Introduction
When we gets in touch of ad insertion techniques in streaming media then we hear these terms like VAST, VPAID, MRAID and VMAP. These all terms are having a bit of difference in each other.
For Example , whenever we watch the videos on Youtube then go through some ads. These ads can be at the starting of video or mid of video or end of video. Now how these ads are inserted in the content or video. What protocol we need to follow to insert these ads? We will get to know here.
What Is VMAP
VMAP stands for Video Multiple Ad Playlist. It is a XML Template. It is useful for the content creators to define the ad slots in their content. Where it defines how many ads in how many slots and in how much time these needs to play.
In other words, VMAP is responsible to perform following tasks by content creator,
(1) Insert the ads wherever he wants in content.
(2) Define the each ad duration.
(3) Define the number of ads in one ad slot.
(4) Define total number of ad breaks.
VMAP is structured format of ad breaks within content only, because content creators do not have control over the video player. So it provides the playlist of ad breaks. VAST is used to fill the ads in these ad breaks. This is major difference between VMAP and VAST.
Working Of VMAP
As shown above in the figure first a request is made by the web browser or player which is indicated as 1. This is called VMAP Request which goes directly to the Primary Ad Server. This Primary Ad Server analyse the request and provides VMAP in response. In the third step the video player plays the ads according to slots available in VMAP. Where ad breaks gives the reference of VAST for playing the ads.
In the final step URI tracking request are send by the video player to the primary ad server as well as secondary as server. These URIs denotes the start and end of ads.
When a primary ad server dont directly manage the ads then secondary ad server is used for ads to video player. Video Multiple Ad Playlist can also used for insertion of ads in live content.
The thing which we need to keep in mind here is that VMAP does not serve the ad here because ads are served by the ad servers. While VMAP contains a structured format of video content with ad slots. In these slots ads are filled by Ad Server via VAST.
Conclusion Of VMAP
Video Multiple Ad Playlist facilitate the content creator to define the ad breaks within the content in a way that how many ads are available in this content, how long a ad needs to play and how many sequential ads are available there etc. Where sequential ads means sequence of ads after one another.
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