Client-side ad insertion (CSAI) stands as one of the most widely employed methods for monetizing video content. CSAI involves preloading ads within the video player, ensuring they are ready for display to the viewer. Nonetheless, more than 26% of present-day viewers employ ad blockers, which prevent these ads from loading and consequently result in revenue loss.
Telecommunication companies, broadcasters, and publishers are swiftly transitioning from client-side ad insertion to server-side ad insertion (SSAI). With SSAI, ads are loaded on the server side and seamlessly integrated into the content stream. This article explores the challenges associated with client-side ad insertion and delves into the reasons behind the widespread adoption of server-side ad insertion as a solution.
Client-Side Ad Insertion (CSAI).
Ad Blockers: A Revenue Roadblock
One of the significant challenges with CSAI is its vulnerability to ad blockers. These browser plugins are on the rise, with approximately 26% of desktop users and 15% of mobile consumers employing them to escape ads. Ad blockers disrupt the revenue streams of content publishers by preventing ads from playing.
In the CSAI process, ad blockers identify requests to ad servers (often blacklisted by ad blockers) and thwart these requests. Consequently, ads fail to play, and content videos continue without interruption. While it’s possible to detect ad blockers and restrict content access, this approach often leads to a subpar viewing experience, resulting in decreased viewer retention and, ultimately, a negative impact on earnings.
Diminished Quality of Service
CSAI involves frequent switches between the main content and advertisements. These transitions are often accompanied by loading indicators, which are particularly conspicuous on mobile devices with stringent video playback requirements. The complexity of managing CSAI steps within video players can sometimes lead to playback stalls, ad playback failures, stream restarts, or even video player crashes.
Viewers tend to engage more with content when immersed, watching longer and more content. Quality of service issues disrupt this immersion, potentially causing viewers to exit prematurely. This negatively affects ad completion rates and overall CPM (cost per mille).
Client-side ad insertion is well-suited for video-on-demand (VOD) content with pre- or mid-roll ads. However, the same doesn’t hold true for live streamed content, where ad breaks need precise scheduling to ensure viewers don’t miss important content.
To address this issue, publishers have introduced secondary communication channels between the video player and ad server to trigger CSAI workflows when ad breaks occur in live content. However, this approach has downsides: it’s often custom-built, susceptible to ad blockers, and can introduce additional overhead that affects overall scalability.
Server-Side Ad Insertion to the Rescue
Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI)
Thankfully, there is a solution in the form of server-side ad insertion (SSAI). With SSAI, most of the ad handling logic is managed by server-side components, mitigating the drawbacks associated with CSAI and offering new avenues for efficiency and revenue generation.
1. A Shield Against Ad Blockers Unlike CSAI, where ads are loaded or blocked at the viewer’s browser, SSAI makes ad requests server-side before delivering integrated content to viewers. This integration makes ads an intrinsic part of the content stream, rendering ad blockers powerless to block ad requests or distinguish between content and ads. This results in a boost in played ad inventory and an increase in CPM.
2. An Uninterrupted Viewer Experience In SSAI, much of the ad logic is handled by the server, simplifying the workflow and reducing the occurrence of edge cases or video player issues that disrupt viewer immersion. Furthermore, because ads are stitched seamlessly into the content stream, viewers no longer encounter loading spinners during ad breaks. This leads to an enhanced quality of service and higher viewer retention rates.
3. Simplified Monetization of Live Streams Server-side ad insertion facilitates precise ad scheduling in live streams. Publishers can annotate their live content with ad markers, specifying when ad breaks should start and end. On the server side, these markers trigger the replacement of content within the stream with relevant ads, streamlining the process of inserting ad breaks in both live and VOD content.
A Brighter Future Ahead
In this article, we’ve explored the limitations of client-side ad insertion and how server-side ad insertion addresses these challenges. With ad blockers unable to thwart server-side ads, a smoother viewer experience, and simplified ad scheduling, server-side ad insertion offers a promising future for content publishers and advertisers alike.
The digital revolution in the television industry is currently facing unprecedented challenges in terms of content security and copyright protection. These difficulties necessitate the emergence of new solutions to ensure that content remains unaffected by a variety of copyright infringement-related risks.
On September 26th, under the theme ‘Addressing Copyright Protection Issues in the Music, Film, and Digital Television Industry,’ the Vietnam Digital Communications Association (VDCA) collaborated with Hanoi Multimedia to organize an event aimed at finding innovative solutions to these challenges.
Following the seminar, the online news portal cand.com also published an article:
The issue of protecting content copyrights in the context of digital transformation is facing numerous challenges. Alongside the convenience for users in consuming entertainment content, the digital revolution is also bringing unprecedented challenges in terms of content security and copyright protection, demanding the need for multifaceted solutions to safeguard digital content from a range of copyright infringement risks.
At a discussion on solving the puzzle of content copyright protection in the digital environment, organized by the Vietnam Digital Communications Association and the Digital Content Creativity Alliance in Hanoi on September 26, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Han, General Director of Thudo Multimedia, stated that Vietnam currently has about 50 million OTT users. Despite implementing measures such as domain blocking and deploying Digital Rights Management (DRM) solutions to prevent unauthorized access and distribution, Vietnam still lacks comprehensive measures and requires multifaceted solutions. Particularly, DRM has vulnerabilities that allow exploiting packet forgery to deceive License Servers and bypass authentication for distributing content to untrusted accounts.
Protecting digital content copyrights: The need for multifaceted solutions Strong measures are necessary to address content copyright violations in the digital environment. (Illustration)
Furthermore, OTT providers and online content distributors face other risks, such as cross-border violations using VPNs, violations across multiple platforms (mobile, set-top boxes, web), and violations through online re-streaming. Copyright violators are willing to use cameras to directly record content and then redistribute it on different platforms or connect HDMI devices to capture content and distribute it on the internet.
In Vietnam alone, copyright infringements caused losses of $348 million in 2022. Notably, 80% of these infringements occurred on digital platforms, with the most violated content categories being television programs (49.4%), movies (17.1%), music (16%), books (11.2%), and software (6.2%).
According to statistics from the Digital Content Copyright Center, the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, Ministry of Information and Communications, copyright violations in Vietnam are becoming increasingly complex. Numerous websites violate copyrights by broadcasting soccer matches and movies. According to SimilarWeb data, there are currently about 70 pirate soccer websites with over 1.5 billion views in 2022 and 2023. Additionally, SimilarWeb data also indicates that there are more than 200 pirate movie websites attracting about 120 million views per month, with the top 10 sites receiving over 66 million monthly views. Notably, some pirate websites have recently transitioned to Japanese Anime comics.
Lawyer Pham Thanh Thuy, in charge of anti-copyright infringement at K+ Digital Television, emphasized that copyright infringement of digital content is rampant on the internet. For example, when a match is broadcast on K+ and its partner distributors, it is also broadcast on many pirate websites and apps. Referring to data from Media Partners Asia, Lawyer Pham Thanh Thuy stated that Vietnam ranks third in the region in terms of copyright infringement, with 15.5 million people regularly accessing pirate websites. Copyright violations on digital platforms are currently the predominant form of infringement.
Leveraging Technology Solutions for Protecting Digital Content Copyrights
According to Mr. Pham Hoang Hai, Director of the Digital Content Copyright Center at the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, Ministry of Information and Communications, applying technical measures, specifically blocking access to copyright-infringing websites, has been effective in changing user habits. However, these blocking measures still face several challenges, such as inconsistency between Internet Service Providers (ISPs) regarding the scope and duration of blocking. Some ISPs block immediately, while others wait for three or more working days. Additionally, the system lacks flexibility to deal with new domain names that emerge after blocking.
Based on the analysis of the difficulties in applying legal measures, including administrative, civil, and criminal procedures, to combat copyright infringement in the digital environment, Lawyer Pham Thanh Thuy proposed that Vietnam consider adopting a proactive blocking model like that of the UK and some other countries. Under this model, pirate websites change their domain names and IP addresses after the initial blocking, and ISPs proactively block new domain names and IP addresses upon receiving notifications from copyright owners or authorized government agencies without the need for repeated administrative procedures.
Furthermore, one of the technology solutions evaluated by experts as a comprehensive “shield” for protecting digital content copyrights is the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This solution is considered a groundbreaking innovation that surpasses the limitations of traditional methods, providing a flexible and proactive defense mechanism for detecting and reporting copyright infringement risks. This solution has already been implemented by major digital content creation companies worldwide, such as YouTube.
The issue of content copyright protection, especially in the current context of digital transformation, is facing many challenges. Meanwhile, the handling of violations has some shortcomings, and preventive measures are not consistent.
Faced with the painful problems of digital copyright infringement, on September 26, 2023, in Hanoi, Vietnam Digital Content Creation Alliance (DCCA) coordinated with Thu Do Multimedia to organize the seminar “Solving the problem of copyright protection for the music–film industry – digital television”.
Immediately attracting the attention of the public as well as reputable media agencies, after the discussion, the electronic newspaper vir.com.vn published an article:
The Digital Content Creation Alliance Vietnam collaborated with Thu Do Multimedia to organize a seminar to discuss digital content protection solutions for music, films, and TV on September 26.
The event focused on discussions on the reality of digital content piracy in Vietnam and proposed solutions to prevent copyright infringement.
In the dynamic landscape of digital content delivery, the rapid growth of over-the-top (OTT) platforms and online film operators has ushered in a new era of entertainment consumption. The convenience of accessing movies, TV shows, and live events across devices has transformed the way audiences engage with content.
However, this digital revolution has also given rise to unprecedented challenges in terms of content security and protection, necessitating innovative solutions to safeguard against an array of threats.
OTT broadcasters like VTVCab ON and FPT Play, and online film operators such as Netflix, Hulu, and Hotstar have emerged as key players in this digital ecosystem. As they cater to the insatiable demand for content, ensuring the integrity and exclusivity of their offerings has become a paramount concern.
While digital rights management (DRM) solutions like Widevine, FairPlay, and PlayReady have been deployed to mitigate unauthorized access and distribution, a multidimensional approach is required to tackle the diverse threats that have emerged.
The challenges faced by content providers are not confined solely to DRM vulnerabilities. Beyond these, OTT broadcasters and online film and music operators encounter a spectrum of risks that demand holistic solutions.
One pressing issue is the exploitation of virtual private networks to sidestep geographic restrictions, enabling the unauthorized access and distribution of content. Additionally, adversaries resort to packet forgery to deceive authorization servers, undermining the very essence of secure content delivery.
According to Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, deputy head of the Cinema Department, the main issue the department must resolve is drawing the line between violating the law and not.
“Films that violate the rules are not allowed to be distributed, or they need to have infringing content removed, affecting the artists’ image and the producers’ investment,” she added.
Le Quang Vinh, an intellectual property (IP) lawyer, said that IP is not just a problem in Vietnam, the whole world is grappling with it.
“When we look at the issue of copyright infringement broadly, it is related to criminal, civil, administrative, and even international law. Vietnam has made progress in its efforts, and I believe it will change the situation,” he stated.
He elaborated that the Prime Minister issued a national strategy on IP in 2019. Moreover, Decree No.17/2023/ND-CP has been signed, implementing the IP Law that was then legislated through Article 198b to assign responsibility to intermediary service providers. This is an effective mechanism with very new rules that solve the problem for K+ and others.
In response to these multifaceted threats, Thu Do Multimedia shared its insights on the power of Sigma Multi-DRM with AI technology, which aids media providers in protecting their content on the Internet.
Sigma Multi-DRM introduces a revolutionary safeguard – the Sigma Active Observer (SAO). This innovative solution transcends the limitations of traditional DRM, offering a proactive and adaptable defense mechanism.
Driven by the innovative SAO, Sigma Multi-DRM marks a paradigm shift in content security. By offering a multifaceted, AI-driven solution that comprehensively safeguards against a spectrum of threats, OTT broadcasters and online film operators can usher in a new era of secure content distribution.
SAO is not a mere security layer; it’s an active, intelligent guardian that enables content providers to navigate the digital landscape with confidence and offers audiences a seamless, secure, and immersive entertainment experience.
Besides the advantages, the digital revolution in the television sector has brought unprecedented challenges in security and copyright protection of content, requiring the creation of new solutions to protect content from a series of copyright infringement risks…
September 26, with the theme “Solving the problem of copyright protection for the music – cinema – digital television industry”, co-organized by the Vietnam Digital Media Association (VDCA) in collaboration with Thu Do Multimedia to find new solutions to this “hot potato” problems.
Sharing after the conference, the electronic newspaper theleader.vn also had an article with the same opinion:
In 2022 alone, Vietnam’s film, music, and television industry suffered losses of approximately 7,000 billion VND ($348 million USD) due to copyright violations, adversely affecting prominent digital content enterprises such as K+, TV360, and FPT Play.
Amidst the dynamic landscape of digital content distribution, the rapid growth of Over-The-Top (OTT) television platforms and online film distributors has ushered in a new era of content consumption. The convenience of accessing movies, TV shows, and live music events on various devices has transformed how audiences interact with content.
However, this digital revolution has also introduced unprecedented challenges in terms of content security and copyright protection. Copyright infringement has become an enduring headache for enterprises like K+, TV360, and FPT Play.
Mr. Pham Hoang Hai, Director of the Digital Content Copyright Center, Department of Broadcasting, Television and Electronic Information, Ministry of Information and Communications shared about the situation of digital content copyright infringement in Vietnam.
Assessing this situation, Mr. Pham Hoang Hai, representing the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, stated that copyright violations in Vietnam have become increasingly complex. Numerous rogue websites offer pirated football matches, as well as movies and TV shows.
According to SimilarWeb data, there are currently about 70 rogue football websites with over 1.5 billion views in 2022 and 2023. Additionally, SimilarWeb statistics indicate that there are more than 200 rogue movie websites attracting approximately 120 million views per month, with the top 10 sites amassing over 66 million monthly views.
Mr. Hai pointed out that a common trait among these copyright-violating websites is their use of international domain names and information-hiding services. They operate publicly and frequently change domain names when blocked. Illegal web management entities often feature harmful advertisements, betting, and gambling on these platforms.
A typical violation method employed by these rogue websites involves broadcasting content on platforms such as OTT, terrestrial digital television, and satellite TV immediately after copyright owners release it. Violators livestream this content on social media or edit and upload it.
Echoing these sentiments, lawyer Pham Thanh Thuy, responsible for anti-copyright infringement at K+ Digital Television, affirmed the rampant copyright infringement on the internet. For instance, a single match broadcasted on K+ and its affiliated distributors can also be streamed on numerous rogue websites and apps.
Citing data from Media Partners Asia, lawyer Pham Thanh Thuy revealed that Vietnam ranks third in the region for copyright infringement, with 15.5 million people regularly accessing rogue websites. Digital platforms are the primary domain for copyright infringements.
Content copyright holders are hopeful that effective anti-copyright infringement efforts will convince at least 10% of the 15.5 million illegal viewers to transition into legal subscribers. This would provide content providers with additional resources to reinvest in production or purchase valuable content rights.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Han, CEO of Thudo Multimedia
Supplementing information regarding the losses resulting from digital content copyright breaches, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Han, General Director of Thu Do Multimedia Company, emphasized that 80% of violations occur on digital platforms, with TV shows, movies, and music being the most frequently infringed content.
Global statistics indicate that damages from copyright infringement across the film, music, and television industries reached $65 billion in 2022. In Vietnam, this number was around $348 million USD, equivalent to approximately 7,000 billion VND.
Mr. Han underscored, ‘Without effective copyright protection, the digital content industry in Vietnam will struggle to thrive and contribute to the nation’s prosperity.’
Representatives of the Vietnam Digital Communications Association (VDCA) noted that although domain blocking measures have been implemented in Vietnam, they are still insufficient in terms of protection and require multifaceted approaches to address existing risks.
Additionally, OTT television providers and online distributors face other risks that demand comprehensive copyright protection solutions.
Mr. Vu Kiem Van, Vice President – General Secretary of Vietnam Digital Communications Association (VDCA) – affirmed that the issue of content copyright protection is currently facing difficulties.
In response to these ongoing challenges, Mr. Vu Kiem Van, Secretary-General of VDCA, emphasized the pressing need for copyright protection, especially in the current digital transformation landscape. He stressed that this issue is of great concern to creative and digital content businesses.
According to experts, there are currently three groups of solutions in addressing copyright infringement. Among them, two traditional approaches have been in use for some time: technical solutions that involve developing features to encrypt content or trace violations and legal measures encompassing administrative, civil, and criminal actions.
The third group of solutions represents a new trend, already successfully applied in many advanced countries worldwide. It includes access blocking and ‘Knock and Talk.’ Specifically, it involves identifying the head of the copyright infringement operation and directly meeting with them to request the cessation of all infringements.
Moreover, many businesses are now showing interest in a novel technological solution known as Sigma Active Observer (SAO). This solution offers a flexible and proactive defense mechanism that actively detects and reports potential copyright violations.
SAO not only incorporates the robust security of Sigma Multi-DRM but also observes all aspects of content distribution and online broadcasting activities. Importantly, with the application of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, this solution can identify abnormal behaviors and potential threats at every stage, including the detection of cross-border distribution infringements and the forging of data packets.
Furthermore, it delves deep into user behavior patterns and immediately identifies suspicious activities, offering protection against interference.
The situation of music, film, and television copyright infringement on digital platforms is rampant, increasingly complex, and sophisticated. This raises the demand for the development of an automated system to block access to pirate websites and the tightening of legal mechanisms for copyright protection.
At a symposium on September 26th, seminar program “Solving the Copyright Protection Challenge for the Digital Music-Film-Television Industry,” organized by Thủ Đô Multimedia, several leading newspapers, including the renowned vietnamnews.vn.
According to vietnamnews.vn magazine dated issue Friday, September 29, 2023, “VN loses $350m due to copyright infringement”.
VN loses $350m due to copyright infringement
Việt Nam ranks third in the region in terms of copyright infringement rate, with 15.5 million people regularly accessing pirated websites. In 2022, the problem of copyright infringement cost the country US$350 million. Phạm Hoàng Hải, Director of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, a unit under the Ministry of Information and Communications, said that currently, copyright infringement is extremely complicated. There are a series of pirated websites for football tournaments as well as movies. According to data from SimilarWeb, there are currently about 70 pirated football websites, with more than 1.5 billion views in the years 2022 and 2023. SimilarWeb’s data also shows that there are more than 200 pirated movie websites attracting about 120 million views per month, of which the top 10 have more than 66 million views per month.
In particular, recently it was discovered that a number of pirated websites have converted to Japanese Anime comics. The copyright infringement of comic books has also received a strong response from the owners. According to statistics, from August 2022 to August 2023, the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information coordinated with the Department of Information Security and rights holders to prevent nearly 1,000 pirated football websites like xoilac.1tiengruoi.link, xoivo4.com, coichua.net, tammao.tv, 90link. com, xoilac.live, Xemtructiep.xyz. The list of violating websites is published on banquyen.gov.vn. At a seminar on copyright infringement this week, lawyer Phạm Thanh Thủy, who is in charge of anti-copyright infringement at K+ Digital Television, cited data from Media Partners Asia, saying that if calculated per capita, Việt Nam ranks first in the region in terms of copyright infringement. Nguyễn Ngọc Hân, General Director of Thu Do Multimedia Company, added that copyright infringement in Việt Nam ranks third in Southeast Asia and 9th worldwide. Around 80 per cent of violations take place on digital platforms with the most violated content including TV shows, movies, music and books. “Damages from copyright infringement for the three industries of film, music, and television worldwide in 2022 was up to $65 billion.” Experts suggest that the characteristics of pirated websites include the use of international domain names and information-hiding services; they operate publicly and constantly change domain names when blocked. Illegal web management units often feature harmful advertisements, betting, and gambling on these pages. Hải from the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information said they coordinate with the Department of Information Security and copyright owners to detect web violations, verify and investigate infringing content, and send requests to internet service providers to prevent Vietnamese internet users from accessing infringing websites. This means users in Việt Nam using smartphones and computers will not be able to access the infringing website, but people abroad can still access it. The management unit only prevents it within Vietnamese territory. The process is that after the rights holder submits an application with documents proving rights and evidence of the violation, the state agency will review and decide to prevent it. Next, ISPs (Internet Service Providers) will prevent and stop providing DNS services for domain names of pirated websites at the request of state agencies. Lawyer Thủy said that currently, measures to deal with copyright infringement in the digital environment, specifically technical measures, include creating codes and keys to prevent unauthorised access. For instance, the content will be encrypted using DRM measures. When certain individuals still intentionally violate despite having the key code, there are additional Fingerprint or Watermarking measures. Each customer, when registering a subscription, will have an identification code. If someone live-streams pirated content from their subscription to the network environment, television stations can identify that subscription code and thus “catch” this copyright violator. Many experts believe that to effectively prevent online copyright infringement, it is necessary to establish a coordination point between rights owners, State management agencies, and internet service providers; set up a flexible blocking mechanism – block and evict new domain names that emerge after blocking; and apply various appropriate technical measures to block access. Concurrently, it is essential to develop automatic blocking tools for all parties to minimise time and human resources. “Of the total 15.5 million pirated subscribers, as long as piracy is well protected and 10 per cent of them convert into legal subscribers, units will have more funds to reinvest in production or purchase copyrights for better and valuable content,” she added.
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