Zype Playout now includes Dynamic Block Builder — a new composition mode on the Dynamic Block asset that lets schedulers anchor a fixed-duration programming block on a primary asset and automatically fill the remaining time from configured content pools. Blocks land on their scheduled duration with dramatically less (often zero) fallback slate.
What changed
- Primary Asset type on the Dynamic Block form: Static (anchor) or Dynamic (pool-based).
- Secondary Content Config with Random or Custom Sequence fill methods.
- Pre-Fill / Break / Post-Fill segment sequences, each with asset type, content pool, and max items.
- Frequency Caps per asset type (bumper / video / ad) with minute / hour / day / week / month cooldowns.
- Shrink Block to Content (fitToContent) toggle.
- A Preview tab showing iterations and a Fallback warning when pools can’t fully fill the block.
What a Block Builder block actually is
A Block Builder block is a Dynamic Block with Primary Asset Type = Static. The primary slot holds a single anchor asset. The remaining time is filled by secondary content segments (pre-roll, break, post-roll), each drawn from a configured pool.
Filler selection is rules-based: deterministic filtering plus a random draw from the eligible subset.
When to use Block Builder vs. a standard Dynamic Block
| Use Block Builder (Static primary) when… | Use a standard Dynamic Block (Dynamic primary) when… |
| You have a known main program and want Playout to fill fixed-length slots around it. | You want Playout to generate a block entirely from a content pool. |
| You need bumpers, promos, or ads placed at specific points (pre-roll / break / post-roll). | Filler placement isn’t the priority — you want binge-style content that rotates. |
| You want a reusable template block where only the anchor changes. | You want the entire block to rotate based on catalog rules. |
| ℹ️ Tip: Block Builder and standard Dynamic Blocks use the same underlying asset. Switching between them is as simple as changing the Primary Asset Type toggle. |
What’s changing for existing blocks
Your existing blocks are unaffected. Dynamic Blocks with Dynamic-primary content keep working exactly as before. If you were using the legacy ad toggle configuration, that setup has been replaced by Fill Sequences — a more flexible segment-based model. See the Migration Guide (Article 4) for details on upgrading. If you weren’t using ads, there’s nothing to migrate.
Related Articles
- How to Create a Block with Dynamic Block Builder
- Frequency Capping and No-Repeat Windows
- Migration Guide: Upgrading to Fill Sequences on Dynamic Blocks