself that "other" media are not included,but now that message is explicitly shown when the report is requested.
  
  
• Fixes and tweaks:
  • Plan entries no longer complain about commas. Entering "1,234" is now happily treated as "1234".
  • In weekly DAT files, a few telecasts carried incorrect lengths in their descriptive information (affecting about 15 out of 23,000 telecasts).
  • A couple of tweaks were made to read very old weekly DAT files
  • In scripts, in a series of telecasts for a given program, the length of the first may have been shown for following entries as well
  • Market-by-Market command was not always correctly enabled on popup menu, though it was available on the Explore menu. A caution dialog was also added if a market-by-market report is requested for a plan that contains "other" media, which are not included in that report.
  • Fixed bug that sometimes occurred when requesting "Export" command
  • Check for hidden vehicle placed on column heading row removing it if found.
  • Check for unusual entered-vs-delivered GRP ratio in a plan using online vehicles

Version 5.32.2, December 15, 2014

• Restores a few demos that were inadvertently omitted in support for 2012 "live+3" cume study: DBS, wired cable, dual income, HOH Hispanic, household language

Version 5.32.1, December 12, 2014

• Restores a few demos that were inadvertently omitted in support for 2012 "live" cume study: DBS, wired cable, dual income, HOH Hispanic, household language
• In "Import Demo" dialog: Button "Text file" was formerly "Any file"
• "Get Info" for database now allows opening the directory containing cume study files

Version 5.32 November 26, 2014

• Online fusion data starting September 2014: "Ad supported" flag wil appear on "Parent" lines if any of their Brands or Channels are flagged as ad supported
• Additional item on "Import Demo" dialog permits any column in tab-delimited text to identify which respondents are to be in a new demo.

Version 5.31.1 October 10, 2014

• Bug fix: spot area popup when using "live" data from 2012 cume study

Version 5.31

• Script now has a button to "Check for data updates"
• Printing restored for frequency distribution chart, GRP bar chart, quintile chart

Version 5.29.3, August 25, 2014

• More support for new supplier-specific paths for weekly data

Version 5.29.2, August 20, 2014

• Plansheet now accepts entries in dollars, noted by starting the entry with "$"
• Cell popup hint now shows dollars
• Report tab now has an "Export" button with the same function that is on the File menu.

Version 5.29, August 7, 2014

• Plansheet entries
  • Simply pointing to any entry in the main Table shows a popup hint with the individual reach and exclusive reach of that entry! This can be turned on or off with a check on the Settings tab. (Version 5.29.2 adds cost information.)
  • Television entries on main Table view can now be made as either GRPs or impressions, same as web vehicles.
    To enter television with impressions, follow the value with "I" or "i", such as : 23000i
    The entry will be converted and shown as GRPs.
• Reports
  • New panel on Details tab: Quintile/NTile as a chart
  • Rankers > Target Indexes
    • Restored ability to sort by clicking on a column heading
    • Click again on column heading to reverse sort order
    • "Add to Plansheet" can now add checked items either as individual plansheet lines or combined into one line, for all data sources except U.S. Persons Cume Study
• Online/Web vehicles
  • When online vehicles are present on the plansheet, the dates used for online data now appears both on the top strip of the plansheet shown on-screen, and also whenever the plansheet is printed.
  • "Define Online Vehicles" dialog: fixed a bug that might incorrectly show a vehicle as already defined (green check)
  • "Place Online Vehicles" dialog now has a subtle path label, which when clicked opens the directory containing the WBV common files
• Data sources
  • Now supports the newly-released local supplement to Nielsen's 2012 Persons Cume Study
    
• Scripts
  • "Check for Data Updates" now looks for data from all authorized data suppliers
  • There is now an explicit "Recover Script" command on the File menu to recover the script that had been used for a TVD database or a plansheet, (Previously you would use the "Open Script" command and then set a popup to request a recovery.)

Version 5.28.1, June 17, 2014

• System can now automatically download needed U.S. Nielsen data files. Paths must be set up in INI file to enable automatic downloading. To use, choose the new command "Check for Data Updates" on the Script menu.
• Fixed: results after deleting a demo when web vehicles are in use.
• Fixed bug in ability (introduced in 5.27.1) to delete a range of select rows all at once
• Fixed bug preventing online vehicles results in v5.28.0

Version 5.27.2

• Now supports Nielsen's 2012 Persons Cume Study
  (This study did not become available in a usable form until the "4th reissue" in May 2014, following a series of reports from SHS to Nielsen about problems with the data.)

Version 5.27.1

• Row selection in Table view
  • Click on the grey left edge of one or more rows to select
  • Observes usual rules for Ctrl-click and Shift-click
  • Popup menu "Clear", "Delete" and "Insert" commands now act on selected row(s)
  • New popup menu item "Color" to easily set background color on vehicle lines
• Plan selection in Table view: now observes usual rules for Ctrl-click and Shift-click
• In optimizing to a budget goal, we now check that no vehicles have zero cost
• There was an infinitesimal difference between the frequency as shown in a plansheet for very large plans and what appeared in an exported Excel report (e.g., 70.1 vs. 70.3). Fixed.
• Occasional error 14880 upon placing vehicles consisting of single telecasts. Fixed.
• In version 5.27 only: Crash on launch if PC has been on for more than 25 days. Fixed.

Version 5.27

• Bug fixes
• Quintile panel: more complete total line, better handling of Q1 with extremely large schedules, bug fix

Version 5.26.4

• HELP!
  • Extensive help provided for every part of the system
  • Completely re-written
  • Includes discussions, case studies, FAQ, media definitions, full index
  • Customized to the data that you use
• Markets:
  • All columns now sortable
  • Household count shown for all markets
• Define Online Vehicles:
  • New "*" column to tag sites of personal interest. The "*" tags will appear even when looking at lists of sites for other date spans.

Version 5.26

• Main "Table" view now has buttons to change font size, great for presentations
• "Info" for vehicle now has more complete composition details for both TV and online (for vehicles created with this release or later) (v5.26.1)
• Source count and name columns in Table view now have info for online vehicles (v5.26.2)
• Fill/As-It-Falls: can now enter impressions
• Define Online Vehicles:
  • Data updated for Google, Facebook and Yahoo from Nov 2012 through Dec 2013
  • The "<" column now marks sites with fewer than 100 usage records
  • Now showing a count of the number of lines displayed
• Place Online Vehicles:
  • Options to either combine selected vehicles into a single line, or put each vehicle on a separate line
  • As you move over item on the list, dialog shows full names of item's parent, brand, channel
  • New buttons to change font size
  • New icon highlights video ad networks (VANs)
• Sample impressions now available as optional bottom line totals in main Table view
• Custom splash
  • now appears centered within main window rather than centered in screen
  • automatically closes after a couple of seconds
• "Source and Dates" on script:
  • Simpler text on range of dates available; notes if some weekly data files appear to be absent.
  • Details on weeks and networks now are always shown.
• "Suggestions? Comments?" command:
  • Now requires user's name and email address
  • Gives a message if "send" was unsuccessful

Version 5.24

• "Define Web Vehicles": Now identifies sites with usage attributed as a Video Ad Network; checkbox added in order to list only these VANs
• Vehicle info dialog now shows PBC codes and names for website vehicles
• More report items added to both "Compare" panels: cost per reach point, cume #, and sample cume #
• More options in "Random" panel on demo dialog: you can now either take or discard a random percentage of respondents. This may be useful in simulating certain media options, such as just the portion of DBS homes that use one particular DBS service.
• Sample count, cume and reach are now available as optional bottom line totals in main Table view
• Improved format in "Items to Show" dialog

Version 5.23.3

• Legend added to Place Web vehicles dialog
• Demo dialog: new option added to "Random" draw -- take some percentage of respondents
• More debugging information added to search for data directories

Version 5.23.2

• Hold down the Alt key when choosing Help>About will now show the splash screen instead of the usual About dialog. This is handy for presentations.
• Export: Additional optional columns now included in exports: rating, cume, unit mix, doublespot, respondent cume. Export of duplication table now works as expected.
• "Combine Multiple" dialog no longer shows web command names

Version 5.23.1

• Bug fix: could not build MRD database due to person counts for personal demographics

Version 5.23

• Added support for an additional U.S. data source!
  
• Significant speed improvement in building a TVD database using log-style data (e.g., BBM and IBOPE)
  
• Unit Mix: this column can be added to plansheets to specify a ratio of GRPs in full-price units and half-price units, such as is typical for 30s and 15s. Type in a percentage of weight going to full-price units, and the system will display that percentage and the remaining percentage which is to be computed at half-price. Example: enter 75, and the system shows the entry as 75:25. Costs can (as usual) be entered as either CPPs or CPMs. Computed cost totals and bottom-line CPPs and CPMs will reflect the unit mix.
  
• You can now drag ".tvdemo" files directly onto either a plansheet or the demo dialog

Version 5.22

• Find Best Balance: adds a data tab to summarize the values in the chart
• New subtotal option: impressions
• Details > Recap
  • Adds column for impressions
  • Just show one subtotal line, even if multiple contiguous subtotal lines on Table view
• Details > Contributions > Grid: Adds column for impressions
• MRI fusion:
  • "MRI Import" button added to demo dialog
  • Wording improved in asking for study and category
• Defining web vehicles:
  • There is now a "Video only" checkbox to limit the list of websites to only those with streaming video usage
  • Hints now show when pointing to columns in the list
  • Removed superfluous dialog after "Close"
• Entering and showing weight on web vehicles:
  • Choice on "Settings" tab to enter and show by impressions or by GRPs
  • Default for that choice can be set in INI file, but user can change
  • Background color changes accordingly
  • Regardless of setting, entry can be done either way : e.g., 10000I or 35G
• Popup hint text:
  • web line on plansheet now shows whether display, video or both
  • better message on Source Impressions column
• Changed two labels on Help menu for clarity
• Added some entries to log file when user closes the program

Version 5.21

• Max files on "Recent" menu increased to 25
• More informative message on method used to compute quintiles
• "Households with" restored for TVD databases
• Impressions now available in Details>Contributions
• Comparison panels in "Details" can now be included in prints
• Get Info: expanded locations
• Bug fix to importing .tvdemo files
• In exporting to .tvdemo, a quick dialog gives a choice of whether to list info on all current respondents and their demo status, or only those respondents who are included in the demo.
• Online fusion:
  • "Define Web Vehicles" and "Place Web Vehicles" are now on the daypart popup, not a submenu
  • HUGE speed improvement in defining web vehicles: Formerly just over a minute for each vehicle, now about two-hundreds of one second.
  • Dialog to place vehicles now denotes PBC status and type of web usage included.
  • Fixed bug that led to lost impressions for web vehicles with extremely large placements
  • Expanded ability to cope with respondents with unusually high levels of usage of specific websites
  • When a web vehicle is defined, data is written to a temp file and only renamed to .WBV when completed, to avoid possible contention for file with another user
  • Data files restructured for much faster performance. Files and folders carry different names to not conflict with older files.
• In MRI imports, we now clean up entries in the psychographics category where Nielsen showed "agree" items completely separately from "disagree" items

Version 5.19.5

• Maximum entries in an optimization raised to 125 from 75
• Can now show number of entries and number of nonzero entries in plan results
• Demo logic dialog: New option to create a demo based on a count of inclusion in selected demos.
• Bug fix in downloading web fusion data nthy

Version 5.19.4

• Major enhancements to web/online data:
  • No longer requires IT involvement to prepare web fusion files: fusion files are downloaded as needed and saved to the path specified in the INI file.
  • Multiple web vehicles can be placed onto plansheet in one step
    • New "Place Web Vehicles" command on popup menu
    • Individual web vehicles no longer on popup
    • Similar to the way networks are chosen for a television daypart
  • Script now has button to determine what months have web fusion data available
  • Bug fixes
• Demo logic dialog improvements:
  • now resizeable
  • now shows "reportable" status
  • uses selections from preceding Demo dialog
• MRI import: dialog to choose a study now has a button to save an Excel file with all of the stub items

Version 5.19.2

• Major enhancements to MRI import:
  • There is now a separate "Import MRI" command on the Demos menu
  • Choices of MRI items are now made by checkbox, rather than selection. This is much less prone to accidental choices by extra clicking when scrolling through the list.
  • Can specify a logical NOT of a stub choice with an alt-click on the checkbox
  • The "Find" button now highlights all matching items!
  • "Show Checks" button reveals all checked items
  • "Count" provides raw count of qualifying respondents without actually building a demo
  • No longer requires IT involvement to prepare MRI files: fusion files are downloaded as needed and saved to the path specified in the INI file.
• Demo imports:
  • Plansheet "Demos" menu rearranged for clarity. Demo import and export commands are now in own grouping.
  • Teledemos and imported demos tagged with an icon in the demo popup menu on plansheets

Version 5.19.1

• Better formatting on market-by-market report
• Clarified message when accumulating too many potential spots into a single line when using the Persons Cume Study.
• Removed lots of old dead code that supported the old style of program lists
• "Find" button added to MRI import
• Web vehicles dialog:
  • Added usage of streaming video websites from Nielsen VideoViews. Entries are marked to show whether they include usage for display/surfing, video/streaming, or both.
  • List of "parents" shown increased from about 16,000 to about 65,000. Those with very light usage are flagged.

Version 5.19

• Fix for internal code on UniMas broadcast network, which led to some syndicated programs showing up on "programs" list in a script
   
• Improvements using NTI online fusion
  • Plansheet popup menu for online now has "Define Web Vehicles" in first position
  • Web vehicles dialog:
    • Click on any row now shows parent, brand and channel names in a panel on bottom
    • Click on any row makes available the choice to see all entries for its parent
    • New radio button choice: "Show all wanted" (easier than using through the name-matching choice)
  • Preparing Online Vehicles: now takes one-seventh of previous time!
    (Example: 83 seconds instead of 606 seconds)
  • Placing online vehicles on plansheet: now takes one-fifth of the previous time!
    (Buzzfeed was 0.5 seconds, now 0.1; Hulu was 2.8 seconds, now 0.3; Google was 45.0 seconds, now 11.3)

Version 5.18.4

• Changes for NTI-Online fusion data:
  • Checks for NTI authorization
  • There is now a menu to save and retrieve favorites, so that selections can be re-used in additional months
• Market-by-market report:
  • now includes both primary and secondary definitions of ER
  • Now reflects the requested decimal precision for reach and effective reach
• Freq distribution in plans using "other" media: we now show N and N+ person counts, and the Freq Dist graphic for impressions is now available
• Now politely handles situation of defining a demo defined within one geographic area while plan includes a vehicle confined to a different geographic area.
• Popup menu for "Constrain" and "Where" columns now offers to "Review" these definitions
• Change in format of Internet check upon launch
• Results by Respondent: can now be limited to show only those respondents actually in the cume audience
• Statistics command now additionally reports effective reach
• Small bug in "Uncheck all" in PRIZM cluster list. Fixed.
• Small bug in listing quintile progress. Fixed.

Version 5.18.3

• Fixed: Improvement of frequency calculations in 5.18.2 inadvertently dropped reporting of frequency in plans using only "other medium".

Version 5.18.2

• Quintile/N-Tiles:
  • Added columns to show reach count and reach percent within each quintile
  • For each quintile, now showing both frequency (avg exposure among those reached) and overall avg exposure
• Frequency: TView estimates the R&F delivery of a campaign from the GRPs specified by the plan. Normally, the product of the delivered reach and frequency is very close to the planned GRPs, and any difference is negligible. When using TeleDemos constructed from quintiles this may not have been the case, since the demo was identified specifically by its knack for finding (or avoiding) the placements in the plan. To address this, the displayed value for frequency now better reflects the predicted delivered frequency within the demo.

Version 5.18.1

• Give message if attempt to optimize with plan that has not been calculated

Version 5.18

• Plansheets:
  • Market-by-Market report now has columns for Effective Reach and its indexes
  • Frequency distribution chart: new checkbox to add labels to each bar
  • Line-by-Line "Curves" panel: red markers for current plan are now larger
  • Web Vehicles (used with NTI/Online fusion data): now listed by channel name, rather than grouped by parent
  • Write-Ins: can now enter either gross impressions or GRPs
  • Spot dayparts: Remove incorrect error message ("There was no one in the demo") when adding to plan
  • "Randomly take group" now available for PCS as well as All-Minute and Mid-Minute
  • Fix bug when closing a plansheet if there were dependencies between line entries
• Scripts:
  • Sources tab now shows only the networks appropriate for current Group
  • List of programs:
    • Shift-click now works to easily select a whole range of titles. For example, you can click the "Source" heading to sort by source, then use click and shift-click to select all programs syndicated by Warner Bros.
    • Now has C, I, and S columns (like the Telecast list) to denote commercial content, infomercials, and specials
  • Progress bar now shows smoother and finer detail, for better feedback
• Misc fixes

Version 5.17.17

• Bug fix

Version 5.17.16

• Misc fixes and improvements

Version 5.17.15

• In viewing telecast details, viewing-by-minute profile is now always shown, even if commercial info is unavailable
• Message if attempt is made to "Edit Other Medium" on something that is not an "other" medium
• Better error messages if a file cannot be accessed
• Venn/Duplication dialog now offers a label size toggle button

Version 5.17.13

• Improved editing of occurrence number
• Better handling of paths specified in INI files

Version 5.17.12

• "Rules" button is now "Opt Rules"
• Added options for plan column results: reach and cume in thousands
• "Recent" menu now separates plansheets and scripts
• Scripts: in considering programs to be excluded from defined dayparts, allow networks with no programs in that list

Version 5.17.11

• Eliminate superfluous messages when using Rankers
• Better formatting for MRI import

Version 5.17.9

• Miscellaneous tweaks and fixes
• Better handling of telecasts with no commercial info

Version 5.17.8

• New Network Duplication analysis:
  • Crosstabs (counts, percentages, indexes, etc.)
  • 2D and 3D maps!
• New "Notes" tab, just to keep your own notes on the plansheet or its plans.
• Frequency distribuion: Colors on table now match colors on bar chart
• Quintile report improved
• Script messages
  • Now gives message if an explicitly specified network is not within a specified group (e.g., Telemundo is broadcast, not cable)
  • Network names now match names and short abbreviations as shown in source list
  • Report of TVD construction is now a temporary file to avoid clutter (but if one wants to keep a report, it can be requested on the Settings page)
• Improvements on filtering commercial time when using All-Minute data

Version 5.17.7

• Extend area options in demographics for Canada, with some updated names
• Can now delete demo columns when viewing by demo
• Can now add a new demo when viewing by demo by clicking on a blank column heading
• Remove a few superfluous messages left in 5.17.6

Version 5.17.6

• Detailed "_rpt" report files are no longer created automatically unless specifically requested on "Settings" tab. (They took a lot of disk space and were seldom used.)
• Export and import of demos as a list of homes and person IDs, using filetype .tvdemo

Version 5.17.5

• New graphic display of results from imports
• Bug fixes on imports
• "Find Best Balance" is new name for Blend & Balance command

Version 5.17.4

• Misc fixes
• "What do you want to do next" now always appears if all plansheets and scripts are closed, and it allows use of menus

Version 5.17.3

• Demos:
  • Support for more demo items in All-Minute data:
    • HD television
    • home owned or rented
    • home: single family, multi-family, or mobile
    • second home
    • car, truck
    • cat, dog
    • HOH male, HOH female
    • specific cable or satellite company (optional from Nielsen)
    • Internet
    • computer, laptop, desktop, tablet
    • landline, cell phone
  • Demo dialog now has "And (must also be)" panel to provide logical AND's without needing to use the Logic button and dialog.
  • New "Export..." command on Demos menu prepares a file of the household and person numbers of all respondents that define a demo or TeleDemo™. This is suitable for import back into T·View, or another system.
• MRI FUSION enhancements
  • Can now select multiple stub items (e.g., brand choices, psychographic qualifiers)
  • Multiple items can be AND'ed or OR'ed, or meet an entered minimum number
  • Read more about the MRI FUSION here.
• Quintile/NTile improvements
  • More accurate (now tabulates directly from respondent deliveries)
  • More robust for large schedules
  • Adds impressions by quintile to display
  • New options for quintile assignments
• Script improvements:
  • In opening a saved script, dayparts are retrieved and shown even if there is a problem with the data file sources or dates.
  • In scripts' program lists, we no longer list programs simply adjoining requested time periods. (The correct programs were always used in collecting audience data.)
• New Market-by-Market delivery report!
• For convenience, top of Details tab now always shows GRPs for panels with one demo and one plan

Version 5.17.2

• Line-by-line cume max now available as a column in Table view
• Scripts: program and telecasts can again be sorted by air schedule
• Daypart Browser: Networks are sorted

Version 5.17.1

• Various fixes:
  • Count of Spanish-origin when used with U.S. Nielsen Persons Cume Studies
  • Error at launch when used under Citrix XenApp
  • Others

Version 5.17

• MRI-NTI FUSION added!
  • Enables you to use thousands of MRI demo, brand and psychographic items in conjunction with television audience data!
  • Read more about the MRI-NTI FUSION here.

• Demos:
  • Support for additional demo items when used with Mid-Minute and All-Minute data, dialog rearranged accordingly
  • Dialog can now be expanded to better see a long list of demos
• Export: correctly exports table by plan and table by demo
• Buildup Chart:
  • Now can display curves for both primary and secondary effective reach, and however they are defined
  • Slight reorganization of widgets for clarity
  • Sometimes blank upon first use: fixed
• Plans & Demos: showing plan and demo names now optional
• Reach/ER pie chart: now has spin buttons and an option to show percentages
• Market list:
  • Now resizable
  • Ability to save and use sets of market selections is updated
  • Bug fix when certain smaller markets are included in selection
• IPOBE Latin America data support adds Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama

Version 5.16.9

• Better support for expanded list of networks in Persons Cume Studies
• Viacom and AMC added as group choices for highlighting in network dialog

Version 5.16.8

• Eliminates superfluous "tipfilelist" messages at launch
• "Copy" with a plan selected: now includes CPP and CPM, if those are showing

Version 5.16.7

• When a daypart is placed on a plansheet, if you requested to see networks individually they will now be placed in alphabetic order
• Scripts: When a TVD is completed, an expanded message gives details of any dayparts that had no viewing
• Get Info > TVD > Daypart List: sortable by clicking on column heading

Version 5.16.6

• "Respondent Exposures" report now has a more complete summary of each column
• Demo "Import" function now allows a comparison value to decide if a respondent should be in a new demo

Version 5.16.5

• Dramatic speed improvement in creating a TeleDemo™ from quintile information
• Fix to use older (2006 and before) Persons Cume Study data

Version 5.16.4

• Fixed features that mail info back to SHS: Suggestions, access tests, bug reports

Version 5.16.3

• "Add Plans" now appears on the plan popup menu (as well as on the Edit menu)
• Details > Contribution table now gives GRP and cost percentages by line as options
• Expanded capacity for more respondents
• To disable AutoCalc when opening a plansheet, hold down the Ctrl key just before we try to open the file
• Script: any problems with requested data source or dates is now shown in grey summary strip at top of script
• Fix: Spanish language panel not appearing on demo dialog
• Fix: Reach/ER pie chart when effective reach is set to 1+

Version 5.16.2

• Tweaks for support of 2010 Persons Cume Study (released by Nielsen in March 2012)
• Demo dialog: The "And" panel has been removed; it's simpler and clearer to just use the "Logic" button to combine demos
• Demo import: Newly imported demos now have universe counts

Version 5.16.1

• Small tweaks

Version 5.16

• "Recent" submenu added to File menu to open recently-used plansheets and scripts
• Fix: version 5.15.16 (ONLY) had slight discrepancy between a new doc and when it was saved and re-opened
• Scripts
  • Fix: switching Visual/Text, and other glitches (5.15.14)
  • Fix: beep when trying to edit first item in a daypart list in a script (5.15.13)
  • More responsive while building TVD (5.15.15)
  • Program and telecast names widened a bit
• Launching the system
  • Better handling of launching system by dropping one or multiple files on the application's icon (or by launching the system from a command line with a file as a parameter): Scripts and plansheets will be opened. System will now politely advise about files that it can't open. If a TVD is dropped on the app icon, the system now offers to create a new plansheet based upon it. If multiple documents are opened in this way, they are presented in a neatened stack.
  • We now allow only one running instance of the app.
• Revise Totals: better handling when some vehicles have a "Where" setting
• Miscellaneous bug fixes

Version 5.15.12

• "Open" plansheet or script now starts looking at last directory we last opened from
• Script's telecast list has two more new columns:
  • C: do we have commercial information for this telecast? (AMRLD data only)
  • I: does this appear to be an infomercial?
• Distribution now includes file "dbxmys.dll"
• Scripts: MUCH faster retrieval of programs and telecasts on "Programs" tab

Version 5.15.11

• Bug fix: Opening of older plansheets using persons cume studies
• Improvements in quality of lowest-cost optimization
• New chart (on "Compare" group on the Details tab) compares performance of plans and/or demos

Version 5.15.9

• Changes to accommodate changes to Nielsen Spectra format

Version 5.15.8

• Plansheet:
  • Number of available plan columns increased from 26 to 60
  • Copy and Paste:
    • Copy when a plan heading is selected: can Paste into another plan, but also now produces a plan summary that can be pasted into another program
    • Pasting a value or a range of values into a cell now works correctly: No longer sees "1,234" as "1" and "234", pastes correctly if currently showing spots, better checking for non-numeric values
  • "Copy Results" command: now provides optional column headings
  • 3-way blend chart:
    • More accurate colors
    • Clicking on the 3-way blend now offers to create a new plan at chosen mix (same as for 2-way blend chart)
  • Availability of PRIZM and other cluster codes is now more obvious on the demo dialog
  • Cosmetic improvements in Switchpitch
  • Cosmetic improvements in placement of dialog buttons
  • In "Line by Line" panel on Details tab, "Contributions" is new name for "Results" and "Cumes" reports

• Script:
  • Telecast list: now marks Specials and Premieres
  • Simplified choice of data supplier
  • List of programs (rather than telecasts) is now shown as default
  • Fixed occasional showing of program name as ", The"

Version 5.15.6

• Now supports Nielsen's 2010 Persons Cume Study (national)
• You can now take an entire group of rows out of a plan or put them back in with one click: Alt-click on "In" checkbox for a media component to set the "In" status for all adjoining media rows
• New column option: count of networks/sources
• Fix: When placing a daypart on a plansheet, if only one network was chosen the net's name is added to the daypart name
• Fix: Export of frequency distribution table now labelled correctly and shows all columns

• Scripts:
  • Enhancements for use with All-Minute data:
    • Click or scrolling in list of telecasts now shows graphic display of commercial formatting and tuning records in each minute
    • Right-click on list of telecasts: added new option to see details on commercial load and scheduling
  • Background of day-time grid is now shaded to convey day and evening hours
  • Open Sample Script: dates now default to most recent audience data

Version 5.15.4

• Table View: GRP and Cost totals are now highlighted in green, and can be clicked to revise

• Fixed: problem in placing certain networks onto plansheets, with many weeks and 24 hours/day.

• Scripts:
  • Clearer and easier choice of genres
  • Clearer and easier choice of networks
  • Optional new format for listing programs and telecasts:
    • List of telecasts now includes week number
    • Going from daypart to daypart no longer requires a fresh retrieval of program names every time (yea!!!)
    • Search to find matching text simply shortens list to show only matches, instead of just highlighting matches
  • Search now looks in the "Source" column as well. For example, you can find all Warner Bros. syndicated programs by entering a search of "Syn:WB" or simply ":W".

Version 5.15.3

Minor fixes:


• remove "preview" notice, beep upon placing a daypart
• bug when running without a report file
• "Construct" messages 15913, 15924, 11112

Version 5.15

• "CONSTRUCT" PROBLEMS FIXED!

• No longer uses TView.dll or TVBuild.dll

• TVD databases are now MUCH smaller. (Smaller, faster, better -- it's the Daft Punk version!)

• Can now read weekly data files even if they contain additional demographic information.

• When adding dayparts to plansheet, dialog for choice of networks is now clearer and more helpful

• Build-Up reach charts now can have either a specific number of steps or step sizes set by GRP

• Geodemographic clustering (PRIZM, P$YCLE, ConneXions) added to demographics (for cluster subscribers)

Version 5.14.11

• New Reach/ER pie chart on Details tab
• New "Edit" button on chart widgets provides extensive customization
• New "Axes" and "Color" checkboxes on chart widgets
• Fix GRP total when some plan elements have zero ratings on some demos with small sample sizes

Version 5.14.9

• Fix to allow reading of daypart components with 4-byte aired values

Version 5.14.8

• Custom client update

Version 5.14.6

• Rankers: There are now two separate "Ranker" reports.
• Line-by-Line Results: This extremely useful report now has choosable columns
• "Copy Results" is new name for "Copy Special"; some new options added
• Various charting improvements and fixes
• Importing respondent lists can now be "in-only", showing those to be in the new demo but not those excluded

Version 5.14.5

• Line-by-Line Results panel now offers choice of columns to be shown
• In script files, "Get Programs" now correctly includes GAA programs
• Minor bug fixed in 3-way blend chart (5.14.4)

Version 5.14.3

• Lowest cost optimization now adds CPP and CPM as possible goals (in addition to reach, ER, frequency, and GRPs)
• New option in Fill/As-It-Falls: Divide Equally
• Second pass in optimization now properly considers locked dayparts

Version 5.14.2

• Blend and Balance command can now operate on three plans as well as two

• New custom report

• New "Check" panel on Settings tab, with button to recalculate ratings

Version 5.14.1

• Support enhanced format of DAT files
• Support for updated versions of database
• Updated DLL libmysql.dll
• Consistent count of gross impressions in all reports

Version 5.14, July 16, 2010

Version 5.13.12

• Doublespot: new option that vehicle's placements should be treated as doublespotted

• Build-Up table and chart:
  • Impressions now shown on table
  • Spots now shown on table (if spot switch is "on" on main Table)
  • Cume max now shown on table
  • Option to show cume max of chart

• Charts can now have color set for back walls, independent of background

• "Hint text" for components on Table view now shows constraint, geo and doublespot settings

• Recap: now shows constraint, geo and doublespot settings

Version 5.13.11

• Expanded support for syndication variations including GAA, cash barter, multibarter, etc.

Version 5.13.9

• This is a refinement to the fix of version 5.13.7. Now the planner is asked whether to proceed with the improved calculations, or to stay with the existing values so as to preserve existing plan results.

Version 5.13.7

• Fixes a problem with some values changing under certain circumstances, restoring plansheets to correct values.

Version 5.13.6

• Eliminate duplicate "save?" dialogs when app ends
• Trailing "\" is now optional on TVD paths in INI

Version 5.13.5

• Scripts:
  • Can now specify up to three special named locations in INI for storing completed TVD databases. If there are multiple locations, this is chosen from "Settings" page in script. This choice is also shown when creating a new plansheet.
  • "Pgm Type" tab is now renamed "Genre"

• Miscellaneous small fixes

Version 5.13.4

• Improved optimization routines:
  • Now uses "large" step sizes for improved speed
  • "Lowest cost" optimization is faster, better bounded, and finds better solutions
  • Addition of a second pass helps avoid almost-best plans

• Fixes for expanded size of respondent panel in 2008 cume study

• Revise Totals now works correctly when entry is typed fast

Version 5.13.3

• Support for new formats of BBM Canada data
• Better error handling
• Help menu item for choosing data source now works correctly

Version 5.13.2

• Minor changes

Version 5.13.1

• Repaired: Great American Country and Fuse networks were not available when using cume study (due to Nielsen coding error)

Version 5.13

• Now supports the 2008 Nielsen Persons Cume Study (national and spot)

• Optimization enhancements
  • Optimization dialog revised for clarity
  • Procedure first identifies region of plans that meet min-max goals, before heart of optimization begins
  • Entering a zero into a vehicle for it to be included in an optimization: now works for all search choices (previously, only worked for broad and broad+original)
  • Improvements in search for "Lowest Cost" plan to meet communications goals:
    • Goals can include reach, effective reach and frequency
    • In search for lowest cost plans, much smarter setup of initial plans to meet communication goals
    • Now performs and evaluation and scaling of starting points to bring them down to reasonable range (if necessary) reducing number of search steps needed later
    • Now scaling up to meet goal is as successful as scaling down
    • Plan "scoring" completely revised; now much more effective and efficient, producing much improved results
  • Improvements in "Changes" and "Small changes" optimizations
    • Better performance
  • Chart of searched plans
    • available on progress window as optimization proceeds
    • clearly displays initial and current best plan, good plans meeting all goals and rules, plans tried that failed to meet communication goals, and plans tried that failed to meet min and max rules
    • also shown on Report tab when optimization completes
    • helps to document that solution plan really is the "best"
  • Table of searched plans
    • available on Report tab when optimization completes
    • shows details of all plans considered
    • color-coded for easy reading

• Build-up grid: Now has columns for each level of frequency distribution
• Quick calculation for entry of unit (spot) costs for a vehicle: Into either a CPP or a CPM column, enter the unit cost with a prefix "U", e.g., U55000. The value is converted to a CPP and CPM and stored.
• Export improvements:
  • Exported Table view only includes current plan, if that is what was selected
  • Exported Table view includes networks, where, and constraint columns, if they were showing
• Fill/As-It-Falls dialog now highlights the plansheet cells that will be given entries

Version 5.12.6

• Now supports the 2008 Nielsen Persons Cume Study (national)

• Daypart Ranker: Now offers source choice for cume studies as well as PxP databases
• Plansheet:
  • "Clear" command now works for plans entered by spots
  • Copy and paste now work as expected for plans entered by spots
  • Chain dependencies now shown correctly (e.g., plan C is derived from plan B which is derived from plan A)
  • "Where" settings are set properly when plansheet is re-opened
• Results by respondent: more detailed labelling
• Build-Up chart: "1" box can now be toggled off if desired
• Script now shows name of last database constructed; clicking it opens that database's folder
• Various appearance improvements

Version 5.12.5

• Performance tuning for faster speed

Version 5.12.4

• Correction to handling of longer list of networks

Version 5.12.3

• Fixed: Very slow script construction in earlier releases of version 5.12.
• Fixed: "Topline Summary" cleared before updating the results
• Fixed: On Details tab, plan chooser sometimes disappeared after a plan was changed

Version 5.12.2

• IBOPE Latin American data: demo dialog now handles new data for Colombia and Peru

Version 5.12.1

• Venn bug fixed (popping a plan with web usage)
• "Add Plans" bug fixed
• "Cumes" bar chart can now show GRPs or spots in bar labels, and can show Ratings as small diamonds
• Support for custom client syndication

Version 5.12

• Appearance and convenience improvements
• Better reporting of any problems
• Online web data:
  • in web vehicles dialog, separate buttons for big 4
  • can now do web "M" entries with fractions (1/6M) and percents (25%M)

Version 5.11.42

• Scripts using Mid-Minute data may have had Live+3 set as a default on the Settings page. If not changed by user, this produced an error -1000 during an attempt to Construct.

Version 5.11.41

• IBOPE Latin America: fix labelling of buttons for cable status on demo dialog

Version 5.11.39

• We now send much more info if user can't connect to SHS

Version 5.11.38

• Improved reporting in the event of a problem

Version 5.11.37

• Improved memory handling (should resolve "Parameter is incorrect" messages)

Version 5.11.36

• Update for revised Nielsen format in Sep-Nov 2008 data files

Version 5.11.35

• Fixed: Line by Line "Details" and "Cumes" reports were not visible in last release

Version 5.11.34

Several fixes when used with IBOPE Latin America data:
• Licensee name
• Confusing dialog when listing networks
• Correct the labelling of hours for day/time definitions

Version 5.11.33

• The new versions of the plan and demo comparisons reports are now included in exports when requested

• Add support for proxy connections

Version 5.11.32

• Better access to Internet files

Version 5.11.31

• Frequency Distributions:
  • Frequency Distributions - Bar chart can now show either persons or impressions
  • Frequency Distributions - Table
    • can now show either persons or impressions
    • whole number is now shown for N+ as well as N
    • whole number counts are now shown with commas for clarity

• Improvements to "Custom" panel:
  • now shows axis labels taken from the last plot that was added with "> Custom"
  • "> Custom" and "Paste" buttons now ask whether to paste as a line plot or as a bar plot

Version 5.11.29

• Better handling of network split data
• When using All-Minute Data and commercial minutes are desired, default minimum number of seconds of commercial matter is now 1
• "Get Info" dialog for vehicles now has clearer list of networks

Version 5.11.27

• Additional information displayed if a printing problem occurs
• "Startup" reference is now shown in Get Info dialog

Version 5.11.26

• New panel on Duplication: "Add R and F" illustrates the effect of adding a plan to an existing plan: how much of the added weight builds frequency among the existing reach, and how much adds new reach?

• More information provided in the event of a printing problem

Version 5.11.24

• Daypart Ranker is now available for all plansheets (Cume Study as well as PxP)

• Comparison reports:
  • "Plans, Demos" combines previous separate comparison reports for plans and demos, and adds options
  • "Plans x Demos" (new) report shows results for all plans crossed with all demos
• Correct sorting for IBOPE sources

Version 5.11.23

• IBOPE data now has three alternatives for cable status
• "Threaded" item on Script menu now defaults to unchecked

Version 5.11.22

• Logging improvements

Version 5.11.19

• Household tuning now available with All-Minute data
• Fixed: network codes prefixed to program names in scripts

Version 5.11.18

• "Build Up" chart now shows up to ten frequency levels, 1 through 10

Version 5.11.17

• Correct "Fill / As It Falls" for when various choices are explored

Version 5.11.16

• Improved universe estimates in multiweek databases (5.11.15)

• Improved support for panels and areas in new formats of BBM (Canadian) data (5.11.15)

• Repair bug in version 5.11.15

Version 5.11.14

Support for new formats of BBM (Canadian) data

Version 5.11.13

Plansheets
• Quintiles: Now shows a column with projected population counts
• A created TeleDemo™ now includes a note describing how it was constructed. Also, plans are re-evaluated to make sure results for new TeleDemo are showing.
• Line-by-Line > Curves: This chart now shows markers to denote the placements in the current plan.
• The "Respondents > Exposures" command (on the Demos menu) now reports all respondents, identifies their membership in each of the defined demos, and reports on exposures and cume max for each of the selected plans.
• "Respondents > Demo Characteristics" replaces "List All" and "List Demo" commands
• Help menu: New item to see a chart comparing characteristics of cume studies, mid-minute data and all-minute data
Scripts
• Expanded ability to deal with large number of reported minutes (especially critical for All-Minute data)
• A summary of current settings is now displayed on a strip on the top of the script
• "Show Networks" list corrects problems of some nets sometimes shown without names

Version 5.11.11

• Added more internal checks for use of IBOPE data from Latin America

Version 5.11.9

• Test version adding support for All-Minute data

Version 5.11.8

• Fixes a problem in recognizing network name for a program that has been specified in a script

Version 5.11.7

• Test version adding support for All-Minute data

Version 5.11.6

• Reach curves: New "> Custom" button makes it easier to combine curves from different charts
• CopyReach now shows its results based on weighted projections
• Dialog for selection of networks is now resizeable

Version 5.11.5

• Scripts: Improved display of weekly data sources

Version 5.11.4

• Script's program list now includes syndicator abbreviations for syndicated programs
• Blend: Create a new plan by clicking a desirable balance between two plans. Discover how reach and effective reach vary as you blend plans or swap one plan for another.

Version 5.11.3

• "Revise Total" -- plan is now revised "live" as settings are changed!
• "Fill / As It Falls" -- plan is now revised "live" as settings are changed!
• Can now export Switchpitch tab to a text file for use by Excel
• Script now correctly shows which networks are included (for data after February 2007)
• Adds support for Nielsen's 2006 Persons Cume Study Spot Supplement

Version 5.11.2

• Handles larger Nielsen sample (fixes error message 15914)

Version 5.11.1

• Better support for older scripts used with this new version
• "Check Script" now reports use of networks that are not in the data files for specified dates
• Networks highlighted correctly on list of sources
• "Contents" button on main script page now shows size and dates of weekly files

Version 5.11

• Supports completely new Nielsen format for MRD data for February 2007 and after

Version 5.10.61

• Improved display of language and HOH Hispanic demo choices
• Retrieval of TBS data in 2006 cume study

Version 5.10.59

• Improved display of demos added in 2006 cume study
• Fix: now preserves active (in/out) status of vehicles when saved
• Fix: error message when running an optimization with some zero entries

Version 5.10.57

• Adds support for Nielsen's 2006 Persons Cume Study (national)

• When selecting dayparts, "Multiple" command is now available for both cume studies and TVD databases.

Version 5.10.56

• You can now specify a "preferred" TVD database to be used when opening a new plansheet.

Version 5.10.55

This release makes these changes in script handling:
• Removes superfluous message that appeared when switching from one daypart to another

• Fixes occasional errors when using a script with explicitly listed networks

Version 5.10.54

• Includes language usage as a demographic choice

Version 5.10.53

• Updated for display and use of broadcast networks CW and MY, and cable networks VH1 Classic and TV One.

Version 5.10.52

• Demo dialog: new "and" panel to note that a member of the new demo must also be included in selected existing demos. This simplifies use with imported demos.

• Corrected a bug upon launch (5.10.51)

Version 5.10.49

• This version adds the ability to import a list of household and person IDs and treat this as a new demo. The imported list can also include weights for each entry, as defined by the external source. This version supports either tab-delimited or columnar ascii input files.

Version 5.10.48 preview

• This version adds the ability to import a list of household and person IDs and treat this as a new demo. The imported list can also include weights for each entry, as defined by the external source. This version supports tab-delimited input files.

Version 5.10.47

• Enhancements to "access tests" on Get Info dialog

Version 5.10.46

• Added "access tests" on Get Info dialog

Version 5.10.45

• Improved access to SHS information

Version 5.10.44

• Support for data files with added Nielsen demography

Version 5.10.43

• As It Falls: Places weight into the vehicles in a plan in a natural, "as it falls" pattern. T-View offers two different "as it falls" procedures:
  1. As It Falls, rating & hours: This is a "traditional" method (as seen in other media programs) in which more weight is assigned to vehicles with higher ratings or more hours on-air.
  2. As It Falls, audience development: This is a more sophisticated method that takes into account the patterns of audience accumulation in a vehicle.
  In many cases, the audience development method produces better reach results and a more even distribution of frequency by vehicle.

• Plan Fill: more options added

• Faint color background reminds whether Table is showing GRPs or spots

• Details / Line-by-Line: table now includes a column for effective reach

• Optimization has been enhanced:
  • Much better observance of "min" and "max" limits
  • "Changes" and "Small Changes" now better reflect their stated purposes

Version 5.10.42

• Corrects problem that may occur when "Combine Geo" command is used with non-television media entries.

Version 5.10.41

• Supports expanded size of sample panel that Nielsen is using as of February 2006 Nielsen data
• Additional file added to distribution

Version 5.10.39

• This update needed for use of newer Nielsen PXP files (starting November 2005)
• Updated: March 17, 2006

Version 5.10.37

• Fixes a bug with optimization introduced in version 5.10.35. (As a quick remedy if you can't upgrade immediately, you can set the "Max" value in the Rules panel to some arbitrarily high value, such as 9000.) (5.10.36)
• Scale plan: now allows either multiplying or dividing by a factor (5.10.36)

Version 5.10.35

• Vehicle weights: If in use, plansheet will be opened with the weights column showing

• Export:
  • Includes rating if it is showing
  • Observes settings for GRPs or spots, and plans or demos

• Line-By-Line "Cumes":
  • Chart now provides turnover as a graphable option
  • Table now correctly lines up items in total line; additional items added
  • Table can now show details for derived plans (scaled or added)

• Get info command: now includes daypart list

Version 5.10.33

• Market selection: fix bug involving selection of a market in demo dialog for use with cume study data.
• Secondary effective reach: You can now specify a secondary definition for effective reach, for example to show both reach 3+ and 5+, or reach 3+ and 3-10.

Version 5.10.32

• Client update

Version 5.10.31

• Printing: Now correctly prints wide plan columns on multi-page reports, and omits empty columns
• Probability calculation: dice symbol denotes when this mode is in effect

Version 5.10.30

• Maximum number of programs allowed in defining a daypart raised from 100 to 500
• Delete Column - works again
• Panels on main Table View now stay in sync when down key or up key is used to move
• Some additional checks now performed in building a database

Version 5.10.29

• This version is needed to access newer DAT data files

• In Switchpitch, "Keepers" row is now closed to start
• When using the Hispanic PXP data, "Spanish origin" demo choice is now longer shown.

Version 5.10.28

• Main "Table" view now has buttons to narrow or widen row spacing

• New ability to restrict counted audience delivery to only those homes with wired cable (5.10.27)

• "Export" command now correctly exports all plans

• Edit menu commands "Insert Plan" and "Delete Plan":
  • now have shortcut keys
  • now can operate on multiple selected columns at once

• Graphics:
  • Build-Up: minimum number of steps is now 2 (instead of 5)
  • Custom: now has a "Clear Selected" button

Version 5.10.26

• Improvements for use with Arbitron PPM:
  • Application of respondent weights revised to conform more closely to Arbitron rules
  • Demo dialog allows choice of DMA or Metro
  • Minimum age now shown as 6

• PXP "TV Environment" now includes choices of "wired cable" and DBS

• PXP LPM markets can now be selected for demos, when used with updated data files

• "HOH Spanish Origin" now available as a PXP demo choice; usage is flagged with a cautionary message

• Demos > Respondents > List: new command for respondent info

• New "Household Profile" shows contents of a TVD database broken out by NAD stub items and LPM markets. It is on the Database Info dialog.

Version 5.10.24

• Script's day and time grid now shows correct hours when using IBOPE data for Latin America or BBM data for Canada.

• Spot counts added to Topline and Recap panels on the Details tab

Version 5.10.23

• Optimization now has an option to put revised plan in a new column inserted next to the original column
• Buttons just above plansheet table now are more clearly defined
• Fill command has a new option to replace only existing entries
• Frequency distribution line chart: button controls more clearly labelled
• Build-Up chart can now plot either GRPs or cost as the bottom axis
• "Details" tab charts:
  • "Copy Data" now includes names of data series
  • New color choice "All series" sets color for all series at once
  • New button on lower panel sets each series to a different color

Version 5.10.22

• Now has an option to define "Subtotal $" lines, as well as "Subtotal" lines to show GRPs or spots.
• Fixed: "Copy" command is now available for all table panels on "Details" including frequency distribution
• Fixed: Copyreach command now correctly displays results (in at least one version, results were erased as soon as they were displayed)

Version 5.10.21

• Adds a "rename" capability, for use with IBOPE data

Version 5.10.20

• Special handling for network names with IBOPE data
• Sources can now be viewed on each line (click on headers)

Version 5.10.19

• Fixed: Correctly handles "other" media from older plansheets (5.10.19)
• Fixed: Improved compatiblity with plansheets constructed prior to version 5.10.17 (5.10.18)
• Fixed: preserving information for an "Other Medium" from when a plansheet is saved to when it is reopened; keep GRP entries when an "Other Medium" is edited. (5.10.17)
• Improved stability for plans that have multiple entries for the same daypart, such as for mixing 30s and 15s (5.10.16)

Version 5.10.15

• Minor change for use with IBOPE data

Version 5.10.14

• Fixed: Divide-by-zero error during reach calculation or optimization (5.10.14)

Version 5.10.13

• Fixed: In certain cases, small GRP changes between save and re-opening of a plansheet (5.10.13)

Version 5.10.12

• Test version with ability to import demo definitions (5.10.7)
• Fixed: Optimization correctly observes "hold" cost/GRP
• Fixed: Editing spots in main Table now shows correct "before" value (5.10.10)
• Fixed: Minor bug opening plansheets using "other" media (5.10.12)

Version 5.10

Released: December 9, 2004
Updated: December 14, 2004 -- Fix for market base in 2003 PCS
Updated: December 17, 2004 -- TeleDemo™ now shows universe estimate
Updated: January 13, 2005
   -- Adds support for PBS U.S. data
   -- Adds support for Colombia and Peru data
Updated, build 6: February 2, 2005

Plansheets:

• "In/Out" for plan elements:
  • Quickly toggle plan lines in and out of plans
  • Easily explore plan variations and options
  
  
• See demos side-by-side
  • Demos can now be shown in adjoining columns in the main Table view
  • Full ability to revise entries, and see demo translations on the fly
  
  
• Easier access to wide columns showing plan descriptions, in clearer format
  
  
• New "Insert" and "Delete" commands for plan columns
• Ratings can be shown for each vehicle
  
  
• Plan entry by spots
  • Display spots in main Table view
  • Enter plans by number of spots
  • Toggle between points or spots
  
  
• Import New Age EzTab plans (magazines, etc.)
  
  
• Import MRI MEMRI plans (magazines, etc.)
  • Accepts several MEMRI output formats
  
  
• Plan columns now have conventional "selected" appearance
  
  
• Details view
  • New bar chart report for GRPs and costs by vehicle
  • Can now choose colors for each plot in Curves chart
  • More details in Demo panel and in Plans panel (CPM, impressions, universe and reach count)
  • Line-by-line panel now shows rating and turnover
  
  
• Respondent export (Demos > Respondents > Export)
  • New option to immediately display exported details
  
  
• In creating a demo using markets, can save a selected list of markets for later re-use.
  
  
• More information in optimization progress display
  
  
• Demos: demo names now suggested for use with NHTI (Hispanic) data
  
  
• Database info: now has button to open TVD's directory
  
  
Scripts:

• Set your own definition for maximum possible cume:
  • On "Dayparts" tab, set default
  • Can also set for individual lines
  • Choice of:
    • All spots reported by Nielsen
    • Odd quarter-hours only
    • Even quarter-hours only
    • 1st reported spot in telecast
    • 2nd reported spot in telecast
• Scripts now have buttons to move forward or backward a week
  
  

Version 5.9.5 (for PCS 2003 early release)

Released: December 3, 2004
Updated: December 6, 2004 -- additional needed file added to ZIP package


• Support for Nielsen's new 2003 Persons Cume Study!!!
  
  
• More information collected regarding markets file

Version 5.9.3

Update 4: October 3, 2004
Update 3: September 18, 2004 -- fixed: in scripts, long lines (e.g., lots of cable nets) now work correctly
Update 2: August 19, 2004 -- now correctly observes print checkboxes on Details tab
Update 1: August 18, 2004 -- updated to add ER as option for duplication
August 8, 2004 -- released
Plansheets:

• Optimization improved through closer observance of choice of "initial search", and better setting for "range" on advanced settings (0.05 instead of 0.2).
  
  Scripts:
  
• Fixed bug causing error 11214
  

Version 5.9.2, July 19, 2004

Plansheets:

• Fixed: Line-by-line curve comparison problems if subtotals were present
  
  Scripts:
  
• Fixed incorrect message that a file is missing, with error 11112.

Version 5.9.1

June 20, 2004 -- released
June 23, 2004 -- updated for revised IBOPE (Latin American) demographics


• Fixed:
  • Problem accessing two small programs, on two data files (US Nielsen, March 1 and 8, 2004). If you are getting error "11230" when constructing a database, get this new version of the program, AND download the updated version of the March 2004 data. (Sorry!)
  • Plansheet files expand in size upon repeated saves, and may eventually be difficult to re-open.
  • Better handling of network names when using IBOPE data
  • Long delay in opening certain script files
  • Most errors now give meaningful messages, instead of only secret codes

Version 5.9

May 12, 2004 -- released
May 24, 2004 -- revision for minor fix
May 25, 2004 -- minor fix for use with IBOPE data

Scripts
• You can now set your own definition for "cume max." A setting for an entire script is made using the "Dayparts" main item. (This is saved in the INI file and in the registry.) Definitions can also be set for individual script items, using the new "Max" tab.
  
  
• Much faster database construction for U.S. Nielsen Hispanic data
  
  
• Can now select individual telecasts to be included in a script line
  
  
• Lost the script used to create a database? Now you can go to any database (if it was created by this version or later) and recover a copy of the script that was used to create it. Do File>Open Script. Then, use this popup on the bottom of the open dialog to request "Recover script from a TVD" and then choose a TVD database.
  
  
Plansheets
• You can now display Subtotals on the main Table view!
  
  • At row where subtotals should be placed, choose "GRP Subtotals" from popup menu
  • Subtotals are shown in italics, for clarity
  • As with any other rows, subtotal rows can be moved by dragging on the grey stub at the left; subtotals are recomputed automatically
  • In the "Rules" panel, you can lock or unlock all of the elements within a subtotal group by clicking on the Lock column within the subtotal row.
  • Right-click on a subtotal for additional operations on the elements of that subgroup: "Clear Entries" wipes out entries for that group within that plan, "Zero Entries" enters a zero for the GRPs for each element of that group in that plan.
  
  
  
• "Copy Special", a new command, drastically simplifies the task of posting basic results from plansheets to other applications. A variety of options are provided for easy pasting into Excel, word processors, or other programs.
  
  
• It's now much simpler to rename plansheet rows. If you click on an existing plan row name, and click again, you'll be able to edit the name directly. Right-click on the row name for the usual popup menu.
  
  
• Fixed: No longer showing darkened-in cells in Table view (yippee!)
  
  
• Details on individual viewers!
  • You can now export the results of a plan for each individual panelist.
  • Results are exported to a text file, that can be used in Excel or elsewhere
  • To use, select a plan. Then, use the new command, Demos>Respondents>Export
  • Let your imagination go wild with this one. You might use this new capability to analyze complex combinations, or to produce new kinds of graphics, or to study duplication patterns on a much finer level than every before.
  
  
• Details view:
  • New design gives each display (including related tables and charts) a separate selectable button
  • ...but if you really prefer the old design you can choose it (use the popup on the top of the window)
  
  
• Details/Topline: We now provide two measures of the effort required in producing the last added reach point:
  • "GRPs for last reach point" is the number of GRPs required to gain that last reach point. Another way of saying that is, how many fewer GRPs would be needed for a reach that is a single point lower.
  • The GRP difference is then multiplied by the cost per point, to produce "Cost for last reach point."
  
  
  
• The graphic control area for the Build Up, Curves, and Custom panels now has three new buttons:
  • "Adjust Legend" toggles between five placements for the legend on these charts.
    
  • "Copy" copies the chart itself to the clipboard
    
  • "Copy Data" copies the numeric data of the chart to the clipboard; if only specific series are selected, then only that data is copied
    
  
  
  
• Details/NTiles: You can now construct a new TeleDemo™ directly from the N-tile definitions!
  For example, you can create a demo that consists of those who are in quintiles I and II for exposure to a plan. Click the checkboxes by those N-tile items that you wish to have included and then click the "Make TeleDemo" button,
  
  
• Details/Line-by-Line/Grid: two additional measures are now computed and shown:
  • "Excl/Rch": The exclusive reach divided by reach. This is a measure of how much of the component's delivered reach is unique to that component.
  • "Rch/Max": The component's reach divided by its cume max. This is a good measure of how much of the potential of the component has been converted to actual reach (and thus, how much room there is for reach to expand further).
  
  
  
• Details/Line-by-Line/Graphic: New widgets "Extra lines for labels" and "Label size" make labels more legible, provide more control over the display, and eliminate problems with missing labels.
  
  
• Details/Custom: This new panel on the "Details" tab lets you combine reach curve plots however you wish! You can use curves from either the "Build Up" or "Curves" panels. For example, you might want to show a comparison of the Build Up plots for two different plans, or to compare plans before and after some revision. There is a "Help" button on the new Custom panel that explains more.
  
  
• New "Statistics" command on the Explore menu computes a standard deviation for reruns of the same schedule multiple times while permitting probabilities to vary.
  
  
• More prominent labelling for "Show Rules" box on Table tab, and added an explanatory label on the Switchpitch tab.
  
  
• Plan descriptions are now included in exported data files (File > Export)
  
  
• Plan description is now shown in headline area on printed reports
  
  
• Duplication analysis is now expanded!
  • There are now two different ways to set up a duplication:
    • two separate plans:
      Select two plans, and use "Duplication" command
    • a single plan that has two subtotals:
      Set up two subtotals, select a single plan, and use "Duplication" command
  • New chart style: Bar
  • New chart style: Two bars, emphasizing reach added by second plan
  • New chart style: Two bars, contrasting actual reach and duplication with values expected if overlap were random
  • New "Highlight" button toggles between different formats and areas to be emphasized in Venn and bar charts
  • Can now set color of chart background
  • In "quilt" charts, table of results is now more extensive
  • New "Copy" and "Export" buttons to permit further use of table of results from quilt charts
  
  
  
• Fix: Correctly handles reach for very small schedules when "Wt" is set to a number higher than 1.
  
  
• Fix: When a plan containing "other" media is Cleared, spurious error messages for those lines are no longer shown, and entries will not "return."
  
General fixes
• There have been a handful of reports of the system simply vanishing, or of crashes that seem sporadic and irreproducible. A root cause for this behavior has been found, and fixed.




Version 5.8.18, April 21, 2004

• Miscellaneous

Version 5.8.17, March 15, 2004

• Miscellaneous

Version 5.8.14, February 23, 2004

• In scripts, fixes bug that could occur if a long list of networks is chosen

Version 5.8.13, February 3, 2004

• Changing some settings

Version 5.8.12, December 8, 2003

• Updating certain permissions (not needed for most clients)

Version 5.8.11, November 18, 2003

• Fixes:
  • Odd results sometimes were displayed after leaving Build Up chart with "additional steps" in use.
  • Combine Geo's: produced an error if source plan entries were missing
  • Turning AutoCalc off sometimes left the cursor set to an hourglass
  • When opening a plansheet that had AutoCalc off, "Calc" button and commands were not available.
  
  
• Enhanced support for IBOPE (Latin America) and BBM (Canada) data

Version 5.8.10, August 22, 2003

• Updating certain permissions (not needed for most clients)

Version 5.8.9, July 21, 2003

• When opening an old script file, program numbers were not always read correctly. (This fixes a bug introduced in the last release.)

Version 5.8.8, July 7, 2003

• Adds support for local spot supplement of 2001 Persons Cume Study
  
• Curves: in the reach curve comparison chart, thick lines are now not shown when there are more than six curves, in order to clearly distinguish lines by giving them different patterns.
• New "Set max" capability for effective reach (though caution is advised in understanding this calculation; see Planner's Guide) (v 5.8.8.3)
• "Duplication" command now offers Venn diagrams (v 5.8.8.5) and has less color sensitivity for small differences (v 5.8.8.4)
• Corrects coding for Soapnet (v 5.8.8.5)
• If a script line was not given a name, the default name "???" is now used automatically. (Previously, an error message prevented execution.) (v 5.8.8.6)
• Fixes a problem that gave an error message when the program was switched to the "Details" tab in certain circumstances. (v 5.8.8.6)

Version 5.8.7, April 17, 2003

• New "Duplication" command on Explore menu adds powerful analytic and visualize tool for understanding patterns of duplication.
• Most tables and charts on the "Details" tab can now be copied to the clipboard for easy moving to Excel or word processors: With the desired table or chart showing, click "Copy" on the Edit menu.
• Adds support for Spanish language networks and separate location for weekly data files, when used with NHTI Hispanic data
• More support for customized colors: New items in INI file permit coloring of various panels and areas in the application.
• "Build-Up" chart now is correct for non-television media. (v5.8.7.1)

Version 5.8.6, March 21, 2003

Scripts
• Fixes a bug that would sometimes cause one or more programs listed for a daypart to vanish after a script has been saved and re-opened.
• Expands messages that appear when the "Get Programs" button is used (and also adds more messages to the log file)
• Fix for some incorrect codes used with BBM Canada data (v 5.8.6.1, March 21)
Plansheets
• Database Info now has a new "Files" tab, that should help during support calls to determine if everything is in the correct place. This tab displays where the "tview.exe" file is from which we are currently running. It also lists all files and directories in the same location. (For example, we can use this to tell whether the "c99" folder is present.)

Version 5.8.5, March 4, 2003

• Copyreach™ report now prints correctly
• "Get Programs" in scripts: more error-checking, more progress information

Version 5.8.4, February 5, 2003

Plansheets
• Made much clearer the choice of table or graphic in line-by-line panel on Details
• Fixes a problem that occurs when a plan exceeds 2.1 billion impressions, which can easily happen in the new weighting system for the 2001 cume study.
• "Average executions seen" added to Copyreach™ report
Scripts
• Daypart entries can now be rearranged by dragging them as desired
• If the "INI" file specifies paths for "tvd", "tvdlocal" or "scripts", and those paths didn't exist, directories are created as needed
• When "Construct Database" is working on demographics, the message "Gathering respondents" is now displayed instead of the less helpful "Begin"

Version 5.8.3, updated on January 23, 2003

• The source of the underlying audience data is now shown
• Database Info now has an additional tab, to inspect what data sources are available for use by the system. (For the most part, this denotes what data products have been licensed from Nielsen.)
• New items in "INI" file:
  • set whether language choice is available on the Demo dialog, for those studies that have this option. This item is shown in the "settings" section as follows:
    [SETTINGS]
    allowlanguagechoice=yes
  • set whether attempt is made to re-color window title bars when requested as part of a custom color scheme. (This is so the feature can be disabled in the event of a conflicting Windows update.)
    [LAYOUT]
    titlebarcolor=yes

Version 5.8.2, updated on January 17, 2003

• When used with 2001 cume study, fixes a bug that prevented calculations for broad dayparts ("prime") with big demos ("households").
• Added option for decorative touches

Version 5.8.1, updated on January 13, 2003

• Add support for Nielsen Hispanic data
• Fix: previous version of version 5.8.1 introduced an error that prevented R&F routines from completing on some data sources.

  Plansheets

  • Support for 2001 Nielsen Persons Cume Study (requires data files)
    
    
  • No limit on number of rows: As you enter vehicles near the bottom of a plansheet, more rows are added. If you add a daypart near the bottom of the plansheet and ask for networks to be listed individually, rows are added as needed.
    
    
  • The first few columns, including the media names column, are now resizable so you can easily see long names.
    
    
  • If daypart weights are used, frequency will be computed based on the weighted GRPs
    
    
  • When opening a plansheet with many active plans, now shows progress of initial calculations. (v b4)
    
    
  • Rules: "Min" and "Max" columns can now accept percentages. For example, enter 25% to set a rule that a vehicle's GRPs should not fall under 25 percent of the plan total GRPs.
    
    
  • Menu commands related to demographics are now on a single "Demos" menu:
    • Revise Demos
    • Make TeleDemo™
    • Demo Viewership
  • Demo Logic: You can now create a new demo as a logical combination of existing demos. On the demos dialog, there is a new button "Demo Logic." On the dialog that follows, you can combine demos using "and," "or," "but not," or "not" logic.
    
    
  • Important new analysis: Demo Viewership
    (For use with PXP data only, and as part of the TeleDemo™ services.) Demo Viewership helps you to find the dayparts, components and networks that are most effective in reaching a target demo. Here are just a few sample lines from a run comparing upper income women against total women. We learn that Animal Planet and TLC have substantial strength in the morning daypart (when we compare them to a long list of all networks). The news networks are particular strong, with FoxNews ahead of CNN.

    Demo:	Women 18+ $50K+
    Base Demo:	Women 18+
    Daypart	Source	Rating Index	Cume Index
    Cable M-F 6-9am	AnimPlan	106	86
    Cable M-F 6-9am	TLC	117	91
    Cable M-F 6-9am	CNN	108	114
    Cable M-F 6-9am	FoxNews	122	115

    
    
  • New chart comparing reaches and potentials:
    Line-by-Line panel (or Details tab) now has a graphic view. Just click on the "graphic" checkbox. This display is very helpful in comparing exclusive reach, reach, and cume potentials.
    
    
  • New "Details" panel: "All Plans"
    Now you can compare results from all of your active plans in one simple table. (v 5.8b4)
    
    
  • Chart Improvements:
    • New checkboxes "3D" and "Obl" (oblique) give artistic view
    • New checkbox "Thick" draws lines thicker
    • Pie charts: New "Labels" checkbox attaches a label to every pie segment
    • "Curves" display can now be set to a much lower GRP level
    • A reminder: to zoom into any chart, click-and-drag down and to right to mark the zoomed-in area. To unzoom, drag up and left.
    
    
    
  • Frequency Distribution: now gives a description of each cell as mouse moves over the table
    
    
  • "Reports" tab (used for Copyreach™, Demo Viewership, and other reports) can now be exported to a text file
    
    
  • When definition of Effective Reach is changed...
    • this is now used as the default for subsequent new plansheets
    • and Switchpitch™ table is cleared
    
    
    
  • Optimize: Now highlights the specific components that encounter rule violations during the optimization process (v b4)
    
    
  • Switchpitch™: "Show Keepers" checkbox lets you hide the history list on the bottom, so as to be able to see more of the main table. (v b4)
    
    
  • Test added to compute mean and standard deviation for estimates

  Scripts

  • "Check Script" speeded-up for long scripts (v5.8b4)
    
    
  • Partial data files B and C: U.S. Nielsen releases data for syndication programs more than a month after data is completed for broadcast and cable. T-View now provides a way to handle U.S. broadcast and cable analysis prior to the delivery by Nielsen of syndication data. The "early" DAT files are noted by a "B" (broadcast only) or "C" (broadcast and cable only) suffix on the filename. For example, "N020708.DAT" has the full data for the week of July 8, 2002, while "N020708C.DAT" has broadcast and cable, without syndication. If both files are present, T-View uses the more complete file and ignores the other, which thus can be deleted.
    
    
  • "Programs" is the tab that formerly was labelled "Pgm Code."
    
    
  • Program lists:
    • New column: specific date of each program
    • New button: "Get Telecasts". When clicked, T-View constructs a list showing each telecast separately for each program.
    • Find All: In addition to finding entries that match the search term, it moves these entries to the top of the list for easy viewing. Click on any column heading to re-sort if desired.
    • "Sort As Air Schedule": this new popup menu item makes it easy to quickly generate an as-aired program schedule. Here's how:
      1. Create a script specifying the desired dates
      2. Create a daypart line as usual, with desired days, times, and networks of interest.
      3. With the daypart item highlighted, go to the "Pgm Code" tab, and click "Get Telecasts". You now have a list of all the telecasts.
      4. Right-click on the list, and choose "Sort As Air Schedule" from the pop-up menu. This will sort the list by time, within date, by network.
      5. To save this list, right-click on the list and choose "Save To Text File".
    • When the program list is saved to a text file (using the right-click popup menu) column headings are now included.
    • Fixed: The count shown in this list (in the column headed "#") now correctly shows the number of telecasts.
    • Fixed: Programs shown in list are now correctly filtered for the day, time, source group, source, and program types chosen for both the daypart line and for the daypart headers it belongs to. For example, if there is a header item that defines "Prime" and a line underneath it for "Sitcoms", then the filtered list shows only sitcoms in prime time. Previously, only the settings for that specific daypart line were observed, so the list would show sitcoms from all times of day.
    • Fixed: program filtering now correctly reflects any changes that have just been made in the filters. Previously, a click to another daypart line and back again sometimes was needed for the change to "take".
    
    
    

Version 5.7.4, October 7, 2002 (updated)

• Paste cells: you can copy a range of values from Excel or other source, and then Paste them into a range of cells on the T-View plansheet. After copying the values from the other program, click on a single cell in T-View, and choose Paste from the Edit menu. Cells to be pasted must be contiguous, with no empty rows in between, and all rows must be valid media rows. (To get text out of T-View cells, use the Export command.)

Version 5.7.3, September 3, 2002

• When an existing plansheet is opened, T-View looks for the TVD database upon which it is based. Now, if the TVD cannot be found at that location, T-View next tries looking in the locations where TVDs are expected, according to the paths set in the "PATHS" section of the INI file. (Since version 5.5.6, the location of the local "My Databases" path is set with the "tvdlocal=" tag, and the location of common databases is set with the "tvd=" tag.)
• Improved support for Canadian BBM national data [v 5.7.2]

Version 5.7.1, July 18, 2002

• Fixed erroneous reporting of an error when including specific syndication programs

Version 5.7, May 20, 2002

• TeleDemo™:
  Define a Demo Based on Viewership
  
  • Sample applications: how well does a plan reach...
    • What is the reach of our broadcast campaign against people who ever watch Junkyard Wars?
    • Women who ever watch daytime TV
    • Women who never watch daytime TV
    • Men who watch football
    • Kids that canÏ•t be reached by broadcast "kidsÏ• shows"
    • People who did not see our broadcast campaign
  • More sample applications:
    • Among men who were reached by our introductory flight, how many are reached by our sustaining campaign?
    • What is our delivery against women who ever (or never) watch daytime network television?
    • Among kids who ever watch Nick, Disney or Toon, how many are reached by our broadcast campaign?
  (Note: "TeleDemo" is a trademark of Stone House Systems, Inc.)

• Copyreach™:
  T·View now provides Copyreach™, a very slick and handy facility for analyzing exposure to the different creative executions in your campaign. In some campaigns, seeing only one execution might cause a viewer to completely misunderstand the creative message. From your conventional analyses, you may know that 60% of your target is seeing your campaign 3 or more times. BUT ... that does not tell you if they are seeing an assortment of the creative you are placing in that campaign, or if they are seeing just a single execution. That's what Copyreach does. Select a plan (by clicking on the plan letter in the "Table" view) and then choose "Copyreach" from the Explore menu. Or, right-click on the plan letter and choose "Copyreach" from the popup. (Note: "Copyreach" is a trademark of Stone House Systems, Inc.)

• "Multiple" Daypart Choices:
  You can now create a plansheet line entry consist of multiple chosen menu entries. For example, you can create a line that incorporates three of the items on a popup menu, without including other items. Or, you can combine entries from different submenus into one plansheet line item.

• Switchpitch™ goes interactive:
  
  • Switchpitch results are now presented in an easier-to-use grid format
  • Expand to show full details, or collapse for conciseness
  • Generated plans are color-coded to show changes
  • Sensitivity of color coding can be adjusted
  • Keep a history of promising plans
  • Continue doing Switchpitch variations on newly-generated plans
  • Save chosen new plans, or replace original plan

• Reach Curve Comparisons:
  
  • T·View now provides a way to view and compare the "reach curves" for different networks or dayparts. These "reach curves" illustrate how individual networks or dayparts accumulate audience over time, showing where growth is quickest, and where it tends to level out. You might use this chart to show how three cable networks compare, how two different dayparts compare, how Tuesday night delivers differently from Thursday night, or the pattern of accumulation for several different groups of specific program titles.
  • Internally, T·View is a completely respondent-based system, and so it has no need for any stored, static reach curves. The reach curves that T·View shows in this new display are all generated fresh, from exactly the definitions you create for a database.
  • Use of the reach curve display is simple, too: Make sure that all the elements that you wish to compare (networks, dayparts, or whatever) are all present on a plansheet. Into any plan column, enter any GRP value for each of the elements you wish to compare. Then go to the "Details" tab, and click on the new "Curves" button.
  • Reach curves can be moved to a graphics or presentation program: Click on the "Copy" button on the bottom of the panel.

• Plan using CPMs:
  • Table View can now be shown in either CPPs or CPMs
  • Click on the "CPP" column heading to toggle between "CPP" and "CPM"
  • You can enter CPMs directly into the CPM column (after entering a demo universe)
  • Table View's results will also show CPM

• More control over plansheet rows:
  • Move and rearrange rows: grab a row (using the new gray stub at the very left edge) and drag it to where you want it to be.
  • Delete a row: new command "Delete Row" on popup menu, available by clicking in the dayparts name area (or, right-click on the gray stub at left edge)
  • Insert a row: new command "Insert Row" on popup menu, available by clicking in the dayparts name area (or, right-click on the gray stub at left edge)

• Quicker navigation:
  • In Table view, click on the results at bottom of a plan column to jump immediately to Details for that plan
  • In Table view, right-click on results for plan-specific context menu (same as right-click on plan letter)

• Chart improvements:
  • In the "Build Up" display, you can now toggle which lines you want to have appear. For example, you may want to show curves only for total reach and your effective reach, as you have defined it. To do this, use the new set of checkboxes at the lower left.
  • Add a touch of pizazz to the "Build Up" and "Curves" charts by using the color grid at the lower left.
  • The numeric values from the "Build Up" and "Curves" charts now can be included in an Export, if desired.

• Lists of program titles and info:
  • At any of the three places in a script where T·View shows a list of programs, that list can now be saved as a text file for future use in a spreadsheet or word processor. Right-click on the list, and give a name for the text file to be created. (5.6.2)

• Other plansheet goodies:
  • T·View now displays progress as a plansheet is opened
  • A change to the setting for number of decimals is now also used as the default for subsequent new plansheets. (5.6.1.2)
  • More visible warning is displayed if an attempt is made to use total U.S. as the market base when using spot dayparts
  • Results panel is now cleared when new choice is made from spot market control and Auto Calc is off.
  • Fixed: bug that affected operation on certain office networks, when opening an existing plansheet.
  • Fixed: "invalid floating point" message if "0" is typed-in as the cost on all daypart lines
  • Fixed: deleted demo still was shown on list
  • When program is launched, if a plansheet named "doc1.tvw" is present, it will be opened immediately.

• Other script goodies:
  • When creating a brand new script, the default date range is now the most recent four weeks of data available (if source and path have been set)
  • List of networks contained in specific weeks: available with "Contents" button next to date entries.
  • The day-time grid now shows noon as "N" and midnight as "M" instead of "12"
  • For comparability with other systems, on the "Pgm Name" tab you can now use either "+" or "&" to indicate that two (or more) parts must be present in a program name. Example: night+news now produces the same list as night&news.
  • If no programming could be found for a daypart as it has been defined, a message is now shown on the script report (on the "Report" tab) and a message is given to the planner.

Version 5.6.2, March 2, 2002

Note that a new version 5.7 will be released soon with a number of cool new features. But in the meantime, version 5.6.2 is available for those needing one particular feature, the ability to save lists of programs: In any of the areas of the script from where a list of programs is shown, you can now right-click on the list to save the list to a text file. From there, you can bring the list to other programs, such as a word processor or a spreadsheet.

Version 5.6.1.4



Database Construction


• When the "Look for data folder" button is used to set a path to the location of the weekly data files, the dialog now starts by pointing at the location currently chosen.

Version 5.6, January 10, 2002

• It is now possible to have T-View "roll the dice" with audience exposures to simulate the range of reach results that may occur in real-life multiple airings of the same schedule. This is done with the new "Results" pop-up on the "Extras" panel in the Settings tab. When this is set to "Same every time", the same GRP level always produces the same reach. But when this is set to "Probability" a degree of statistical wobble is permitted; the same plan entered five times may produce five similar but different results.
• "Clear" command on Edit menu can now be used to clear GRP entries in all selected columns at once.
• Fixed: Demos can now be defined using the "Children Present" qualifiers, when using PxP data after October 2001.
  
  Database Construction
  
  
• MUCH FASTER OPERATION! Most scripts will now finish in about ONE-THIRD of the time previously required!
• Selected programs: schedule information on selected programs is now preserved when you switch from one daypart to another and back again.
• Fixed minor bugs related to setting of paths in the TVIEW.INI file
  (use of the word "TVD" no longer has to be upper-case only, and partial file paths are now understood to be relative to the application's own path)

Version 5.5.10, November 6, 2001

• New option: "Allow random draws" on "Extras" panel in Settings tab.

Version 5.5.9, October 16, 2001

• Export now correctly includes results for all plans
• Fixed occasional spurious message when erasing a GRP entry
• Line by line details are not available when entries are derived from another plan or another daypart. This is now fixed.
  
  Database Construction
  
  
• When creating a new script, the data source now automatically defaults to the last data source used. This in turn picks up the last correct default data path for that source.
• A new item has been added to the INI file. Set "weeklysupplier" to set the default supplier to be used when T-View is used for the first time on a new machine. Use weeklysupplier=N to specify U.S. Nielsen.
• These networks have been added to the Sources list: ESPN News, ESPN Classic, Soapnet, Lifetime Movie Network, Hallmark. Also, "TV Guide", the new name for Prevue, is now shown.
• Fixed a bug that could occasionally cause a crash during database construction.
• Fixed: Saving of a new script did not observe the setting of the "scripts" keyword in the tview.ini file.

Version 5.5.8, October 16, 2001

Version 5.5.6, September 24, 2001

• When a plansheet is re-opened, the active demo now will be the one that was active when it was saved
• Reach curves now use "smooth" calculation for better presentation
• The default location for plansheet files is now respected for both opening and saving files. (This location is set in the tview.ini file, in the "PATHS" section with the "save=" tag. If not specified, or if the specified path does not exist, the application's path is used.)
• Fixed: When using the Nielsen Persons Cume Studies, usage of the "~" and "#" symbols in the "dayparts.txt" file was not working correctly; this is now repaired.
  
  Database Construction
  
  
• When a script is saved and re-opened later, the data path will be set to whatever is the currently specified path for the data source, rather than to the path that was in use when the script was saved. This will make it easier to share scripts across different machines that have this path set differently.
• When a new plansheet is created and the user is asked for a database to be used, a radio choice is provided for either of two locations, one for "common" databases, another for "My Databases". (As before, a planner can also select a database from any other location. This is now done with a clearly-labelled "Other database" button.)
  • The "common" directory stores TVD files meant to be used by the whole company. The location and name of this directory are defined in the tview.ini file, in the "PATHS" section with the "tvd=" tag.
  • The "My Databases" directory stores TVD files meant to be used by a single planner, or by a group. The location and name of this directory are defined in the tview.ini file, in the "PATHS" section with the "tvdlocal=" tag.
  When a database is constructed, the default location will be the "My Databases" directory, but the user can switch to another directory if needed.
  
• The default location for opening and saving script files can now be set in the tview.ini file, in the "PATHS" section with the "scripts=" tag. If not specified, or if the specified path does not exist, the application's path is used.

Version 5.5.4, August 21, 2001

• Daypart Browser (first command on the Explore menu) now works for the 1999 cume study (as well as for the old 1996 study). Also check to make sure your "C99" folder contains the file "C99PGM.DAT". If not, you can download it by right-clicking here.
• "Rules" panel can now be opened using check box under enter list of dayparts
• GRP entries for a vehicle can now be computed from the entries for another vehicle. For example, we might set A&E to have half the weight of Discovery, or a Saturday network newscast to have one-fifth the weight placed on daily newscasts. Then, when an entry is made in the base vehicle, the other vehicle is updated automatically. This is done using the "Get Info" command on the vehicle pop-up menu.
• Links to SHS website now use updated address (www.shsmedia.com)

Version 5.5.2, August 8, 2001

• Fixed: correctly includes all submenu entries for spot dayparts

Version 5.5, July 18, 2001


• Adds support for local portion of 1999 Nielsen Persons Cume Study (which was only recently released by Nielsen)
• When using persons cume studies from either 1996 or 1999, T-View now requires a file containing market information. For the 1996 study, this file is "market96.dat" and should be in the C96 folder. You can download it by right-clicking here. For the 1999 study, this file is "market99.dat" and should be in the C99 folder. You can download it by right-clicking here.
• Save As dialog now shows directory of original file, as a default
• Save and Save As have improved capability to preserve original file if a problem is encountered during the save
• Fixed: display problem in "GRPs" column on "Line by Line" panel
• Fixed: repeated error display in event of calculation problem
• Fixed: after a plan was Cleared, old GRP entries reappeared when first new entry was made

Version 5.4.7, April 12, 2001

• In scripts, "Get Program" and "Preview" now show only those programs that pass filters on other tabs as well.
• Right after "Construct Database" is clicked, the user is first prompted to save the script itself, if necessary. Then the user is prompted to name the new database to be created.

Version 5.4.6, April 4, 2001

• "Cannot get file size": Fixed problem with file contention (multiple users trying to use a file at the same time).
• Right-click on the "Min" or "Max" headings in the Rules panel to copy all entries; the copied values can then be used to paste into a plan column.
• Expanded the message if a planner tries to optimize a plan if no plan is possible given the rules and constraints that have been specified.

Version 5.4.5, April 2, 2001

• "Cannot find file": Fixed problem with file contention (multiple users trying to use a file at the same time).
• Preliminary support for Simmons television cluster codes
• "Copy" button now provided on graphics panels
• Fixed occasional "tab control access error" message

Version 5.4.4, March 26, 2001

• Directory selection now works correctly for UNC-style servers.
• Removed error message if INI file is in a directory for which the user has no write permission.
• Examine certain internal values for debugging purposes (Settings tab, Extras)

Version 5.4.3, March 12, 2000

• Creating a new plansheet: when asked for the database to be used, there is now a choice "Look for another TVD" which permits user to choose any TVD database in any directory. [v5.4.2]
  
  
• Demo names can now be edited. Go to the demo dialog (either by choosing "Edit Demos" on the demo popup, or by using the "Demos" command on the Edit menu. Then, select a demo in the list at the lower right, and click the new "Edit" button.
  
  
• Also by using this new edit feature, you can enter a universe estimate for a demo. After a universe has been entered, this new information is now generated:
  Topline (Details tab)
  • Universe
  • Reach (as a number)
  • Effective reach (as a number)
  • Impressions
  • Cost per thousand (CPM)
    
    Recap (Details tab)
  • Cost per thousand (CPM)
  
  
• Expanded breakouts for education and occupation of head of household, when using TVD databases of Nielsen information (Nielsen does not supply this info for the cume studies).
  • New HOH education choices are grade school, some high school, high school grad, some college and 4+ years college.
  • New HOH occupation choices are professional/managerial, clerical, blue collar and non-working.
  
  
  
• Build-up chart can now extend beyond plan level to show projected growth of curves.
  
  
• For selecting networks to be included in a new daypart line, the same dialog is now used regardless of data source (PXP, 1996 cume, or 1999 cume).
• Either Shift or Ctrl can now be used to select additional column headings in Table view.
  
  
• FIXED: On main Table view, entry grid and result grid are now always in sync when cursor keys are used to move.
  
  
• FIXED: Demo popup on "Details" tab is now updated correctly when a demo is removed.
  
  Database Construction
  
  
• On the Pgm Codes tab, syndicated programs are now shown with identifiers for specific syndicators.
  
  
• On the Pgm Code and Pgm Name tabs, days of the week and times are now shown for programs. If a program airs on varying days or at varying times, then "var" is shown in the corresponding column. Syndicated programs do not have days or times, since they air differently in each market.
  
  
• Caution message now displayed upon entry of more than 13 weeks.
  
  
• New "Report" tab: after a database has been constructed (either successfully or unsuccessfully) a report on what happened is shown on the new "Report" tab. Youy can also examine report files generated for previous database creations as well.
  
  
• In the event of an error, a fuller descriptive message is now provided
  
  
• For clarity, "Script" commands and choices are hidden for clients that use only the cume studies. [v5.4.1]

Version 5.3.12, January 29, 2001

Scripts (database construction)

• Correctly open scripts with long specifications (2/6/01)
  

• In scripts, lists of networks and program types are now restored
  

• Spot dayparts work correctly when using 1996 cume study
  

• We have temporarily removed the feature (added in 5.3.7) that made TVD files smaller. It appears that this may have caused occasional problems when running under Windows NT.
  

Version 5.3.7, December 18, 2000

• Demo dialog: new "Remove" button to delete demos
  

• New "Clear" command on Edit menu, and on plan header popup menu, to clear out one or more selected plan columns
  

• Printing of "Details" tab: fixes printing glitches involving pie charts

  Scripts (database construction)

• Constructed TVD databases are now smaller, less than half their previous size
  

• List of selected programs now shows source network and program type
  

Version 5.3.6, November 20, 2000

• FIXED: Now able to generate quintile estimates for schedules with much, much larger total GRPs. (This time for sure!)
  

Version 5.3.5, November 7, 2000

• FIXED: inconsistently, scripts sometimes "skipped" the last line or two, resulting in an omitted daypart in the final database.
  

Version 5.3.4, November 1, 2000

• Fixes occasional problem with "Look for data folder" button on script window.
  

• For scripts, now keeps track of a separate path for each data supplier.
  

Version 5.3.3, October 18, 2000

• Fixed: "Pay" and "Broadcast-Only" demo choices are now correctly observed. Note: the change only concerns plansheets that use these demos; all other plansheets, the source data files themselves and any databases created with earlier releases are OK.
  

Version 5.3.2, September 20, 2000

• Fixed: Demo name wasn't showing on printed reports.
  

• When T·View is used for illustrating reach build-up, it may be desirable for presentation purposes to eliminate a normal, random variation in how plans fall. To do this, there is now a new control on the Settings tab. Click the "Extras" checkbox. Then, change the "calculation" popup control from "fast" to "smooth".
  

Version 5.3.1, September 15, 2000

• Frequency distribution now can be shown optionally with all levels from zero through 60.
  

• Quintile/N-Tile breaks can now be calculated for much larger schedules.
  

• New commands on the Help menu (and buttons on the About box) take you immediately to:
  • the T·View Planner's Guide
        (the complete manual for T·View) [v5.3.1]
  • the T·View updates web page
  • the SHS home page

• Build-Up chart now has an "Again" button
  

• Improvements to printing of the "Table" view:
  • The database used is now shown on header
  • Correctly prints multiple pages when needed
  • If multiple pages are needed, page numbers are shown on bottom
  • Correctly prints rules (if rules are showing) as well as GRP columns
  • For clarity and best use of space, results are now printed on last page only

• Fixed the "Daypart Browser" command (used with the Persons Cume Study)
  

• "Cume Max" is now available on the main Explore menu (it formerly was only on the right-click menu for plan column headings)
  

• The DAYPARTS.TXT file (used with the cume study) can now be located within the C96 folder.
  

• Can now set the TVD directory, using the "Database Info" command on the Help menu. The path to this directory is also saved to the TVIEW.INI file so that this change is observed when the INI file is placed on a new user's computer. [v5.3.1] (Note: this setting was removed in v5.5.6, in favor of a new item in the INI file.)
  

• (Fixed problem that prevented v5.3 from running)

Version 5.2, August 3, 2000

• New command: "Export" on File menu:
  • You can now write all of the text content of the "Table" and "Details" tabs to a text file (in "csv" format). From there, you can bring this information to Excel, Word, or other programs.
  • You can export only the current demo and current plan, or all demos and plans.

• New report: "Line by Line":
  This panel on the "Details" tab provides important information on each daypart component in a plan, including:
  • Reach: the reach achieved by each component on its own
  • Exclusive reach: reach that is attained by a component, but none of the others
  • Cume max: the potential reach that is possible for each daypart component on its own
  • CPRP (Cost Per Reach Point): the daypart's cost divided by its own reach
    
  These new measures can be helpful diagnostics for the value of each component in a television plan. They also can reveal or illustrate strengths or weaknesses of specific elements or networks.

• New columns added to "Recap" panel:
  -- Percent of GRPs in each daypart component
  -- Percent of total cost in each daypart component
  

• More visible splitter bar in Table view, and in panels on scripts.
  

• Added AMC, American Movie Classics, to source list (Nielsen just added it to the PxP files recently.)
  

Version 5.1.2, May 30, 2000 (11:38 pm, CDT)

• Database Construction
  
  
  • FIXED: Program list was not observed after first network included

Version 5.1.1, May 30, 2000

• Random draw of respondents now lets you divide the panel up into multiple sub-cells, not just two.
  
  
• Database Construction
  
  
  • A radio button choice on the "program" tab now allows you to specify programs to be excluded from the definition of a daypart.

Version 5.1 (Preview), May 9, 2000

• Visual Editor for Database Construction
  
  
  Version 5.1 completes the Visual editor for database construction! Now you can define "dayparts" by matching on specific programs. Moreover, T·View provides two different tools to do this:
  1. You can pick and choose programs from a list (with no need to use Nielsen program codes).
  2. This is nifty: you can also define a set of programs by means of matching text: for example, specifying "nascar" will match all programs with that word in the name. This means that in future uses of the script, you will pick up even new programs that match!
  Here are the details:
  
  
  • New qualifier in scripts: program number
    
    
    • Choose specific program titles from a list: no more need to use Nielsen's program code numbers! (Yippee!)
    • Search through list of programs to find by name
    
    
  • New qualifier in scripts: program name
    
    
    • You can now specify words (or parts of words) to identify programs that should be included in the daypart group you're defining.
    • For example, if you specify "night" then such programs as "Nightline", "Nightly News", and "Friday Night" will be included in the daypart.
    • Case is not significant: "RACE", "race" and "Race" are the same.
    • The search words must match the way program names are shown in the listings provided by Nielsen.
    • Use a "~" (tilde) to show several pieces all of which must be present. Example: "night~news" will match "Nightly News" and "News Tonight", but it will not match "Friday Night".
    • If any of several program names are to be included, type in each search term on a separate line. For example, to create a daypart with hockey games, you may wish to have a search line for "nhl" and also a search line for "hockey".
    • As always, you can review the "_rpt" report file to examine just what was included in the TVD database created with a script.

  • When you create a new script, the data supplier and the path to the data will default to the last setting you made for these (so you don't have to re-enter this so often!)

  • When program type codes or source codes are typed-in manually, the list now reflects the changes.

  • Change to end date now changes number of weeks automatically

  • Buttons to add dayparts have new labels: "New" and "New Indented"

  • Ignores redundant use of same program number on same line

• Fixed: "Revise Plan Total" command on Edit menu now works correctly

Version 5.0.17, April 7, 2000

• Fixed: Could not retrieve info for dayparts including certain spot sources.

Version 5.0.16, April 6, 2000

• Fixed: when running a script with more than about 40 weeks, system would give message that "households are not in order". This is now fixed.

• New command: "Database Info" on "Help" menu gives a few items of information about a selected TVD file.

• As before, XDM files for use with cume study should be placed in an "XDM" folder. Previously, that folder had to be in the same directory as the T·View EXE file. Now, the XDM folder can be contained within the C96 folder.

• The Settings tab now shows the name of the current database, and the dates from which it draws information.

Version 5.0.15, April 3, 2000

• FIXED: When running a script, the message that "qualifier was previously defined" occasionally was displayed, even though no real problem existed.

Version 5.0.14, April 3, 2000

• new "Revise Plan Totals" command (on Edit menu and also on popup for column header)

• demo dialog: new checkbox sets how random draws will proceed

• Optimization "report" previously only showed the "score" for each evaluated plan, which is an evaluation that includes the reach performance as well as other quantitative and qualitative factors. The report now shows the raw reach (or effective reach) in addition to the score.

  Database Construction

• Now shows the range of dates for which data is available

• FIXED: correctly use data files from Januany 2000

• FIXED: small problems in checkboxes and tab appearance in Visual scripts

Version 5.0.13, March 20, 2000

• FIXED occasional failure to accept a daypart ("error 14880") when selected from popup menu in T·View plansheet.

• When choosing networks, sources are now in alphabetic order

  Database Construction

• "Where is data" now defaults to path specified in tview.ini, in the "[PATHS]" section, "weekly=" item

Version 5.0.11, March 6, 2000

• Newly-constructed daypart entries now have a more complete name

• "Get Info" for a daypart (use the popup menu for components) now allows editing of the daypart name within its dialog

• Fixed: If "Households With" was left selected when using a PxP plansheet, it had stayed on even when using a subsequent PCS plansheet.

Version 5.0.11, March 6, 2000

• If data files needed for a new plansheet are not present, a message is given when a new plansheet is requested. (Previously, there was just a puzzling silence.)

• The database used by a plansheet is now shown prominently near the top right of the sheet.

• Scripts:
  • Improved error checking when "Check Script" or "Construct Database" is clicked.
  • FIXED: The "broadcast" definition no longer disappears unexpectedly.
  • FIXED: Script definition for "Synd" was shown on source tab rather than "group" tab.
  • When changing days and times using the visual grid, it is no longer necessary to click anything for the change to "take"; the "hand" button has been removed.
  • There is now a "revert" button next to the definition for an entry. You can click this to restore whatever the definition was before you made changes to that entry.

• Optimization:
  • All options in the dialog now show "hints"
  • Dialog now refers to "components" instead of "elements" (for consistency)

Version 5.0.9, February 29, 2000

• Requires entry of a 6-digit ID, the first time you use the system. (You will NOT need to enter this again upon future updates.)

• FIXED: Bug that prevented "Save As" on scripts ("Range error")

• FIXED: Inadvertent error message if whole name of a script line was deleted

• FIXED: List of program numbers, only last number was accepted

February 28, 2000

• Visual Scripting
  • Two views of script: Visual and Text
  • Can freely switch back and forth, preserving all changes
  • Visual editor for day/time
  • Direct entry for networks, program types, program numbers (Reference provided for nets and types)

• New "All Demos" report on "Details" tab

• Many bug fixes

(We are missing records of most of the changes from May 1998 through February 2000)

August 7, 1999 Version 4.5

• >the "preview" message is now gone
• the Windows version now shows its name as "PTV" and the TView logo has been removed.
• BUT ALSO -- PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT OTHER GOODIES ADDED TO THIS VERSION AS WELL! Please see the web page for full details on recent changes. Those details are missing.

May 11, 1998

• Optimization: the original plan is now used as a base reference for proceeding. This makes sure that the original plan is given strong consideration when calculating where to go next, and it also guarantees that the "optimized" plan is at least as good as the original plan.
• MUCH nicer printer reports (try it!)

May 1, 1998

• Print: now produces a formatted printed reported, instead on just ascreen dump
• Total lines are now shown on Details/Sched Recap
• Cells on a daypart line that have no GRP entry now are shown as "--" instead of empty.
• If demo is changed on Details tab, this is reflected on the Table tab
• Fixed: Decimal setting is now saved on file
• Fixed: memory leak during calculations
• Fixed: preserve demo names on popup menu on Details tab when doc is saved and re-opened
• Eliminated "wobble" in reach estimates: this eliminates occasional declining reaches. This also will help optimizations to reach a solution faster by avoiding dithering as the "best" point is closed in on.
• N-tiles
  • N-tiles are now shown via the Details tab
  • settings now moved next to n-tiles themselves

We are missing the detailed record of changes in the Windows T·View version 5 before May 1998. But here is report sent to clients as T·View version 5 was nearing completion.

September 1, 1999

Status Report on PxP and T·View

I want to thank you for your continued patience and anticipation for the debut of T·View support for full, continuous Nielsen PxP data. It's been a long effort, but the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight. It's a good thing, too, because after a sleepless summer of long days, I'm ready for some serious R&R!

As you know, we hired a separate programming group to write a key component of the new system; that's fortunate because it let me focus on the nitty-gritty of the Nielsen nuances and the actual media calculations. But, it wasn't quite like getting twice as much done in the same period, because there were a lot of details that had to be clarified and ironed out.

So, let me tell you about what we've got, how it works, and when it should be ready!

The philosophy of the new system (which will probably be called simply T·View 5 -- any other ideas?) is to remain faithful to T·View's positioning as a planning and research system, rather than a buying-related system. This means that we wanted to keep the simplicity and clarity of the T·View interface as much as possible. We have been told many times that a problem with the other PxP systems is the general complexity of setting up a base of information, and then taking planning questions to it.

The answer to this is to envision a "custom cume study" or "custom database" which conceptually appears the same as the persons cume study (that makes it simple to use) but which is also completely customized (for the full flexibility enabled by the PxP data). At the start of an analysis cycle, a new custom database is constructed. (I'll tell more about that in a moment.) When done, the planner can use T·View pretty much as usual: he/she launches T·View and a new plansheet is presented. However, instead of automatically using the persons cume study, T·View 5 will ask which database to use. This will be either the PCS or one of the custom databases that has been created. To a large extent, the user experience (that is, how it feels to the planner) will be very much the same.

That's what the objective was. Now, I'll turn to what's under the hood. There were three very substantial programming efforts required for T·View 5:

1. a "data cleaner" -- this is now completed!
2. a database generator -- the core capability is now completed
3. T·View modifications -- in-progress

The "data cleaner" is a system that we will use here to process Nielsen data when it is received. The source Nielsen data is, well, messy and needs to be organized, cleaned, pruned, and then packaged in a slimmer and more convenient set of files. That's so that we can send you files much nicer to deal with than the Nielsen originals.

The "data cleaner" was constructed in such a way so as to simplify future use of data from Canada, other countries, or future non-Nielsen U.S. sources. The "data cleaner" produces a neutral, non-Nielsen-specific result. These "SHS weekly" data files have little or no Nielsen-ness about them. This means that we have isolated the unique codes and structures of the Nielsen data very early in the process, so that following stages are oblivious to the real source of the data. If we did this right, we should be able to accommodate Canadian data, say, merely by modifying the data cleaner program alone.

The purpose of the database generator is to take your date span and daypart definitions and construct a database for later use. This database generator turned out to be the thorniest element of the system, with lots of checks and double-checks required to resolve oddities and quirks that popped up regarding the demo and viewing data. Mindful of the advice we had been given about the nasty interfaces of certain other systems, we wanted the generator to be as simple to use as possible. So, what we have is a totally script-driven system. That means that you prepare a list of the dayparts and their definitions, using just a plain text file. This gives you the full comfort and familiarity of your editor to make these definitions as elaborate as you like. It also means that you can tweak an existing definition set with just a few edits, rather than a complicated interfacy session. We've also given ourselves some room, though: the heart of the generator is a pure-code DLL, that is, all it does is crunches. If we want to add a pretty interface later, we can do that easily. (By the way, any good name suggestions for this database generator program?)

The databases so constructed will be like the cume study in another way, too: since the guiding principal of the development is that T·View is a planning system, we have taken the approach that schedules are constructed from spots placed on programs, with doublespotting as a rare phenomenon. The persons cume study did this (as you may recall) by creating a "pool 1" group consisting of one spot in each telecase. That is essentially what we are doing here. However, a high priority for us, once we have the initial test release out, is to devise a good strategy for sports in particular, where doublespotting is commonplace.

The final programming effort was that of modifying T·View for the new data. The trickiest part was giving T·View the ability to use flexibly-defined dayparts; the actual calculations, R&F, optimizations, etc., are all pretty much the same (yippee). The T·View modifications are in-progress now.

OK, so what about timing?

I am hoping to have a runnable-though-rough T·View 5 in your hands by September 24. All the network viewing will be available, with cable and synd to follow shortly thereafter (we think). This version will have a pre-defined database, with the customization script stuff to follow. The database itself will be bulkier than the final version's will be (we have to add the stuff that does the compression and decompression).

I am sure that various subtleties will emerge, and we'll have opportunities for imaginative approaches and solutions. (How's that for an upbeat spin?)

Again, I thank you for your patience and continued enthusiasm. T·View 5 is a-coming, and I think you'll be pleased with the results.

By all means, call me with any comments, questions, or suggestions you may have!

-- Kevin

What Goes Where?

    (Click for full-size view.)


Here is an illustration of the files used by the Windows version of T·View. This gives a quick overview of what files get put where.

SHS home page:
Information on media products and services of Stone House Systems, Inc.