Dealing with Ad Insertion and Program Boundary markers in VOS Cloud for Live OTT Services

Ad Insertion

SCTE 35 messages are the way Content Providers like to signal Ad insertion opportunities and Program Boundaries for blacking out particular programs due to content rights

VOS implements handling of those events by generating frame accurate IDRs that will be used to either break the segment in HLS or start and end a period in DASH. These are inserted into the output if the SCTE 35 message matches the following criteria:

• command type is splice_insert (0x05)

or

• time_signal (0x06)
• segmentation descriptor is present
• segmentation_type_id != 1

To enable this feature enable add on in the service configuration


 and then turn on Video Insertion



The SCTE 35 messages are passed into the HLS and DASH outputs in one of two forms either:

• Base64 encoded sections
• SCTE35 2016 XML

Program Blackout

Handling of blackout events is similar in this case we turn the blackout slate on and off

An SCTE-35 message qualifies as a slate on  if it satisfies ALL the following conditions:

• command type is splice_insert (0x05) or time_signal (0x06)
• segmentation descriptor is present
• segmentation_event_cancel_indicator == 0
• delivery_not_restricted_flag == 0 
• web_delivery_allowed_flag == 0

An SCTE-35 message qualifies as a slate off if it satisfies ALL the following conditions

• command type is splice_insert (0x05) or time_signal (0x06)
• segmentation descriptor is present
• segmentation_event_cancel_indicator == 0
• delivery_not_restricted_flag != 0 OR web_delivery_allowed_flag != 0
• priority of current message >= priority of the "out_point 

*priority of the message is determined by the segmentation_type_id. See below.Priority (highest = 0) as follows

• 0 Not Indicated (0x00)
• 1 Program Start (0x10) / End (0x11) / Overlap Start (0x17)
• 2 Chapter Start (0x20) / End (0x21)
• 3 Provider Advertisement Start (0x30) / End (0x31)
• 4 Distributor Advertisement Start (0x32) / End (0x33)
• 5 Placement Opportunity Start (0x34) / End (0x35)
• 999 Otherwise

To enable this feature enable add on in the service configuration



and then enable the blackout slate



Don't forget to pick an image.

Handling Odd Ball SCTE 35 messages or Letting Other Systems Know About Them

Although this feature handles SCTE 35 usage from most content providers it does not handle all usage observed in the field. In addition other systems may require information about the SCTE 35 events to enable Ad selection or client blackout handling. VOS enables this by implementing the Transcoder to Placement Opportunity Insertion Service interface as defined in the OpenCable Real-time Event Signaling and Management API . This enable the POIS to insert SCTE 35 messages or rewrite the SCTE 35 messages in the incoming service according to your in house rules.

To enable this feature navigate to Configure -> Settings -> Advanced and enter the endpoint of the POIS server



Then return to the service configuration and enter the Acquisition Point ID for the service. This is the unique key in that identifies the service on the POIS.