VOD content ad behavior

AWS Elemental MediaTailor handles ads for video on demand (VOD) content for HLS and DASH. MediaTailor inserts or replaces ads in VOD streams based on how the origin server configured the ad markers in the master manifest, or whether the ad decision server (ADS) sends VMAP responses.

For ad behavior by marker configuration, see the following sections.

Ad markers are present

Ad markers allow AWS Elemental MediaTailor to insert ads throughout the manifest. Ad markers with a zero duration indicate ad insertion.

HLS ad marker examples

For HLS post-rolls, CUE-OUT/IN markers must precede the last content segment. This is because the HLS spec requires tag decorators to be explicitly declared before a segment.

For example, consider the following declaration.

#EXT-X-CUE-OUT: 0
#EXT-X-CUE-IN
#EXTINF:4.000,
Videocontent.ts
#EXT-X-ENDLIST

AWS Elemental MediaTailor inserts a post-roll like the following.

#EXTINF:4.000,
Videocontent.ts
#EXT-X-DISCONTINUITY
#EXTINF:3.0,
Adsegment1.ts
#EXTINF:3.0,
Adsegment2.ts
#EXTINF:1.0,
Adsegment3.ts
#EXT-X-ENDLIST

You can't use multiple CUE-OUT/IN tags in succession to mimic ad pod behavior. This is because CUE-OUT/IN tags must be explicitly attached to a segment.

For example, the following declaration is invalid.

#EXT-X-CUE-OUT: 0
#EXT-X-CUE-IN
#EXT-X-CUE-OUT: 0
#EXT-X-CUE-IN
#EXT-X-CUE-OUT: 0
#EXT-X-CUE-IN
#EXTINF:4.000,
Videocontent.ts

The following declaration is valid.

#EXT-X-CUE-OUT: 0
#EXT-X-CUE-IN
#EXTINF:4.000,
Somecontent1.ts
#EXT-X-CUE-OUT: 0
#EXT-X-CUE-IN
#EXTINF:4.000,
Somecontent2.ts
#EXT-X-CUE-OUT: 0
#EXT-X-CUE-IN
#EXTINF:4.000,
Videocontent.ts

The preceding declaration results in an output like the following.

Ad 1
Somecontent.ts
Ad 2
Somecontent2.ts
Videocontent.ts
Post-Roll Ad 3

No ad markers

Although ad markers are the preferred way of signaling ad breaks in a live manifest, the markers are not required for VOD content. If the manifest doesn't contain ad markers, MediaTailor makes a single call to the ADS and creates ad breaks based on the response:

• If the ADS sends a VAST response, then MediaTailor inserts all ads from the response in an ad break at the start of the manifest. This is a pre-roll.

• If the ADS sends a VMAP response, then MediaTailor uses the ad break time offsets to create breaks and insert them throughout the manifest at the specified times (pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll). MediaTailor uses all ads from each ad break in the VMAP response for each ad break in the manifest.

  Note

  When a segment overlaps an insertion point with VMAP for VOD content, MediaTailor rounds down to the nearest insertion point.

  Tip

  If you want to create mid-roll ad breaks but your ADS doesn't support VMAP, then ensure that there are ad markers in the manifest. MediaTailor inserts ads at the markers, as described in the following sections.