DASH in AWS Elemental MediaPackage

MediaPackage supports Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) for delivering content to a wide range of devices. DASH is an adaptive bitrate streaming protocol that enables high-quality streaming experiences by dynamically adapting to changing network conditions.

DASH features and capabilities

When using DASH in MediaPackage, you can take advantage of the following features:

• Container type: DASH requires the CMAF container type.

• Multi-period support: MediaPackage supports multi-period DASH manifests, which enable advanced features like ad insertion, content switching, and DRM key rotation.

• Segment template formats: MediaPackage supports the Number with timeline segment template format, which uses the $Number$ variable to refer to segments in the media attribute of the SegmentTemplate tag.

• UTC timing options: MediaPackage provides multiple options for synchronizing players to coordinated universal time (UTC), including UTC Direct, HTTP Head, HTTP Iso, and HTTP Xsdate.

• SCTE-35 ad markers: MediaPackage supports signaling ad markers in DASH manifests using either Binary or XML formats.

• Encryption: DASH supports both CENC and CBCS encryption methods with PlayReady, Widevine, and Irdeto (CENC only) DRM systems.

DASH manifest structure

A DASH manifest, also known as a Media Presentation Description (MPD), is an XML document that describes the available media segments, their relationships, and other characteristics. The main components of a DASH manifest include:

• MPD: The root element containing metadata about the presentation, including profiles, type (static or dynamic), and availability start time.

• Period: Represents a period of time in the media presentation. A manifest can contain multiple periods for features like ad insertion.

• AdaptationSet: Groups related media content, such as different encodings of the same audio or video content.

• Representation: Describes a specific version of the content, such as a particular bitrate or resolution.

• SegmentTemplate: Defines how to construct URLs for media segments and provides timing information.

MediaPackage generates DASH manifests that conform to the DASH-IF Interoperability Guidelines, ensuring broad compatibility with DASH players.

DASH period triggers

MediaPackage allows you to configure how periods are created in DASH manifests. You can choose from the following period triggers:

• Avails: Creates new periods when SCTE-35 ad markers that pass the configured filter are encountered.

• DRM key rotation: Creates new periods when encryption keys are rotated.

• Source changes: Creates new periods when there are changes in the stream set.

• Source disruptions: Creates new periods when there are gaps in all content streams.

• None: Formats the manifest as a single period, only creating additional periods when DRM settings change.

For more information about multi-period DASH, see Multi-period DASH in AWS Elemental MediaPackage.

DASH use cases

Consider using DASH endpoints in the following scenarios:

• Delivering content to Android devices and smart TVs that support DASH

• Implementing advanced advertising workflows with multi-period DASH

• Supporting DRM-protected content with PlayReady, Widevine, or Irdeto

• Creating multi-protocol streaming workflows that need to include DASH alongside other formats

For information about creating DASH endpoints, see Create a DASH manifest.