In-stream video integration methods

Overview

Equativ's Instream video offer enables you to display video ads in your player. This article describes the 3 integration methods.

Video Plugin

With the Equativ Video Plugin integration you get access to all of Equativ's advanced video features, including:

• simple, single-line code integration
• full VAST support
• full reporting, including ready-to-use error reporting, video completion rate reporting, viewability reporting
• OMSDK support
• passback management
• callbacks
• ready-to-use VPAID compatibility

For a full list of features made available by the video plugin and technical documentation, click here.

Embedded Ad Manager - Video Plugin loaded via VPAID

With the Embedded Ad Manager (EAM), all of the sources of the Equativ video plugin are loaded via a VPAID creative. Compared to the Video Plugin integration, the Embedded Ad Manager integration saves time while still offering all the features available with the Video Plugin (see list in chapter "Video Plugin" above).
 

Retrieve Embedded Ad Manager URLs

To learn how to retrieve the Embedded Ad Manager Preroll/Midroll/Postroll URLs, read section "Video integration codes" in Setting up inventory. The URLs can be retrieved by selecting the Integration type Embedded Ad Manager integration. 

Parameters

To learn more about the parameters in the Embedded Ad Manager URL, see Ad API - GET method and Ad API - POST method articles.

Known issues

In the Flowplayer working with the IMA plugin, ad pods cannot be played with the Embedded Ad Manager. In this case, the ps= parameter must be set to “1” (only one ad).

Standalone VAST request

With the "Standalone VAST request”, you request and retrieve the VAST file directly from Equativ. This integration method requires a player which is fully VAST and VPAID compliant.

Retrieve Standalone VAST request URLs

To learn how to retrieve the Standalone VAST Preroll/Midroll/Postroll URLs , read section "Video integration codes" in Setting up inventory. The URLs can be retrieved by selecting one of the following under Integration type:

• Standalone VAST 4
• Standalone VAST 4 - App & CTV (for app and connected TV inventory)
• Standalone VAST 3
• Standalone VAST 3 - App & CTV  (for app and connected TV inventory)
• Standalone VAST 2

 

Parameters

To learn more about the parameters in a Standalone VAST request URL, see Ad API - GET method and Ad API - POST method articles.

Counting empty inventory in case of standalone VAST requests

Empty (unmonetized) inventory occurs when the number of ads returned by Equativ is less than the number of ads requested by the pod size (ps=) parameter or by the maximum ad break duration (mabd=) parameter in the VAST call. Counting this empty inventory is critical to get appropriate forecasting and reporting data.

By default, inventory counting is done server side in standalone VAST request integrations, i. e. the ad call contains the parameter vcn=s. In this case, the counting of empty inventory is done automatically - no further actions required.

In some cases however, you may want to use Standalone VAST requests with client side counting, i. e. the ad call contains the parameter vcn=c. In this case, you need to count empty inventory by embedding an image on the page with the src attribute, calling the following URL:
 
Make sure you replace the domain [subDomain].smartadserver.com by the domain of your network (account) at Equativ and add the appropriate parameters as described in this table:

Parameters
To learn more about the parameters, see Ad API - GET method and Ad API - POST method articles.