Integrating Your Ad Server

Integrating your Ad Server with Video Cloud is a one-time activity performed when you initially set up video advertising with Video Cloud.

After you have selected an ad server and set up an account with that ad server, you integrate the ad server with Video Cloud by establishing a connection between that ad server and Video Cloud. Once the connection is established, all ad requests generated by the Video Cloud player are in a format which the ad server expects, allowing seamless communication between the Video Cloud player and the ad server.

Supported Approaches

Video Cloud supports several different approaches to ad integration, including:

• If you are a Video Cloud Express publisher on the Express $499 plan, you can integrate with the Tremor Acudeo ad network.
• If you are a Video Cloud Pro or Enterprise publisher, Video Cloud is configured by default to request ads from DoubleClick DART for Publishers (DFP).
• If you choose not to use the default ad server, Video Cloud Pro or Enterprise publishers can integrate your Video Cloud players with many different ad servers or ad networks besides DART for Publishers. You can use a simple plug-in called an Ad Translator to integrate with many ad servers, or you can integrate with the Tremor Acudeo ad network.

It is also possible to integrate Video Cloud players with ads without using an ad server. For more information, refer to the article titled, Setting Ads without using an Ad Server in the Developer's Center.

Key steps for integrating your ad server

To integrate your ad server with Video Cloud, you must:

• Identify your integration method. There are several methods to choose from:

  • Ad Translator. The easiest method of integration is to use one of the Ad Translators that comes with Video Cloud. If there isn't an existing Ad Translator for your preferred ad source, you can develop a custom ad translator.
  • Ad Display SWF. An ad display SWF is similar to an Ad Translator. However, an ad display SWF allows Flash based (SWF) components to be returned to the Video Cloud player. Ad display SWFs are used to get ads to and from ad networks, such as Tremor Media's Acudeo.
  • Ad Rules SWF. The ad rules SWF is the most complex and flexible solution. Using the Ad Rules APIs, you can create a SWF that overrides a player's configured ad policy settings. An ad rules SWF makes it easier to integrate with third-party ad libraries, while still allowing use of Ad Translators and ad display SWFs.
  • Video Cloud Ad API. Use the Video Cloud API to integrate an ad server with a custom Video Cloud player. The API allows your development team to build a code wrapper to connect with a custom ad serving system.
• Specify the Ad Server URL. The Ad Server URL (also called the Base Tag URL) contains the string that will be used to form the beginning of each ad request that is made to the ad server.

After you have selected your method of integration and determined your Ad Server URL, you must decide how the Ad Translator and Ad Server URL will be assigned. You can:

• Assign the Ad Source at the account level or at the player level, and
• Assign the Ad Server URL at the account level or the player level.
• Assign the Ad Translator URL dynamically using the getAdTranslator and setAdTranslator methods. These methods can be used for on the fly switches between ad translators for videos within a player. See the Advertising Module Class of the Flash-Only Player API for examples of how to use these methods for dynamically switching ad sources for different videos in a player.

Enabling at the account level means that the selected ad source or the Ad Server URL will be used for all players on the system. Enabling at the account level requires assistance from the Brightcove Customer Support organization. Enabling at the player level means that the ad source or Ad Server URL will only apply to the selected players.

Delivering ads with HTML5

To play ads for videos published on devices that do not support Flash such as the iPhone and iPad, Video Cloud offers limited support for running pre-roll ads for videos delivered in HTML5 players. While procedures for trafficking your video ad campaign and assigning policies are identical to assigning ads to your Flash-delivered videos, HTML5 ad delivery requires publishing in an HTML5-enabled smart player as well as some specific ad server integration steps. For specifics and support limitations, see Delivering Advertising with HTML5.

What's Next...

Setting Ad Policies