Other Broadcasting Industry Terminology

ABR (Adaptive Bitrate Streaming)

A streaming technique that dynamically adjusts video/audio quality to match a viewer’s real-time network conditions and device capabilities, minimizing buffering and maximizing QoE.

We optimized our ABR ladder to reduce rebuffering on mobile.

Accessibility Compliance

Meeting legal and standards-based requirements (e.g., WCAG, ADA, FCC rules) for captions, subtitles, audio descriptions, and UI accessibility in broadcast and streaming experiences.

We added captions and audio descriptions to meet accessibility compliance.

Ad Podding

Packaging multiple ad creatives into a single commercial break within linear streams or VOD, often optimized for length, sequencing, and yield.

We shortened ad podding to two 30-second spots per break.

ARPU (Average Revenue Per User)

A monetization metric showing average revenue generated per active user in a given period, used to evaluate pricing, product mix, and monetization performance.

ARPU rose after we launched annual SVOD plans.

AVOD (Ad-Supported Video on Demand)

On-demand video content that is free to users and monetized through advertising, common in OTT/CTV and FAST ecosystems.

Our AVOD catalog outperformed SVOD in MAU growth.

Bitrate Ladder

The set of encoding renditions (resolution and bitrate pairs) used by ABR to deliver optimal quality across devices and bandwidth conditions.

We rebuilt the bitrate ladder for 1080p and 4K profiles.

Brand Safety

Practices and tools ensuring ads do not appear adjacent to content that could harm a brand (e.g., sensitive news, UGC risk), including classification, blocklists, and verification.

We implemented brand safety filters to block unsafe categories.

CDN (Content Delivery Network)

A distributed network of edge servers that cache and deliver audio/video and metadata close to users to reduce latency and improve reliability.

We moved to a multi-CDN strategy to improve global reach.

Closed Captions (CEA-608/708, WebVTT)

Text representations of audio (dialogue and sound cues) displayed on screen for accessibility and compliance, using broadcast (608/708) or web (WebVTT) formats.

The CEA-708 captions desynchronized during the simulcast.

Client-Side Ad Insertion (CSAI)

Ad delivery where the client player requests, renders, and measures ads (e.g., via VAST/VPAID), enabling interactivity but vulnerable to blockers and measurement issues.

CSAI underfilled during ad blocker spikes.

DAI (Dynamic Ad Insertion)

Server-driven insertion of ads into live or on-demand streams at playtime, enabling targeting, frequency capping, and freshness without re-encoding masters.

DAI boosted sell-through on back-catalog podcasts.

DASH (MPEG-DASH)

An HTTP-based adaptive streaming standard for delivering segmented media, widely used in OTT with features like low-latency profiles.

Android TV uses DASH for 4K live sports.

DRM (Digital Rights Management)

Technology and policies that protect premium content from unauthorized access and piracy, typically via license servers and device-specific decryption.

We licensed content under Widevine, PlayReady, and FairPlay DRM.

DSP (Demand-Side Platform)

Software that allows advertisers to buy ad inventory programmatically across exchanges and publishers using targeting, bidding, and optimization tools.

Our DSP shifted budget to CTV after lift tests.

EPG (Electronic Program Guide)

A structured schedule and metadata feed for linear channels, used by platforms and apps to display what’s on now/next and enable DVR/time-shift features.

The FAST channel’s EPG updated overnight.

FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV)

Linear, cable-like streaming channels delivered over the internet, monetized by ads and typically free to consumers on CTV/OTT platforms.

We launched three genre FAST channels on CTV.

Fill Rate (Ad)

The percentage of ad opportunities that are successfully filled with a paid or house ad; a key revenue and operations metric.

Primetime fill rate hit 98% on the sports channel.

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)

EU data protection law governing collection, processing, and transfer of personal data, driving consent, transparency, and data minimization requirements.

We require GDPR consent strings before ad targeting in the EU.

Geoblocking

Restricting access to content based on a user’s geographic location to comply with licensing agreements or legal constraints.

We geoblock the channel outside licensed territories.

HEVC (H.265)

A video compression standard that provides higher quality at lower bitrates compared to H.264, commonly used for 4K/HD streaming.

We re-encoded the catalog to HEVC for lower bitrates.

HLS (HTTP Live Streaming)

Apple’s HTTP-based adaptive streaming protocol for delivering segmented media; widely supported across devices and used for live and VOD.

iOS devices default to HLS for playback.

Impression (Ad Impression)

A measurement indicating an ad was served and viewable-eligible per standard definitions; foundation for CPM-based billing.

We bill on counted impressions per IAB guidelines.

Ingest (Stream Ingest)

The process of receiving live or file-based media into the workflow (encoder, origin, or MAM), often with validation and normalization.

We ingest RTMP into the cloud encoder.

IPTV (Internet Protocol Television)

Delivery of television content over IP networks, often within managed networks (e.g., telco, enterprise) using multicast/unicast.

The campus IPTV system runs multicast for live channels.

Keyframe Interval (GOP)

The spacing between I-frames in encoded video; impacts compression efficiency, ad insertion accuracy, and latency.

We set a 2-second GOP for low-latency live.

Latency

The delay between real-time events and viewer playback; critical for live sports, interactive formats, and synchronized ads.

Latency fell from 20s to 5s with LL-HLS.

Licensing (Music and Content Rights)

Securing the legal rights to distribute content (and music within it), including sync, master, performance, and territory/window rights.

We secured sync and master licenses for the series.

LTV (Customer Lifetime Value)

Projected net revenue attributed to a user over the duration of their relationship; informs pricing, UA, and retention strategies.

Bundling increased LTV for SVOD users.

MAU (Monthly Active Users)

The count of unique users engaging with a service in a month; a core reach and growth metric for OTT and audio platforms.

MAU grew 15% after the FAST launch.

Metadata (Descriptive/Technical)

Structured information describing content (titles, genres, people, rights, IDs) and technical attributes (codec, bitrate, language), powering discovery and operations.

Richer metadata improved search and recommendations.

OpenRTB

A standardized protocol for programmatic ad buying/selling that defines how bid requests and responses are formatted and transacted.

CTV supply activated via OpenRTB 2.6.

Origin Server

The authoritative source for media files/manifests that upstream CDNs fetch from; critical for availability, cacheability, and failover.

We scaled the origin to handle live event traffic.

OTT (Over-The-Top)

Delivery of audio/video over the open internet directly to consumers, outside traditional broadcast/cable distribution.

Our OTT apps launched on Roku and Samsung TV.

Playout Automation

Software-driven control of linear channel assembly (scheduling, switching, graphics, SCTE signaling) for broadcast and streaming.

We scheduled the FAST channel via cloud playout automation.

Podcast Measurement (IAB Compliant)

Standardized methods (IAB Podcast Measurement) for counting downloads, listeners, and ad delivery in podcasting to ensure consistent reporting.

We report IAB-certified podcast downloads.

Programmatic Advertising

Automated, data-driven buying/selling of ad inventory via DSPs/SSPs and exchanges, supporting auctions, deals, targeting, and optimization.

We shifted CTV sales to programmatic guaranteed.

QoE (Quality of Experience)

Aggregate user-perceived quality of playback, including startup time, buffering, smoothness, errors, and visual fidelity.

QoE improved after optimizing startup time.

RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol)

A legacy protocol commonly used for live contribution from encoders to cloud, later repackaged into modern streaming formats.

We still use RTMP for studio-to-cloud contribution.

RSS Feed

An XML-based syndication format widely used in podcasting to distribute episodes, metadata, and monetization markers to platforms.

We updated the podcast RSS feed with new episode art.

SCTE-35

A standard for in-stream signaling of ad opportunities and content segmentation, enabling precise server-side ad insertion and blackout management.

We insert SCTE-35 markers for ad breaks in live streams.

SRT (Secure Reliable Transport)

A low-latency, error-correcting transport protocol for secure and reliable live video contribution over unpredictable networks.

We switched to SRT for resilient remote contribution.

SSAI (Server-Side Ad Insertion)

Ad stitching performed on the server, merging content and ads into a single stream manifest for seamless playback and better measurement on CTV/OTT.

SSAI improved ad-block resilience on CTV.

SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand)

On-demand content accessed via recurring subscription fees, often ad-free or with limited ads, common in OTT services.

We added a premium SVOD tier with offline downloads.

Syndication

Distributing content to third-party platforms, operators, or partners under negotiated rights, metadata, and revenue arrangements.

We syndicated our FAST channels to multiple OEM platforms.

TCF (IAB Transparency and Consent Framework)

An industry standard for communicating user consent and transparency signals between publishers, ad tech, and advertisers in privacy-regulated markets.

We pass TCF consent strings in ad requests.

Transcoding

Converting media from one codec/bitrate/resolution to another to create multiple renditions for ABR and device compatibility.

We transcode mezzanine files into ABR ladders.

TVOD (Transactional Video on Demand)

Pay-per-view or rental purchases of individual titles rather than subscription access; often used in windowed release strategies.

The new release is TVOD-only for the first 30 days.

VAST (Digital Video Ad Serving Template)

An IAB standard XML schema for delivering video ad metadata, creatives, and tracking to players or ad servers.

We upgraded to VAST 4.2 for better measurement.

Viewability

A metric indicating whether an ad had the opportunity to be seen on screen per standards (e.g., MRC), critical for billing and performance.

CTV viewability is measured via MRC-compliant signals.

VOD (Video on Demand)

Library content available for playback at any time, as opposed to scheduled linear programming; includes AVOD, SVOD, and TVOD models.

We shifted live to VOD within minutes post-stream.