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.
Interested in getting started with Zype? Request a meeting today and learn how Zype can help simplify your video streaming workflows with its API-first video infrastructure.
Updates in Zype Streaming Platform
New Storage Policies for Video Uploads
Zype users can now manage video storage more efficiently by selecting storage retention policies for pre-processed video uploads. This new setting allows you to take control of your Zype-managed storage by selecting a time-based retention policy for your pre-processed videos that has been uploaded into Zype. Once videos are uploaded and transcoded into the requested processed outputs, the new policy setting will determine how long the pre-processed uploaded video files will be stored in Zype’s platform.
Users with the Account Owner role can modify storage retention policies by navigating to their Storage Retention Policies section of their Storage Management dashboard.
Menu to configure Storage Retention for original pre-transcoded uploaded videos
In offering distinctive storage policies for pre-processed videos, Zype ensures that each customer can tailor their storage usage to their unique needs or workflows, whether they require long-term archival storage, or syndication and playout workflows, or simply operational convenience. This update will also help customers avoid unnecessary storage costs while maintaining the ability to store content as needed, all within the Zype platform.
All customers will receive 72 hours of free storage of their uploaded pre-processed content and usage beyond 72 hours will be charged at $0.04/GB per month, starting November 1st. Customers are encouraged to update their storage policy settings by November 1st, 2024 in order to avoid any unexpected charges. For more details, please visit Zype’s announcement on New Storage Policies for Video Uploads.
Track Property Changes in New Property Changelog
Have you often wondered what changes were recently made to your Zype property, and by which users? With our new Property Changelog, users with the Admin role on a property now have the ability to view information about changes to that have been made to their Zype Property account resources, including the change that was made and the user that made it. If a user makes a change to an object or resource on the platform, and then hits save, the system will recognize the change and track it in this log. The information available for each change logged includes User Email, User ID, Product, Action, Resource Type, Resource ID and the TimeStamp.
View changes made to Zype property in "Property Changelog" available under "Logs"
To view the new Property Changelog, you can go to Settings > Logs > Property Changelog. You can view additional details on the new property changelog here.
Support for Numeric Characters in Zobject Custom Attributes
Zype customers have long appreciated the ability to add and manage custom metadata using Zype’s zobjects. A zobject is any unique piece of metadata that can be created and associated with your videos or other items within Zype. In this new update to the zobject functionality, customers are now able to include numbers as part of their zobject’s Custom Attributes, allowing for even greater flexibility and customization when it comes to managing video metadata. For more information on using zobjects to model and associate custom metadata for your videos, please visit our Help Center article on Creating a zobject.
Numeric characters now accepted as Custom Attributes for zobjects
New Capabilities in Zype Playout
Add Interstitial Content to Dynamic Blocks
Playout programmers can now add interstitial content into their Dynamic Blocks which can help them improve both ad revenue on and the end-user viewing experience of their linear channels. With this new update, Playout users can create interstitial sets that would allow each channel to have a unique set of interstitials to cater to their different programming needs. When pre- and post-rolls are enabled in Dynamic Blocks, the Playout system will fill any remaining gaps with the ad slate as is (with its original duration) and the rest will be filled with bumpers using a channel’s interstitials. Irregular time slots or leftover durations that don’t neatly align with standard programming blocks will be filled with interstitial content when interstitials are provided that meet all durations (from 5-15 seconds).
Using interstitials can help improve ad revenue by allowing Playout users to create a rules-based framework for easily inserting interstitial content that meets standard Ad Pod durations. By doing so, Playout users can avoid the issue of having ad pods with irregular durations that would reduce revenue and result in a fallback ad slate playing. Adding interstitials can also help improve the end-user viewing experience by creating a linear experience with reduced interruptions and more seamless ad breaks similar to traditional broadcast TV.
New field for Interstitials in Channel Configuration in Zype Playout
Playout users can add interstitials under Channel Configuration > Ads > Ad Settings in Zype Admin and select the group of interstitials to be used. Within the Configuration section, users can also select additional frameworks such as setting maximum Ad Breaks per hour, or selecting non-ad, branded content interstitials that simply use fit-to-content to fill odd timings.
Easily Add Thumbnails for Live Assets
Playout customers can now add thumbnails for Live Assets within Playout by pasting a CDN backed URL to the Live Asset. Available in the EPG section of the Inspector Panel, this new field and ability to provide a Thumbnail URL makes the Playout EPG compliant with certain third-party streaming platforms' specifications that require thumbnails for live assets, such as The Roku Channel, Xumo and SamsungTV+.
Expanded Slack Message Notification Alerts for Missing Programming Elements
To help improve the user experience and allow you to provide a better experience for your streaming viewers, Zype has added additional Slack notifications to help alert on missing programming elements due to scheduling errors or programming scenarios. In addition to alerting on Black Screen detection, Slack message notifications now alert on the below issues:
- Gap detection - Given a channel with a gap in between content, you should see the message containing the start, end and total duration of the gap, for each channel and site if it happens.
- Empty Dynamic Block - Given a channel with empty dynamic blocks, you should see the message containing the start, end and total duration of the asset, plus title and description of the block.
- Pending Transcode Jobs - Given a channel with pending transcode jobs, you should see the message containing the start, end and total duration of the event, plus title and description of the asset and the status of the transcode job.
- Disabled Items - Given a channel with disabled items, you should see the message containing the start, end and total duration of the event, plus title and description of the asset.
- Track Item Longer Than Asset - Given a channel with a track item which duration is longer than the original asset, you should asset the message containing the start, end, total duration of the event plus the asset info.
These alerts will help Playout users minimize programming errors prior to publishing channels, and help ensure that their Playout channels are delivered without interruption due to programming errors, facilitating an improved viewing experience for end-viewers.
The Latest in Zype Apps Creator
Granular GA4 Reporting for Videos Hosted in Zype CMS
Apps Creator customers who use Zype Streaming Platform’s CMS to host their app videos, can now take advantage of more detailed reporting on Video Events in GA4. With this update, every video event sent to GA4 via Apps Creator now includes an additional filterable dimension called VideoId which pertains to that video’s unique CMS Content ID. This gives Apps Creator users a brand new dimension to view, filter, and generate GA4 reports on the specific video usage and engagement data, and connect that all the way back to Zype’s CMS. This functionality is available for all Apps Creator applications on Web, iOS, tvOS, Roku, and Android platforms, and does require app resubmission.
Offer a 14-Day Free Subscription Trial Period
Now Apps Creator customers can let prospective customers try their app for 14-days by offering a free 14-day subscription trial. Prospective customers can simply register for a free account with their name, email, and password to begin their free trial period, which will convert into a paid subscription at the end of the trial. 14 day subscription trials are now available on all platforms that support 14-day trials.
Support for Tiered Subscriptions Used in Zype CMS
For Apps Creator customers who use Zype Streaming Platform to manage their subscription tiers, the subscription tiers will now synchronize between the CMS and Apps Creator to ensure proper content access and playback functionality across all endpoints.
This update improves content monetization and subscription management for Apps Creator users that are using Zype’s CMS to manage their users and content. For example, if content is locked via subscription in Zype’s CMS, or can only be accessed by an end-user with a certain subscription tier, the information will now be property synchronized and reflected on the Apps Creator side. With this update, Apps Creator apps will accurately recognize and unlock content for the users with valid subscriptions in Zype’s CMS, ensuring seamless playback in app.
This update introduces numerous benefits to Apps Creator customers. Firstly, it offers an improved end-user experience by removing the likelihood of black screens or error messages stating the content is unavailable. It ensures accurate content access for end-users, thanks to proper synchronization that ensures all content that should be accessible to users based on their subscriptions will be playable in the app. Lastly, it will improve the Apps Creator user experience, minimizing errors and issues that would lead to end-user dissatisfaction.
End-User Privacy Options for SSAI
To assist our customers in their efforts to abide by GDPR requirements, Apps Creator will propagate the GDPR Consent macro to the SSAI Playback URL. This allows app publishers to use the end-user’s GDPR consent parameter while making decisions about the ads being served to those users. This GDPR Consent macro can be propagated to SSAI Playback URL for Web, CTV, Roku, Android TV, Android, and iOS/tvOS platforms.
Support for Facebook SDK for Measuring App Events
Customers can now integrate their Apps Creator mobile apps with Facebook Analytics SDK and bring the power of demographics to cross device analysis and measurement. Please find the details of Facebook Analytics SDK capabilities here.
Using the Facebook SDK allows Apps Creator users to automatically track app events, such as when end users view content, conduct a search, register, subscribe, make a purchase, or start a trial. With insight into these app events, developers and marketers can better understand their app's audience, measure how people use their app, and grow their businesses by running better ads.
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