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Product Overview

Ad-Flow and its companion products form a comprehensive suite of tools designed for cloud-based video streaming workflows, specializing in automated ad detection and SCTE-35 marker insertion.

Ad-Flow: Automated SCTE-35 Inserter​

Ad-Flow is our core solution for analyzing live video streams, detecting ad breaks, and inserting SCTE-35 markers. It's specifically engineered for cloud environments and optimized for efficiency.

How Ad-Flow Works​

Ad-Flow operates as a fully automated SCTE-35 inserter for live video streams. Here's how it works:

  1. Stream Capture
    Ad-Flow captures a live video stream from RTP or SRT sources.

  2. Buffering for Analysis
    The stream is buffered for a configurable duration (e.g., 2 minutes). This buffering introduces a delay but enables Ad-Flow to analyze the content in advance.

  3. Content Analysis
    During the buffering period, Ad-Flow identifies ad breaks in the stream. It determines the exact start time and duration of each ad break in advance.

  4. SCTE-35 Marker Insertion
    As the buffered stream is re-streamed with a delay, Ad-Flow inserts SCTE-35 markers at the correct positions. These markers include:

    • The start time of the ad break.
    • The duration of the ad break.

This approach ensures that by the time a segment containing an ad break is re-streamed, the SCTE-35 markers are already added with precise timing, enabling seamless ad insertion workflows.

Key Features​

  • Cloud-Native Design

    • Optimized for AWS Graviton processors, ensuring cost-effective, high-performance operation
    • Minimal cloud computing costs - as low as pennies per hour per channel
    • Built-in cloud integrations with Prometheus/Grafana for metrics
    • Native Cloud-platform logging
    • Available on AWS Marketplace through Elastic Container Service (ECS) with CloudFormation templates

  • Reliable Ad Detection

    • Aims to detect over 80% of ad breaks
    • Supports both RTP and SRT protocols for input and output streams

  • Wide Compatibility

    • Integrates with major video encoders:
      • AWS MediaLive
      • Other industry-standard encoders
    • Works with popular ad insertion platforms:
      • Google DAI
      • YoSpace DAI
      • AWS MediaTailor
      • Client-side ad platforms

Delay-Flow: Streamlined Backup Solution​

Delay-Flow is designed to provide a reliable backup stream solution, working in tandem with Ad-Flow to ensure redundancy in your streaming setup.

It functions in a similar way to Ad-Flow, but it doesn't do any ad break detection or SCTE-35 insertion.

Key Benefits​

  • Cost-Efficient: Minimal processing requirements result in very low operational costs
  • Synchronized Input: Matches Ad-Flow's delay settings to ensure stream alignment
  • Simple Integration: Designed to work seamlessly as a backup stream source
  • Available on AWS Marketplace through Elastic Container Service (ECS) with CloudFormation templates

Typical Setup​

In a typical deployment:

  • Ad-Flow processes the primary stream and adds SCTE-35 markers
  • Delay-Flow handles the backup stream with matching delay
  • Both streams feed into your video encoder (e.g., MediaLive):
    • Ad-Flow output → Primary input
    • Delay-Flow output → Secondary input

Streamer Tool: Testing and Validation​

The RTP/SRT Streamer tool is purpose-built for testing Ad-Flow implementations:

  • Pre-configured AMI for quick deployment
  • Available for free on AWS Marketplace
  • Includes sample video content with simulated ads
  • Supports both RTP and SRT streaming protocols
  • Ideal for validation and testing before production deployment

Typical Workflow​

  • Source Stream: Your live video feed (RTP or SRT)
  • Ad-Flow: Processes primary stream and inserts SCTE-35 markers
  • Delay-Flow: Processes backup stream with matching delay
  • Encoder: Your video encoder (e.g., MediaLive) receives both streams
  • Distribution: Final output for your viewers