By default, FieldStation42 picks a random video from a folder each time a show is scheduled. Sequences change that: they play episodes in order, picking up where they left off each time. If you've got a series you want to watch from beginning to end, this is how you do it.
Setting Up a Sequence
Add a sequence name to any time slot in your station config:
"monday": {
"20": {
"tags": "star_trek",
"sequence": "trek_sequential"
}
}
Videos in the star_trek folder are sorted alphabetically, and each day at 8 PM the next episode plays. When it reaches the end, it loops back to the beginning. The position is saved between runs.
Name your files so they sort correctly:
star_trek/
├── S01E01 - The Cage.mp4
├── S01E02 - Where No Man Has Gone Before.mp4
├── S01E03 - The Corbomite Maneuver.mp4
...
Sequences also work with nested folders (like season subfolders). All videos are collected recursively and sorted by full path, so a structure like star_trek/Season 1/S01E01.mp4 works fine.
The sequence name can be anything you want. It's just a label that FieldStation42 uses to track the position.
Multiple Sequences of the Same Show
Use different sequence names to run independent progressions of the same show:
"monday": {
"17": {
"tags": "star_trek",
"sequence": "afternoon_trek"
},
"20": {
"tags": "star_trek",
"sequence": "primetime_trek"
}
}
The afternoon and primetime showings track their positions separately, so they'll be on different episodes. This is great for simulating the way real TV networks would air a show in syndication at one time and new episodes at another.
Internally, the sequence key is <TAG>-<SEQUENCE_NAME>, so star_trek-afternoon_trek and star_trek-primetime_trek are tracked independently. Even if two different shows share the same sequence name, they won't interfere with each other:
"21": {"tags": "friends", "sequence": "prime"},
"22": {"tags": "seinfeld", "sequence": "prime"}
Both friends-prime and seinfeld-prime are tracked separately.
Sequence Start and End Points
You can play only part of a series by setting start and end percentages (0.0 to 1.0):
"weekday_day": {
"17": {
"tags": "xfiles",
"sequence": "daily_xfiles",
"sequence_start": 0.0,
"sequence_end": 0.75
}
},
"friday_prime": {
"21": {
"tags": "xfiles",
"sequence": "primetime_xfiles",
"sequence_start": 0.75,
"sequence_end": 1.0
}
}
This plays the first 75% of X-Files episodes (the older seasons) during the weekday 5 PM slot, and the final 25% (newer seasons) on Friday at 9 PM. If you have 100 episodes, that's episodes 1 through 75 and 76 through 100.
This is great for playing classic seasons during the day and recent seasons at primetime, or splitting a long series across different time slots.
When a sequence reaches its end point, it loops back to its start point (not the beginning of the series).
Random Start Position
Setting sequence_start to a negative number (such as -1) tells FieldStation42 to pick a random starting episode on the first run through the series. Once it reaches sequence_end, it loops back to episode one and continues normally from there.
"20": {
"tags": "star_trek",
"sequence": "trek_nightly",
"sequence_start": -1,
"sequence_end": 1.0
}
This is useful when you're setting up multiple new sequences and don't want them all to start from the pilot. The first night drops into a random episode mid-run; after that the series cycles from the beginning as usual.
Scanning and Rebuilding Sequences
After you add or change sequences in your config, scan them:
python3 station_42.py --scan_sequences
To delete and rescan all sequences from scratch:
python3 station_42.py --rebuild_sequences
If you get errors during scanning, try rebuilding your catalog first with --rebuild_catalog.
Random Show Rotation
The random_show strategy sits between fully random play and a fixed sequence. Instead of picking a random episode each time a slot comes up, it picks a random show, plays that show's episodes in order until they run out, then picks a different show at random and starts again.
To use it, add "sequence_strategy": "random_show" alongside a sequence name on any time slot:
"20": {
"tags": "sitcoms",
"sequence": "evening_sitcoms",
"sequence_strategy": "random_show"
}
How the Folder Structure Works
The random_show strategy looks at the immediate subdirectories under your tag folder and treats each one as a show. Season folders inside a show directory are detected automatically and their episodes are collected in order.
catalog/classic/
└── sitcoms/
├── Cheers/
│ ├── S01E01.mp4
│ └── S01E02.mp4
├── Seinfeld/
│ ├── Season 1/
│ │ ├── S01E01.mp4
│ │ └── S01E02.mp4
│ └── Season 2/
│ └── S02E01.mp4
└── Friends/
├── S01E01.mp4
└── S01E02.mp4
One show is chosen at random and played in episode order. When the last episode of that show airs, another show from the same folder is chosen at random and takes over.
Using random_show with Tag Arrays
When you use a tag array to split an hour across multiple shows, each slot position needs its own independent tracking so they can be on different shows. Add a sequence_id_array with one name per tag to give each slot position a stable identity:
"15": {
"tags": ["sitcoms", "sitcoms"],
"sequence": "the_block",
"sequence_id_array": ["block_a", "block_b"],
"sequence_strategy": "random_show",
"schedule_increment": 30
}
Without sequence_id_array, both half-hours would share the same tracking and always be on the same show. With it, each slot position independently picks and advances through its own show.
Tags in the array don't have to be identical. This two-hour block runs any sitcom in the first hour and restricts the second hour to 1990s shows only, while both hours belong to the same named sequence:
"15": {
"tags": ["sitcoms", "sitcoms"],
"sequence": "the_block",
"sequence_id_array": ["block_a", "block_b"],
"sequence_strategy": "random_show",
"schedule_increment": 30
},
"16": {
"tags": ["sitcoms/1990s", "sitcoms/1990s"],
"sequence": "the_block",
"sequence_id_array": ["block_c", "block_d"],
"sequence_strategy": "random_show",
"schedule_increment": 30
}
A resulting schedule might look like this:
15:00 - Friends (playing S01E03)
15:30 - Perfect Strangers (playing S02E01)
16:00 - Frasier (playing S01E07)
16:30 - Seinfeld (playing S03E02)
When Friends finishes its run, the block_a slot picks a new show from sitcoms/ and starts from episode one.
State and Rebuilding
The active show selection for each slot is stored in the database and survives restarts. Rebuilding sequences with --rebuild_sequences resets these selections along with the episode positions.
Random Play (No Sequence)
If you don't add a sequence to a time slot, episodes play randomly. This doesn't affect any existing sequences for that show:
"21": {"tags": "xfiles"}
Random slots and sequenced slots can coexist for the same show without interfering with each other.
Things to Know
- Sequence names can be anything you want
- Each channel tracks its sequences independently
- Changing
sequence_startorsequence_endresets the sequence position - Sequences always loop when they reach their end point
- Catalog rebuilds do not affect sequence positions
- When a schedule is deleted, the sequence rewinds to the correct point
- Store only series episodes in the tag folder (keep other content elsewhere so it doesn't get mixed into the sequence)
- Subfolders (like season folders) are supported and sorted by full path
Content Storage Tips
Keep your sequence folders clean. If you have a star_trek folder that feeds a sequence, every video in that folder (and its subfolders) becomes part of the sequence. Stray files like trailers or bonus content will get mixed in.
A good structure:
catalog/my_channel/
├── star_trek/
│ ├── Season 1/
│ │ ├── S01E01 - The Cage.mp4
│ │ ├── S01E02 - Where No Man Has Gone Before.mp4
│ ├── Season 2/
│ │ ├── S02E01 - Amok Time.mp4
The key is consistent naming with zero-padded numbers so files sort correctly. Episode10.mp4 sorts before Episode2.mp4 alphabetically, so use Episode02.mp4 and Episode10.mp4 instead.