Unified Origin - DAI¶
Live stream with Dynamic Ad Replacement
Ad replacement for live is built to industry specifications for assured interoperability with global ad vendors and partners. Chosen by major broadcasters, streaming providers and telcos for its ease of integration, playout compatibility and quality of user experience. A proven solution replacing advertisements in live streams watched by millions of viewers everyday.
Key features
- Industry standard ad break signaling, uses SCTE 35 markers to signal advertisement opportunities
- Supports HLS and MPEG-DASH, without breaking backward compatibility for older formats like Smooth
- Frame accurate, cuts and splices at the exact ad break boundaries
Main benefits
- Proven compatibility, works with the majority of third-party ad replacement services
- No client-side integration, works natively on many players, increasing the size of your potential audience
- Increase revenue, target ads per region, user and demographic
- Seamless playback, transitions between programs and ad breaks without buffering or artifacts
- Advanced ad break signaling, use SCTE 35's 'splice_insert' for simple ad break signaling, or leverage 'time_signal' for your advanced use cases
How it works
As in a regular live workflow an encoder posts a live stream to Origin, which ingests it, creating a live archive on disk to stream from. To enable ad replacement the live encoder sends SCTE 35 markers as part of the stream, with additional keyframes wherever the start or end of an ad break is signaled.
From the live archive, Unified Origin generates a stream with splice points at the start and end of each ad break. A third-party ad replacement service then manipulates the manifest to replace the existing ads with more relevant ones.
Table of Contents
Note
Apart from below, more background about timed metadata in our blog post: How to make your media streams smarter using timed metadata.
Introduction to Timed Metadata / SCTE 35¶
When streaming Live, metadata can be used to 'mark' a certain timestamp in the stream. Such a mark is also called a 'cue'. These markers or cues are pushed to a publishing point as part of a separate track and are carried in SCTE 35 messages, which, like the contents of all other tracks, need to be packaged in fMP4 containers.
SCTE 35 messages can contain info about a program or other relevant data, but for the current document it is most important that they can cue splice points in a stream.
A splice point is a specific timestamp in a stream that corresponds to an IDR frame that is signaled as being a sync-sample. This means that the splice point offers the opportunity to seamlessly switch the livestream to a different clip. Splice points can be used to cue:
- (Ad) replacement/insertion opportunities
- Start and endpoint of a program (for Live2VOD see Capturing LIVE)
When the timestamp of the cue that signals a splice point does not correspond to
the start of a media segment in the stream (i.e., it does not correspond to any
of the IDR frames that are present in the stream by default), the encoder that
pushes the livestream to the publishing point, needs to insert an additional
IDR frame at the timestamp that the cue signals. If the --splice_media
option is enabled, Origin then splices frame accurately and part of the media
segment that contains the splice point is merged with either the previous or the
next segment so that the number of segments before and after splicing remains
the same.
In addition to splicing the media segments, if necessary, Origin will also signal the splice points in the Apple HLS and MPEG-DASH client manifests. A third party service may then be used to insert a clip into the livestream at such a splice point to create an ad insertion or ad replacement workflow, for example.
Different types of SCTE 35 signals¶
Unified Streaming products support the handling of:
- splice_insert()
- time_signal()
- segmentation_descriptor()
And are capable of fulfilling the requirements in the following presentation formats:
- HLS TS
- HLS fMP4
- MPEG-DASH (when using a SegmentList or SegmentTemplate)
Product support for SCTE 35 is based upon the following specifications and guidelines:
- SCTE 35 (2019)
- SCTE 214-1 (2016)
- SCTE 67 (2017) Guidelines
- HTTP Live Streaming
- Apple HLS Authoring Specification
- MPEG DASH Specification ISO/IEC 23009-1:2019
splice_insert()¶
- A legacy command (as described in Section 9.1 of SCTE 35 (2019)) to indicate where a break can occur within a program stream.
- Still widely used in the industry (until all systems support time_signal)
- Commands trigger either CUE-OUT (to the ad break) or CUE-IN (from the ad break) or both.
- Breaks cannot overlap each other.
Section 9.2 of SCTE 35 (2019) outlines the following requirements for
delivery of metadata in advance of the desired presentationTime
:
The splice_insert() message shall be sent at least once a minimum of 4 seconds in advance of the desired splice time for a network Out Point condition. It is recommended that, if a return-to-network (an In Point) message is sent, the same minimum 4 second pre- roll be provided.
time_signal()¶
- The successor command to indicate where a break can occur within a program stream.
- Beginning to be adopted more in the industry.
- Commands are supplied in pairs with each CUE-OUT/CUE-IN being used to describe a different type of break.
- Can be used to decribe different types of 'breaks' (program, chapter, etc.)
Section 10.3.3 of SCTE 35 (2019) outlines the following requirements for
delivery of metadata in advance of the desired presentationTime
:
The time_signal() or splice_insert() message should be sent at least once a minimum of 4 seconds in advance of the signaled splice_time() to permit the insertion device to place the splice_info_section() accurately.
For further information on using 'time_signal()', please see --time_signal below.
Different types of messages¶
The processing entity (e.g., Packager or Origin) can receive SCTE 35 messages delivered as an event message track containing:
- DASH Events stored in an ‘emsg’ box
- Cablelabs ESAM stored in an ‘mdat’ box

DASH Events (emsg)¶
- Part of MPEG DASH Specification ISO/IEC 23009-1:2019
- Allows the message to be converted between Binary/XML format
- Adopted by companies such as Telestream, MediaExcel, others
When converted to XML the message can take the following form:
<EventStream xmlns="urn:mpeg:dash:schema:mpd:2011"
schemeIdUri="urn:scte:scte35:2013:xml"
value="2" timescale="10000000">
<!-- 2019-12-19T08:30:21.942400Z -->
<Event presentationTime="15767442219424000" duration="150000000" id="1576744212">
<Signal xmlns="http://www.scte.org/schemas/35/2016">
<SpliceInfoSection>
<SpliceInsert spliceEventId="1576744212"
outOfNetworkIndicator="1"
spliceImmediateFlag="0"
uniqueProgramId="0"
availNum="0"
availsExpected="0">
<Program>
<SpliceTime ptsTime="1259272022" />
</Program>
<BreakDuration autoReturn="1" duration="1350000" />
</SpliceInsert>
</SpliceInfoSection>
</Signal>
</Event>
</EventStream>
Cablelabs (ESAM)¶
- Part of Cablelabs ESAM specification OC-SP-ESAM-API
- SCTE 35 messages delivered as XML
- XML can be extracted directly from the file delivered
- Adopted by AWS Elemental (Live, MediaLive)
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<sig:AcquiredSignal xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xmlns:cond="http://www.cablelabs.com/namespaces/metadata/xsd/conditioning/2"
xmlns:sig="http://www.cablelabs.com/namespaces/metadata/xsd/signaling/2"
xmlns="http://www.cablelabs.com/namespaces/metadata/xsd/conditioning/2"
xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.cablelabs.com/namespaces/metadata/xsd/conditioning/2 ESAM_Signal.xsd">
<AcquiredSignal acquisitionPointIdentity=""
acquisitionSignalID="5f7943fd-7ffa-d8aa-feff-fbfff8b69e92">
<sig:UTCPoint utcPoint="2017-10-05T23:47:43.138Z"/>
<sig:BinaryData signalType="SCTE35">/DAlAAAAAA4QAP/wFAUAAAACf+/+ABjGMP4ADbugAAEBAQAAbRyXaw==</sig:BinaryData>
<sig:StreamTimes>
<sig:StreamTime timeType="HSS" timeValue="15072472620400000"/>
<sig:StreamTime timeType="SignalID"
timeValue="NWY3OTQzZmQtN2ZmYS1kOGFhLWZlZmYtZmJmZmY4YjY5ZTky"/>
<sig:StreamTime timeType="Duration" timeValue="100000000"/>
</sig:StreamTimes>
</AcquiredSignal>
Enabling Media Splicing on SCTE 35 Markers¶
--timed_metadata¶
New in version 1.9.0.
If your USP license includes support for timed metadata, you can enable Origin
to pass it through using the --timed_metadata
option when creating the
server manifest. SCTE 35 messages that Origin ingests are then automatically
signaled in the MPEG-DASH and Apple HLS client manifests.
By default Origin uses the SCTE 35 splice_insert() command as markers for ad breaks and period boundaries.
--splice_media¶
New in version 1.9.0.
This option requires that your USP license includes support for timed metadata
and that the --timed_metadata option is enabled on the publishing
point of your livestream. When this is true and your content contains SCTE 35
markers that signal splice points, Origin can be instructed to splice the
MPEG-DASH and Apple HLS media segments on these splice points by enabling the
--splice_media
when creating the Live server manifest.
--time_signal¶
New in version 1.10.15.
The SCTE 35 splice_insert() is considered legacy and a better alternative is to use the SCTE 35 time_signal() command to signal splice events.
This option takes a comma separated list of segmentation type ids that mark the ad breaks and period boundaries.
segmentation_type_id | Segmentation Message |
---|---|
34 | Break Start |
35 | Break End |
48 | Provider Advertisement Start |
49 | Provider Advertisement End |
50 | Distributor Advertisement Start |
51 | Distributor Advertisement End |
52 | Provider Placement Opportunity Start |
53 | Provider Placement Opportunity End |
54 | Provider Overlay Placement Opportunity Start |
55 | Provider Overlay Placement Opportunity End |
56 | Distributor Overlay Placement Opportunity Start |
57 | Distributor Overlay Placement Opportunity End |
Note
For HLS output the selected types will be signalled as either SCTE-OUT or SCTE-IN as appropriate. All other types will be SCTE-CMD.
Attention
It's crucial that the archive_length
set when creating the publishing
point is longer than the longest possible ad break for that
particular live stream.
Origin Ingest Requirements¶
Origin supports the ingest of SCTE 35 messages in the form of DASH event
messages.
This means that SCTE 35 messages need to be contained in an emsg
box inside
an fMP4 container. The SCTE 35 messages need to be stored in binary, with a
schemeIdUri
of urn:scte:scte35:2013:bin
.
The timing of the cue must be sample accurate and it is an error to not have an IDR frame (which must be signaled as being a sync-sample) at the time of a cue. In other words, the encoder must ensure that an IDR frame is present at each timestamp that is signaled in a SCTE 35 message. Also, if an additional IDR frame needs to be inserted, the encoder should not shorten or lengthen any of the media segments but keep the original length intact.
SCTE 35 markers must be received by Unified Origin at least 2x ahead of the specified [hls|mpd].minimum_fragment_length. Example:
- 2 x minimum_fragment_length = latest receive time
- 2 x 6s = 12s
Using time_shift to reduce the time required:
- 2 x minimum_fragment_length - time_shift = latest receive time
- 2 x 6s - 8s = 4s
Using smaller minimum_fragment_length:
- 2 x minimum_fragment_length = latest receive time
- 2 x 4s = 8s
To give some context as to why it exists:
The shortest part of any sliced segment needs to be either prepended to the next segment (if the the second 'half' of sliced segment is the shortest) or appended to the segment before (if the the first 'half' of sliced segment is the shortest). As changing the duration of previously announced segment is not allowed, we need to know about any splicing (via the SCTE marker) that needs to be signaled before the segment that precedes the segment within which the splice opportunity occurs.
In addition to the above, the regular ingest requirements should be followed, as documented in Content Preparation.
SCTE 35 cue events¶
Note
We follow the guidelines as described in SCTE 67 (2017) Guidelines. In particular chapter 8.1: Starting a Break.
The SCTE 35 splice_insert()
is used to announce an opportunity to either
splice out of the network into an ad (a 'cue-out event'), or splice into
network, out of an ad.
A cue-out event is indicated by a SCTE 35 splice_insert()
message with the
out_of_network_indicator
field set to 1
. The break_duration()
must
be present and signal the duration of the break. The auto_return
flag shall
be 1 (Auto Return Mode).
Note
A cue-out event should not overlap other cue-out events.
A SCTE 35 splice_insert()
message that signals the return to the main
content can be referred to as a 'cue-in event' and must have the
out_of_network_indicator
set to 0
.
When present, its splice_event_id
must match an associated cue-out event.
The time of the cue that signals the switch back to the main content must match
the sum of the associated cue-out's time and duration.
The presence of a 'cue-in event' is not required to successfully signal a break, as Origin can calculate the end time of a break from the information contained in the 'cue-out event' (i.e., start of break + duration of break = end of break).
A cue event may cause Origin to splice a media segment. Since a media segment can only be spliced once, you cannot have cues with time ranges that refer to the same media segment. E.g., when using 8 seconds media segments you cannot have a cue-out marker with a duration shorter than 8 seconds. This should not pose a problem because in practice the (ad) insertion opportunities are much longer than a single media segment.
Origin Playout¶
The events signaled in SCTE 35 messages are passed through to the client
manifests when this feature is part of your USP license and you have enabled the
--timed_metadata
option for the particular publishing point. For HLS, the
events are signaled using the EXT-X-DATERANGE
tag and a combination of the
EXT-X-CUE-OUT
and EXT-X-CUE-IN
tags, while for MPEG-DASH they are
signaled in DASH Event Messages.
For HLS, the EXT-X-DATERANGE
and EXT-X-CUE-OUT
plus EXT-X-CUE-IN
tags present different ways of signaling similar information. By adding them
both, compatibility with a broader range of third party services that make use
of these tags is ensured. Some of these services rely on the EXT-X-DATERANGE
tag being present (e.g., Yospace), while others expect EXT-X-CUE-OUT
and
#EXT-X-CUE-IN
tags (e.g. Google DFP and AWS Elemental MediaTailor).
Because Origin appends or prepends part of the spliced media segment to the previous or next media segment, no new media segments are introduced and discontinuities in the sequence numbering of the segments is avoided. Since we merge a part of the spliced media segment, the duration of the media segments remains between 0.5 and 1.5 times the original segment duration.
Note
For post-rolls, the EXT-X-DATERANGE
and EXT-X-CUE-OUT
plus
EXT-X-CUE-IN
tags will precede the last media segment. This is because
the HLS specification requires tag decorators to be explicitly declared
before a segment. See the AWS Elemental MediaTailor documentation
for more information.
HLS signaling of SCTE 35¶
In addition to SCTE 35 markers being added to the media playlists using the
EXT-X-DATERANGE
and EXT-X-CUE-OUT
plus EXT-X-CUE-IN
tags, the
break_duration()
of a cue-out event is signaled both in the
PLANNED-DURATION
attribute of the EXT-X-DATERANGE
tag and as the value
of the EXT-X-CUE-OUT
tag.
An example from an actual livestream with SCTE 35 markers is shown below. The example is taken from HLS - Pure live (SCTE 35)`. This livestream contains cue-out markers that are exactly aligned with the media segment boundaries so that no media segments need to be spliced:
#EXTINF:4, no desc
scte35-audio=69000-video=700000-385202370.ts
#EXT-X-DATERANGE:ID="2002",START-DATE="2018-10-29T10:38:00Z",PLANNED-DURATION=24,SCTE35-OUT=0xFC302100000000000000FFF01005000007D27FEF7F7E0020F580C0000000000088B9661D
#EXT-X-CUE-OUT:24
#EXT-X-PROGRAM-DATE-TIME:2018-10-29T10:38:00Z
#EXTINF:4, no desc
scte35-audio=69000-video=700000-385202371.ts
#EXTINF:4, no desc
scte35-audio=69000-video=700000-385202372.ts
#EXTINF:4, no desc
scte35-audio=69000-video=700000-385202373.ts
#EXTINF:4, no desc
scte35-audio=69000-video=700000-385202374.ts
#EXTINF:4, no desc
scte35-audio=69000-video=700000-385202375.ts
#EXTINF:4, no desc
scte35-audio=69000-video=700000-385202376.ts
#EXT-X-CUE-IN
#EXT-X-PROGRAM-DATE-TIME:2018-10-29T10:38:24Z
#EXTINF:4, no desc
Note
As long as a cue-event has not finished, the signaling of the start of the event will remain part of the playlist, even if the start of the event is outside of the specified DVR window.
Early Announcement of Opportunities in HLS¶
Since version 1.11.5 Unified Origin is capable of signalling opportunities ahead of the desired presentation time. Previously Unified Origin would only signal these opportunities at the presentation even if they had been received earlier from the upstream encoder.
Now it's possible for a downstream platform to extract information
from the EXT-X-DATERANGE
tag signalled at the foot of the HLS client manifest
to prepare supplementary content for the opportunity ahead of time.
The following example manifest describes how a future opportunity due to occur
at 09:56:27
is already announced in the client manifest at 09:56:21
. The
Unified Origin has received the SCTE 35 opportunity 6seconds ahead of its
presentation time. Until the live-edge of the presentation time reaching this
time the EXT-X-DATERANGE
will continue to be appended with every new media
segment announced.
Fri Dec 10 09:56:21 UTC 2021
#EXTM3U
#EXT-X-VERSION:4
## Created with Unified Streaming Platform (version=1.11.9-25075)
#EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:853713625
#EXT-X-INDEPENDENT-SEGMENTS
#EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:3
#USP-X-TIMESTAMP-MAP:MPEGTS=6768378784,LOCAL=2021-12-10T09:55:58.080000Z
## splice_insert(auto_return)
#EXT-X-DATERANGE:ID="72616-1639130128",START-DATE="2021-12-10T09:55:28.320000Z",PLANNED-DURATION=19.2,SCTE35-OUT=0xFC302100000000000000FFF0100500011BA87FEF7FFE001A5E00C00000000000E4612402
## Auto Return Mode
#EXT-X-PROGRAM-DATE-TIME:2021-12-10T09:55:58.080000Z
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713625.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713626.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713627.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713628.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713629.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713630.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713631.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713632.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713633.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713634.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713635.ts
## splice_insert(auto_return)
#EXT-X-DATERANGE:ID="72617-1639130187",START-DATE="2021-12-10T09:56:27.840000Z",PLANNED-DURATION=19.2,SCTE35-OUT=0xFC302100000000000000FFF0100500011BA97FEF7FFE001A5E00C00000000000E4612## Auto Return Mode
Since the live-edge has now reached the presentation time of the SCTE 35
opportunity the manifest is now conditioned with both the EXT-X-DATERANGE
and EXT-X-CUE-OUT
at the segment boundary that has been spliced
(split and merged).
Fri Dec 10 09:56:32 UTC 2021
#EXTM3U
#EXT-X-VERSION:4
## Created with Unified Streaming Platform (version=1.11.9-25075)
#EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:853713631
#EXT-X-INDEPENDENT-SEGMENTS
#EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:3
#USP-X-TIMESTAMP-MAP:MPEGTS=6769415584,LOCAL=2021-12-10T09:56:09.600000Z
## splice_insert(auto_return)
#EXT-X-DATERANGE:ID="72616-1639130128",START-DATE="2021-12-10T09:55:28.320000Z",PLANNED-DURATION=19.2,SCTE35-OUT=0xFC302100000000000000FFF0100500011BA87FEF7FFE001A5E00C00000000000E4612402
## Auto Return Mode
#EXT-X-PROGRAM-DATE-TIME:2021-12-10T09:56:09.600000Z
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713631.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713632.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713633.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713634.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713635.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713636.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713637.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713638.ts
#EXTINF:1.92, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713639.ts
#EXTINF:0.96, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713640.ts
## splice_insert(auto_return)
#EXT-X-DATERANGE:ID="72617-1639130187",START-DATE="2021-12-10T09:56:27.840000Z",PLANNED-DURATION=19.2,SCTE35-OUT=0xFC302100000000000000FFF0100500011BA97FEF7FFE001A5E00C00000000000E4612402
#EXT-X-CUE-OUT:19.2
#EXT-X-PROGRAM-DATE-TIME:2021-12-10T09:56:27.840000Z
#EXTINF:2.88, no desc
scte35-audio_eng=128000-video=1000000-853713641.ts
## Auto Return Mode
SCTE 35 based spliced media in HLS¶
The below example that is taken from HLS - Pure live (SCTE 35, spliced) shows
the signaling of SCTE 35 markers in a livestream when the cue-out markers do not
align with the media segment boundaries. In this example, a 10 second segment
need to be spliced to fit a 24 second break. (Origin will only splice segments
if the --splice_media
option is present in the publishing point's server
manifest.)
The duration of the SCTE 35 cue-out event in the example below is 24 seconds and the last media segment in this time range is spliced at exactly 4 seconds and appended to the media segment before it to match the duration of 24 seconds (10 + (10 + 4) = 24 seconds). The remaining 6 seconds of the media segment that was spliced then becomes a media segment on its own, right after the cue-in that signals the end of the 24 second break:
#EXTINF:10, no desc
scte35-audio=69000-video=700000-154080970.ts?hls_minimum_fragment_length=10
#EXTINF:10, no desc
scte35-audio=69000-video=700000-154080971.ts?hls_minimum_fragment_length=10
#EXTINF:10, no desc
scte35-audio=69000-video=700000-154080972.ts?hls_minimum_fragment_length=10
#EXT-X-DATERANGE:ID="2004",START-DATE="2018-10-29T10:42:00Z",PLANNED-DURATION=24,SCTE35-OUT=0xFC302100000000000000FFF01005000007D47FEF7F7E0020F580C000000000004F1B1A5F
#EXT-X-CUE-OUT:24
#EXT-X-PROGRAM-DATE-TIME:2018-10-29T10:42:00Z
#EXTINF:10, no desc
scte35-audio=69000-video=700000-154080973.ts?hls_minimum_fragment_length=10
#EXTINF:14, no desc
scte35-audio=69000-video=700000-154080974.ts?hls_minimum_fragment_length=10
#EXT-X-CUE-IN
#EXT-X-PROGRAM-DATE-TIME:2018-10-29T10:42:24Z
#EXTINF:6, no desc
scte35-audio=69000-video=700000-154080975.ts?hls_minimum_fragment_length=10
#EXTINF:10, no desc
scte35-audio=69000-video=700000-154080976.ts?hls_minimum_fragment_length=10
MPEG-DASH signaling of SCTE 35¶
For a MPEG-DASH client manifest, Origin does not create a new period for cue-out
events, but signals these events in the same period as the main event.
The advantage of this is that the presentation remains backwards compatible with
any device previously capable of playing this stream (if the player on such a
devices silently ignores the presence of the EventStream
element).
The SCTE 35 markers are carried in DASH Event Messages. The
@presentationTime
is relative to the Period@Start
, the @messageData
contains a base64 encoded representation of the message_data
field in the
emsg
.
Each 'Event' will be signaled in an MPD as long as it is relevant. That is, an 'Event' signaling a 'cue-out' message will be present for the complete duration of the break, as signaled in the 'cue-out' message. Furthermore, each 'Event' will have an 'id' that is unique (which in most cases will the same as the 'splice id' signaled in the SCTE 35 'cue-out' message).
The below example is taken from MPEG-DASH - Pure live (SCTE 35)`. In this livestream the cue-out markers are exactly aligned with the media segment boundaries so that no media segments are spliced.
<EventStream
schemeIdUri="urn:scte:scte35:2014:xml+bin"
timescale="1">
<Event
presentationTime="1540809120"
duration="24"
id="1999">
<Signal xmlns="http://www.scte.org/schemas/35/2016">
<Binary>/DAhAAAAAAAAAP/wEAUAAAfPf+9/fgAg9YDAAAAAAAA/APOv</Binary>
</Signal>
</Event>
<Event
presentationTime="1540809240"
duration="24"
id="2000">
<Signal xmlns="http://www.scte.org/schemas/35/2016">
<Binary>/DAhAAAAAAAAAP/wEAUAAAfQf+9/fgAg9YDAAAAAAAA2Z7lO</Binary>
</Signal>
</Event>
</EventStream>
SCTE 35 based spliced media in DASH (index based)¶
In the example MPEG-DASH - Pure live (SCTE 35, spliced) livestream, the
AdaptationSets
in the MPD contain media segments with a duration of 8
seconds, because --mpd.minimum_fragment_length=8
is specified (the ingested
fragments have a 1 second length and are concatenated into segments that have
the 8 seconds duration that is specified using the
--mpd.minimum_fragment_length
option).
As the cue-out events signaled by the SCTE 35 markers in this stream do not align with the stream's media segment boundaries, the media segments containing the timestamps that represent the start and end of a cue-out event need to be spliced and Origin will append or prepend part of the spliced media segment to the previous or next media segment.
In the example that results in the media segments before and after a splice
being between 4 and 12 seconds long, instead of the stream's original segment
duration of 8 seconds. However, because the SegmentTemplate
does not signal
individual segments when $Number$
is used to index the segments, the
contents of the SegmentTemplate
element are no different than if splicing
would not have been enabled in the server manifest of the publishing point. See:
--[iss|hls|hds|mpd].minimum_fragment_length
Note
This specifically relates to MPEG-DASH - Pure live (SCTE 35, spliced).
We advise to use the SegmentTemplate $Time$
timeline alongside
--splice_media for best accuracy
Insertion opportunities for MPEG-DASH¶
When a third party service is used to insert content based on the cue-out events in the MPEG-DASH client manifest that is generated by Origin, this service can create a multi-period presentation based on the original client manifest. When doing so, it should insert a new period inserted both at the time of the start and end of the cue-out event.
The second of the new periods will represent a return to the main event, while
the first will represent the content that is inserted (e.g., an ad). The timing
information required for this can be calculated based on the timestamp in the
EventStream
element of the MPD, where the start of the event is represented
by the @presentationTime
and the end of the event equals the sum
@presentationTime
and @duration
.
Note
When the original livestream contains ads and SCTE 35 markers are
inserted to allow for these ads to be replaced, the markers also have
a use when the ads are not yet replaced, because a device's player can
be configured to use the events signaled in EventStream
to fire
beacons to gather metrics for the ads in the original livestream.
Note
There is an important concern among broadcasters about the legacy devices impact. It is important to maintain compatibility with the existing device population. By using a single-period manifest the legacy devices can simply ignore the additional ad signaling.