This article offers deeper insight into the most innovative and impactful product updates Zype recently released across Streaming Platform, Playout, and Apps Creator.
For a comprehensive list of new features, improvements, bug fixes, and more, be sure to check out our most recent Release Notes.
Updates in Zype Streaming Platform
New Preset Profiles for VOD Transcoding
We’ve introduced the ability to build and select specific VOD Transcoding Preset Profiles during import so you can efficiently tailor your encoding settings to meet your specific needs. Now you can create and save multiple transcoding profiles, and quickly apply them during import. The Preset Profiles consist of transcoding settings, as well as the configured presets for streaming. Transcode Preset Profiles can be applied when uploading videos, importing videos from MRSS or Iconik Integrations. When DRM is enabled, a preconfigured “DRM Preset Profile” will be added to the account, requiring no additional setup. With VOD Transcoding Preset Profiles, you can reduce transcoding overhead and improve your workflow efficiency by only transcoding into the required formats needed for flexible content delivery tailored to various devices and DRM requirements.
VOD Preset Profile Selection where changing the selection would reveal the settings for that profile
Secure Sharing of MRSS with Authentication Headers
Zype users now have the option to apply custom authentication header values so that content imported via MRSS must be authenticated with a password or key before it can be downloaded. Including an authentication header with every MRSS feed request and requiring authentication improves content security by offering additional content protection.
New Capabilities in Zype Playout
Enhancements to Dynamic Blocks
Ensure Continuous Content within Dynamic Block Assets with “Reuse”
For customers who program their playout channels using Dynamic Block assets types, we’ve added the option to apply “Reuse” rules that will allow you to effortlessly ensure your Dynamic Blocks remain filled with content.
By selecting “Reuse Videos”, you can repeat previously played content within a Dynamic Block once the programmed sequence ends. This update will make it easy to avoid programming gaps by ensuring that content is always available to pull from if the “Reuse” rule is toggled on.
Set Ad Rules on Dynamic Blocks
Now Playout users are able to create and edit Dynamic Blocks with Ad Rules disabled or enabled. This benefits Playout users who fill Dynamic Blocks with content that may have Ad Timings embedded. Once that Dynamic Block containing the content with Ad Timings is scheduled on the timeline, you can now choose to disable or enable the Ads using new buttons that allow the toggling “On” or “Off” of Pre-Rolls, Mid-Rolls, or Post-Rolls.
Enable Notifications for Proactive Black Screen Detection
Help ensure a quality of experience for your consumers by using our new notification functionality that will alert you to any upcoming gaps within your programming schedule. Using our new notifications capability for Slack, you can choose to have an alert message sent over email or Slack whenever programming gaps longer than 30s are detected. Zype can scan the next 24 hours of your live playout channels every hour to detect any programming gaps, in an effort to prevent the display of black screens or slates to the end viewer. Our Slack and email notifications also alert on: Dynamic Block assets without filled content; assets in the timeline without completed transcode jobs; or assets scheduled on the timeline that are marked as “Inactive”.
Apply Custom Transcode Profiles to Non-HLS Outputs
When configuring your playout channel, you can now set a custom output profile for your stream settings for non-HLS output protocols. UDP style outputs, like SRT, Zixi, and RTMP, can now be configured and Profiles established to create specific renditions of certain output Protocols. A profile can only support (1) output rendition per profile.
Easier EPG Generation for The Roku Channel
For customers who deliver Zype Playout channels to The Roku Channel, we’ve added the ability to generate an EPG directly from a schedule in Playout. The generated EPG is fully compatible with The Roku Channel standards. Previously, the Playout EPG was generated within the Zype CMS.
The Latest in Zype Apps Creator
Leverage Advanced Analytics Insight into Content Performance with new NPAW and MediaMelon Integrations
Now Apps Creator users can leverage Nice People At Work (NPAW) and their suite of video analytics tools to make data-driven content and product strategy decisions to improve their end-users’ streaming experience.
NPAW offers modern video analytics capabilities specifically designed for video customers, allowing users to make data-driven content and product strategy decisions based on analytics. With Apps Creator’s integration of NPAW analytics, you can leverage NPAW’s suite of multiple analytics products for your Apps Creator analytics. For customers that choose to provision an NPAW analytics account, events, properties, and metadata registered in Apps Creator apps can be sent to NPAW for detailed analytics presentation. In NPAW’s user-friendly analytics dashboards, you can manage the data you want to see like Video Analytics, Ads Analytics, Apps Analytics, to help inform on decision making when it comes to your video business. If you have multiple brands under your Apps Creator account, all brands roll up under one NPAW account, but you can delineate between brands for analytics.
Apps Creator customers also now have the ability to leverage Advanced Analytics powered by MediaMelon SmartSight for their app analytics. MediaMelon has long provided Advanced Analytics for Zype Streaming Platform customers and is now supported on all Zype Apps Creator platforms as well. You can leverage Advanced Analytics to observe key analytics metrics for video content delivered via apps, and receive analytics consistency regardless of Zype player platform (either web via Streaming Platform or apps via Apps Creator). Apps Creator customers can leverage Zype Advanced Analytics provided by MediaMelon to review and analyze key video content performance trends and metrics across their entire suite of Apps Creator apps.
If you wish to leverage NPAW or MediaMelon for analytics can reach out to your Account Manager for assistance in setting up the required agreements and integrating these advanced analytics with your Zype workflows. Once the integration is enabled, the Apps Creator team must resubmit your application before the NPAW or MediaMelon analytics can be enabled.
Zype Advanced Analytics dashboard powered by MediaMelon
Enhanced Audio Streaming with new Full-Screen Player, Ability to “Subscribe” to Podcasts, and Audio Ingest File Support
For customers who offer linear audio streaming services on their Apps Creator applications, we’ve made some updates to improve your audio management and the end-user experience.
Apps Creator can now import individual assets that are audio files. Previously media items were only imported via podcast MRSS or podcast RSS feeds. Now you have the option to import an individual audio media item. To add an audio file, navigate to the Library, and select “Audio” as the Content Type from the New Media drop down. You can also choose to show a custom thumbnail in the audio player screen during linear audio playback. Audio items can only be added in the Section level as an “Event”. For customers who offer podcasts within their apps, the latest version of Apps Creator now supports the "Subscribe to Podcast" functionality for iOS and Android apps. Users can add a button that will allow end-users to subscribe to podcasts.
We’ve also introduced a new full screen player for Audio streams, providing better access to audio playback controls and the ability to present custom thumbnails for each audio asset. The new player allows the end-user to maintain visibility to linear audio playback controls and custom thumbnails even when the device screen is locked. The audio stream can be started in the app and continue to play, whether the phone is opened or closed, with player controls and image thumbnail visible at all times. When a user visits other sections of the app, the audio player converts to a mini-player, visible at the bottom of the application with controls minimized.
Separate Login and Registration Screens
Apps Creator now offers the ability to show separate Login and Registration screens to the end-user, improving the end-user experience when it comes to account creation and login. When a user opens an app, a separate UX can now be presented for each Registration and Login screens, with different fields required for submission based on whether a user is logging in or registering an account for the first time.
By removing the additional fields required for user registration for the Login screens, existing end-users of an app can now more quickly and easily login to the application.
Ensure User-Privacy and Consent with Securiti for Compliance Management
Apps Creator customers looking to safeguard their use of customer data can leverage a new integration with third-party compliance management system, Securiti. Apps Creator can now share metadata via API with Securiti for third-party data security, privacy, governance, and compliance. Securiti is the pioneer of the Data Command Center, a centralized platform that enables the safe use of data and GenAI. It provides unified data intelligence, controls and orchestration across hybrid multi cloud environments. Apps Creator has integrated with Securiti in response to growing customer demand for enhanced privacy, governance, and compliance management.
With this integration, the Apps Creator platform seamlessly communicates with Securiti’s API to retrieve and manage user consent information, ensuring that every request made by the app follows the user’s consent preferences. This integration offers a streamlined way to manage user consent across multiple app platforms (iOS, Android, Roku, etc), allowing Apps Creator customers to handle consent management efficiently across all apps, minimizing risks and improving user trust.
In leveraging the Securiti integration with Apps Creator, Zype customers can ensure compliance with globally privacy regulations, streamline consent management across multiple platforms, and ensure privacy settings are applied and enforced across all user interactions, enhancing the overall user experience. WIth this integration, Apps Creator users can maintain high standards of data governance while meeting the ever-evolving demands of privacy laws.
Leverage Securiti integration in Apps Creator by supplying Securiti API Keys