IAB DIGITAL VIDEO
GLOSSARY
1
IAB.COM/DIGITALVIDEOGLOSSARY
TERM DEFINITION
GENERAL VIDEO TERMS
Ad-based Video On-Demand
(AVOD)
A streaming video service that offers consumers
access to a catalogue of on-demand content and
contains advertisements.
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Addressability
The ability to target a message to a device, browser, segment, and/or individual. Those
segments could be matched or modeled by behavioral, demographic, and geographic
factors from 1st, 2nd, or 3rd party data sets.
Addressable TV
Technology that lets you show different ads to different audience segments watching
the same TV program on IPTV and set top boxes. Those segments could be defined by
behavioral, demographic, and geographic factors from 1st, 2nd, or 3rd party data sets.
Advanced TV
Any television content that has evolved beyond traditional, linear television delivery models.
This umbrella term is inclusive of the following:
- Interactive TV (iTV): The catch-all term for adding a viewer engagement piece to television.
This can include both interactive content and advertising, and can be delivered in a variety
of ways, including through the first- and second-screen.
- Connected TV (CTV): A television set that is connected to the Internet via OTT devices, Blu-
ray players, streaming box or stick, and gaming consoles, or has built-in internet capabilities
(i.e., a Smart TV) and is able to access a variety of long-form and short-form web-based
content.
- Smart TV: A subset of Connected TV.
- Linear Addressable: The addressable ad inserted into live programming. For example,
DirecTV, Dish, and Cablevision’s inventory is all linear addressable.
- VOD Addressable: The addressable ad is inserted into cable programs within the
VOD content accessible through a cable provider set top box. For example, Comcast’s
addressable inventory is VOD addressable.
Augmented
Reality (AR)
An experience that utilizes a camera to change or enhance something in the user's real
world. This augmented reality experience can be app based or web-based, though app
based is more common today. Note: Although the term utilizes the word "reality", the
experience does not need to look realistic. Ads within AR can be presented in two ways:
through the use of markers (such as QR code) or by placing a brand object in the immediate
real world environment using the device camera
Channel
A mechanism of distribution that refers to live or on-demand online content stream(s)
featuring user or publisher content, curated together.
Cross-Screen Measurement
Tracking and measurement of video metrics across Mobile/Tablet/Out-of-Home/
Television/Advanced TV/Desktop.
Data-Driven Linear TV
The ability to use different data sets including demographics, interests, and viewing
behavior to optimize a linear TV schedule that uses specific networks and dayparts to
better reach an advertiser's audience.
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TERM DEFINITION
Live Streaming Video
Video content streamed digitally in real time as the event or
program takes place. Content can be streamed on mobile
devices, computers, smart TVs, or internet-enabled TVs.
LIVE STREAMING VIDEO
Multi-Channel Network (MCN)
A standalone entity that leverages digital video platforms to enable content producers
to program, promote, monetize, and distribute their content as well as offer technical
assistance in exchange for a percentage of the ad revenue earned.
Multi-Channel Video
Programming Distributor
(MVPD)
A service provider that delivers video programming services, usually for a subscription fee
(pay television). Usually includes cable, satellite, and telecommunications service providers.
Subscription Video On-Demand
(SVOD)
A streaming service that consumers subscribe to for a fee and can access a catalogue of
on-demand content
TV Everywhere
An online business model in which television broadcasters, particularly cable networks,
allow their customers to access live and/or on-demand video content from their networks
through Internet-based services. The fee for such access is covered as part of their
subscription to the service, via an MVPD. The viewers use credentials from their MVPD for
authentication and access to the content.
User Generated Content (UGC)
Content that is voluntarily generated by individuals* that has the potential to create
engagement and/or drive conversation. *Individuals are defined as those who do not have
a material connection with a brand. This would exclude paid influencers or professional
bloggers
Video Aspect Ratio
Video comes in several aspect ratios. The two main ones are widescreen (16:9) and
standard (4:3). The aspect ratio of an image describes the proportional relationship
between its width and its height. It is commonly expressed as two numbers separated by
a colon, i.e., 16:9. Preferred aspect ratio is 16:9 (formatted for HD screens). For vertical
video, the recommended aspect ratio is 9:16 (most phones), 3:4 (iPad), and 10:16 & 2:3
(other phones/tablets). For more information please refer to the Digital Video In-Stream Ad
Format Guidelines doc section 2.2.1. This document provides useful information on frame
rate, audio data, etc. We also refer to HLS and recommend using these files to create
the adaptive bitrate file fragments. In addition, section 2.2.2 focuses on SSAI through a
“Mezzanine file” that can easily be used to transcode on the fly.
Video On Demand (VOD)
Video content that is controlled, enabled, and consumed whenever a viewer wants after
its official release date or original air date and time. VOD content can be found on set top
boxes, OTT devices, mobile web, mobile apps, and video streaming services.
Virtual MVPD (vMVPD)
New form of digital-only cable alternative which provides access to on-demand and live
content delivered over the internet without the traditional network infrastructure (i.e.
DirecTV Now, Hulu with Live TV, PlayStation, Sling TV, Vue).
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TERM DEFINITION
Virtual Reality (VR)
An experience that is made to be significantly more immersive than standard video
assets. VR allows a user to be completely immersed into an environment of the marketer’s
choice. Ads within VR must occur within either a designated ad space (such as street side
billboard), as a video (that might play in a
virtual home TV or virtual movie theater), or as
an object (such as a branded bag of potato
chips on the table). Fully branded 3D scenes
can also be created as “virtual rooms.”
AD & CREATIVE TYPE TERMS
360 Video Ads
360-degree videos, also known as immersive videos or spherical videos, are video
recordings where a view in every direction is recorded at the same time, shot using an
omnidirectional camera or a collection of cameras. During playback the viewer has control
of the viewing direction like a panorama. These types of ads can be served without
requiring a VR headset, using keyboard/mouse/touch controls or motion sensors in
smartphones/tablets to control the viewing orientation.
Ad Pod
An individual ad pod is a group of ads expected to play back-to-back in one commercial
ad break similar to how consumers experience commercial ad breaks in broadcast
television. An ad pod can be of varying lengths and can be inserted at any point in a
stream of content (pre, mid, or post).
Autoplay Video Ad
A video ad or an ad linked with video content that initiates ‘‘play’’ without user interaction
or without an explicit action to start the video (essentially automatically starting without a
‘‘play’’ button being clicked by the user).
Branded Video Content
BRAND
0:00 3:00
Video content that is supported by a brand and is non-
promotional in nature. It grabs the attention of the
consumer and drives engagement through content.
Dynamic Creative
Video ad creative customized in advance and/or able to transform itself upon delivery
to target relevant audience segments. Customization may include delivering a specific
combination of ad content such as the copy, the background images, and the size and
color of the call-to-action button.
In-Stream Video Ad
Played before, during or after the streaming video content that the consumer has requested
(Pre-roll, Mid-roll, Post-roll). These ads cannot typically be stopped from being played
(particularly with pre-roll) but can sometimes be skipped. This format is frequently used to
monetize the video content that the publisher is delivering. In-Stream Video Ads can be
played inside short or long-form video and rely on video content for their delivery. There
are four different types of video content where in-stream may play: UGC (User Generated
Content/Video), Syndicated, Sourced and Journalistic. In-Stream Video Ads are displayed
within the context of streaming video content.
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TERM DEFINITION
Interactive Video
A type of digital video creative that can take user input to perform some enhanced actions
through elements integrated above and beyond the standard video playback controls
(i.e., play, pause, rewind, and mute). These interactions can include varied calls-to-actions,
forms, polls/surveys, links, chapter menus and hot-spots that may affect story progression
of the video content and/or drill down on specific parts of the content itself. The goal
of the creative is to give the user various options to engage with the message beyond
viewing the video.
AD
Interstitial
Video Ad
Video ads that occur between two content pages. These formats are most often found in
apps. They are considered less disruptive as they occur during natural transition points
for a consumer.
Long-Form Video
Video content that always has a content arc with a beginning, middle, and end and
that, in its entirety typically lasts longer than 8 minutes (i.e., movies and original series).
If the content is ad supported, it typically contains breaks (mid-roll). This is different than
commercial videos, which typically put the product upfront and run under one minute.
Native Advertising
A form of paid media where the ad experience follows the natural form and function of
the user experience in which it is placed. These paid ads aspire to be so cohesive with the
page content, assimilated into the design, and consistent with the platform behavior that
the viewer simply feels that they belong.
Outstream Video Ad
A form of video advertising that takes place outside
of In-Stream Video content. One type of outstream
video is in-feed video ads which are found in
content, social, or product feeds. Another type of
outstream video ad is in-article video ads that are
served between text.
Short-Form Video Ad
Video content that has a duration of less than 8 minutes.
Skippable Video Ad
Video ads that allow viewers to skip after a predetermined number of seconds
Sticky Video Ad
(aka adhesion ad)
Video ads that are anchored to the bottom or top
of the screen and follow the user as they scroll.
They are allowed under the following guidance: 1.
Ad height MUST be less than 25% of the screen
height. 2. The ad MUST have a clear boundary to
separate it from the content. 3. The ad MUST cover
the full width of the screen edge to edge. 4. The ad
MUST have a ‘close button’ above top right corner
of the ad as defined in LEAN User Experience and
Ad Content.
AD
WEBSITE
Opt-In Value-Exchange Ads
(aka rewarded ads)
Premium ads that offer consumers something in exchange for providing their time and
attention. In all instances, the value exchange is opt-in. Video is a commonly used type of
opt-in value exchange placement.
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TERM DEFINITION
Vertical Video Ads
“Vertical Video” is displayed in portrait mode but can be shot in portrait/landscape mode
- i.e., skinny and tall video (9:16 aspect ratio), rather than the widescreen format (16:9
aspect ratio) normalized by movies and television. These types of video ads are mostly
displayed in mobile devices as they have the optimal aspect ratio to fill the whole screen.
METRIC TERMS
Audible and Viewable on
Complete (AVOC)
The percentage of measurable impressions that were audible and viewable when the
video reached completion.
.
Cost Per Completed View
(CPCV)
The price an advertiser pays every time a video ad runs through to completion. Rather than
paying for all impressions, some of which may have been stopped before completion, an
advertiser only pays for ads that finished (CPCV = Cost
÷
Completed Views).
Cost per point (CPP)
A pricing model based on the cost of a campaign divided by each full percentage rating
point of a targeted demographic that the campaign successfully reaches.
Cost per view (CPV)
A pricing model where the advertiser only pays for a video start. Typically sold at 1000
impressions.
Cost per viewable impression
(CPVI or VCPM/VCPV)
A pricing model where the advertiser only pays for video ad impressions that are
considered viewable based upon MRC and IAB viewability guidelines. Typically sold at
1000 impressions.
Gross Rating Point (GRP)
A term used to measure the size of an audience reached by a specific media vehicle or
schedule. It is used to measure the exposure to one or more programs or commercials,
without regard to multiple exposures of the same advertising to individuals. For example, an
advertisement that is aired/served 5 times reaching 50% of the target audience each time
it is aired would have a GRP of 250 (5 x 50%). GRP values are typically used by media
buyers to compare the advertising strength of various media vehicles.
Quartiles
Percentage of video ad viewed continuously at a normal speed. If a rewind event occurs
during play, percent complete may be calculated on total amount of unduplicated video
viewed at normal speed. Each section of the video may only be considered once in the
calculation. This definition governs the triggering of any “partial play” metrics, such as the
common quartile percentages (25%, 50%, 75%), most commonly tracked as first quartile
(the creative played continuously for at least 25% of the total duration at normal speed),
midpoint (the creative played continuously for at least 50% of the total duration at normal
speed), and third quartile (the creative played continuously for at least 75% of the duration
at normal speed). Specifically, reporting on any partial play should be the result of how
much of the ad was played at normal speed. Publishers and marketers may measure
progress in different increments in addition to these percent complete quartiles, but these
quartiles offer a baseline measurement and should be used whether or not other methods
are used.
Target Rating Point (TRP)
The percentage of an advertiser’s target audience that sees its commercials, advertisements,
or campaign. Typically advertising is bought against a guaranteed demographic or
audience segment. The TRP expresses that guaranteed audience.
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TERM DEFINITION
Video ad completion
When a video ad starts and plays through its entire duration to completion.
Video ad completion rate (VCR)
The percentage of all video ads that play through their
entire duration to completion. Also known as Video
Completion Rate (VCR). Not to be confused with the
videocassette recorder.
Viewability Rate
The percentage of video ad impressions that were deemed viewable as per the video
viewability definition of the measurement vendor
Viewable video impression
A desktop video ad or mobile video ad that meets the criteria of: (i) Desktop: 50% of the
ad’s pixels on an in-focus browser tab in the viewable space of the browser page that has
met the time criterion that two continuous seconds of the video advertisement is played.
(ii) Mobile: 50% of the ad’s pixels on an in-focus browser or a fully downloaded, opened,
initialized application, on the viewable space of the device that has met the time criterion that
two continuous seconds of the video advertisement is played. (iii) For both desktop video and
mobile video, the required time is not necessarily the first two seconds of the video ad; any
unduplicated content of the ad comprising two continuous seconds qualifies in this regard.
TECHNOLOGY TERMS
Adaptive Bitrate Streaming
(ABS)
Adaptive streaming is a technical process that adjusts the quality of a video delivered to
the client/video player of a connected device based on changing network conditions,
video buffer status, and CPU utilization to ensure the best possible viewer experience. The
video quality is determined and set by real time detections of a user’s available bandwidth
(throughput), video buffer capacity and CPU utilization. Based on these conditions the
bitrate is adjusted in real time to ensure the best possible quality.
Automated Content Recognition
(ACR)
ACR is an opt-in identification technology embedded in a device that allows content to
be recognized by video, audio or watermark cues and matched back to a database for
verification. This technology can recognize content regardless of its distribution source (i.e.
OTT, linear, etc.). Marketers use this information to understand when a consumer has seen
their ads.
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TERM DEFINITION
Bitrate or bit rate
Encoded bit rate: The number of bits (or amount of data) per second that has been used
to store a media signal. In audio, this usually is presented in kilobits per second (or kb/s
or kbps), while for high-quality video, this might be presented in megabits per second (or
Mbps, or Mb/s). For example, the music you buy on iTunes is 256 kilobits per second,
meaning there are 256 kilobits of data stored in every second of a song, and an HD video
file might be encoded at 2.0 megabits per second, meaning there are two megabits of
data.
The encoded bit rate is the one used for business requirements as it represents a strong
signal of fidelity.
Available bit rate: The instantaneous delivery rate of data in bits per second (bps), kilobits
per second (kbps), megabits per second (mbps), etc. from the source server to destination
device through one or many digital networks. The slowest portion of the network path
determines the end-to-end maximum bitrate of the delivered stream. Some media content
such as audio streams may use less than the maximum available bandwidth. HTTS Live
Streaming (HLS) is a variable bitrate protocol for delivering video content. HLS starts the
stream at a low bitrate which provides low video resolution and increases the bitrate and
video resolution as the network conditions permit.
The available bit rate is used for technical purposes as it represents how much data can be
passed from the ad server to the client for an ad to deliver without jitter.
Connected TV (CTV)
A television set that is connected to the Internet via OTT devices, Blu-ray players and
gaming consoles or has built-in Internet capabilities (i.e., a Smart Television) and is able to
access a variety of long-form and short-form web-based content.
Content Distribution Network
(CDN)
A service that hosts online assets
and provides content management via
servers located around the globe to
reduce the latency of downloads
to users.
Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI)
Technology that allows advertisers to swap out ad creatives in video on demand content.
Encoding/transcoding/
renditions
Encoding when referencing video or audio involves the change from one physical format to
another, i.e., the change from
film to digital format, or change from analog to video.
Transcoding refers to the creation of a file from one of a similar format, i.e., compressing
a video file (e.g., mp4) at different bitrates from a source file (e.g., MOV). The source file,
known as the mezzanine, and the resulting compressed versions of the same creative,
known as renditions, are all digital in format, although they may be different dimensions
and bitrates from one another.
Please note: Encoding of video should not be confused with encoding of reserved/special
characters in http links to pixels, click-throughs, calls to VAST, or other http assets. More
information on what constitutes a character that has a special purpose in http and how they
must be percent encoded to prevent failure is detailed here.
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TERM DEFINITION
Identifier for Advertising on
OTT (OTT IFA)
The Guidelines for Identifier for Advertising (IFA) on OTT platforms are recommendations
on how to maintain a high-quality advertising experience within over-the-top television
(OTT) environments. These technical guidelines provide instructions on best practices for
delivering targeted ads, as well as controlling ad frequency and rotation across a wide
variety of disparate smart TVs, connected devices, and other OTT systems. In order to be
compliant with these guidelines, these three parameters must be sent as part of any ad
request: identifier for advertising (IFA), IFA type, and Limit Ad Tracking (lmt).
Latency
1) The time it takes for a data packet to move across a network connection.
2) The delay between request and display of content and an ad. Latency sometimes leads
to the user leaving the site prior to the opportunity to see. In streaming media, latency can
create stream degradation if it causes the packets, which must be received and played in
order, to arrive out of order
Over the top device (OTT)
A device that can connect to a TV (or functionality within the TV itself) to facilitate the
delivery of Internet-based video content (i.e., streaming boxes, media streaming devices,
Smart TV’s and gaming consoles).
Over the top video (OTT Video)
Over the Top Video is video content transported from a video provider to a connected
device over the Internet outside the closed networks of telecom and cable providers.
Server-side ad insertion (SSAI)
Server-side ad insertion (often referred to as “ad stitching”) is the process of stitching video
content and ads together on the server side level rather than on the browser level (Client
Side Ad Insertion). Videos and video ads are coming from different places—videos typically
come from a content delivery network (CDN) and ads from an ad server (video ads can
also be served from CDNs, although content CDNs and ad CDNs often differ). These are
then combined on the fly when people start watching videos. With server-side ad stitching,
that combination of video and advertising happens on the backend.
Server-side ad insertion allows for smoother ad user experiences as users do not have to
wait for players to fetch ads and render them in real time. The stitching is all done prior to
the user getting the ad break/pod. In the ad stitching process, ad specs are matched with
content specs resulting in more consistent viewer experience as the ad quality will match the
content quality.
SSAI also allows publishers to mitigate ad blocking, as video content and ads are stitched
together as a cohesive stream on the server side which allows them to bypass browser or
device-level detection/blocking. When a browser or device-level script makes a call to the
ad-decisioning system, the ad blocker can identify that signal, as opposed to a server-side
script where the ads are already stitched into the player’s content, making it impossible to
distinguish an ad from content.
This is a great solution for a publisher, however advertisers may have concerns with
measurement being made server side and request such delivery to be distinguished in
reporting.
Streaming
1) Technology that permits continuous audio and video delivered to a device from a remote
website.
2) An Internet data transfer technique that allows the user to see and hear audio and video
files. The host or source compresses, then “streams” small packets of information over the
Internet to the user, who can access the content as it is received.
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TERM DEFINITION
Video ad serving template
(VAST)
A framework for serving ads to
a video player. The specification
also describes expected player
behavior for executing ads that
are supplied using VAST. The
interaction between the ad and
the player is unidirectional,
meaning that once the player
receives the VAST tag no
other interactions are possible except for the activation of select tracking beacons at
appropriate times during ad playback.
Video multiple ad playlist
(VMAP)
VMAP is an XML template that video content owners and ad networks can use to schedule
multiple ad insertions from a single tag. It is an ad response format that allows the definition
of the number of ad pods and how long each should be for the full piece of content. VMAP
allows content owners, who don’t control the video player or the content distribution network
to pre-define the ad breaks in their content when their content plays in a third-party video
player. Many content owners retain the contractual right to control the ad ‘playlist’ within
their content, but without control of the video player, defining the ad playlist has been next
to impossible. With the release of VMAP, control of the ad playlist is now available to the
content owner.
VAST supports the ability to serve multiple ads in a single VAST ad response. A set of
sequenced ads in a VAST response plays back-to-back ads as a “pod,” similar to how
consumers experience commercial ad breaks in broadcast television. With the introduction
of VMAP, ad breaks can be specifically designed to accept Ad Pods and any combination
of single ads, random sets of ads and structured ad pods. VMAP can include nested VAST
3.0 tags as well as the ability to serve multiple ads in a single ad response, however VAST
2.0 is still widely used, as often the need is only to deliver one ad at a time.
Video player-ad interface
definition (VPAID)
The protocol between the ad and the video player required to enable ad interactivity
and other advanced video advertising functionality. VPAID offers bilateral (two-way)
communication between the ad and the video player, and meets the needs of emerging in-
stream formats such as nonlinear video ads and interactive linear video ads. NOTE: One
of the challenges with VPAID is its lack of transparency where publishers are not aware of
the intent/content of the VPAID. This is addressed in VAST4.x where nodes for verification/
measurement and for interactivity are explicitly identified. Over the longer term, VPAID is
expected to be phased out, with the Open Measurement Framework serving as the
replacement of VPAID for verification and measurement use cases and a new spec
(codenamed “VPAID-i”) focused purely on interactivity. The Digital Video Working Group
is working on “VPAID-i” for early 2019. See http://bit.ly/videoAdVision for more
information.
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TERM DEFINITION
DATA TERMS
Return path data (RPD)
TV tuning data that comes from set-top
boxes in cable and satellite subscribers’
homes. It can include information
like the programs subscribers watch,
when they watch them and where the
subscriber households are located.
This data helps enable audience
measurement and addressable
advertising capabilities.
Video level data
Information about a video comprised by analysis of available metadata, which is used to
help users search for videos and help marketers with content targeting efforts.
