URL Builder

This service supports dynamic advert insertion and restriction of content in streams. URLs can be created dynamically using pre-defined rulesets containing a number of parameters associated with them.

The blackout functionality available through URL Builder works by ensuring that the client’s location is passed to the encoder that provides the live stream for a channel.

The encoder uses the location to blackout events as appropriate.

There is another kind of blackout functionality that lets you define blackout rules based on device type, connection type, and so on in OpCon. A client can request a list of blacked out events (which is compiled using these rules and blackout metadata on the individual events) that it then uses to blackout the events on the client side. See Blackout Management.

Click here to see a blackout example.

The URL Builder is used to add parameters to the URL used for playout when connecting to the encoder endpoint, to enable the encoder provider to make runtime decisions as to what content to show or not show based upon those parameters.

For example, user A is watching a particular channel at home in Los Angeles, and user B is watching the same channel in New York.

The channel is configured to use a ruleset specifying that location for both country and city is included in the parameters sent to the encoder provider for each client connection. When the users are watching the channel, the URL used by the client to connect to the encoder carries the values of city and country based on the IP address of the client device.

The encoder provider has its own rules defined, outside the OpenTV Platform. If their rules for the channel state that anyone located in New York cannot watch an event (such as NBA Game 1), via their manifest manipulator they can change the content in the stream based on the parameters provided by the URL Builder. In this case, user A will be able to see the event, whereas user B will see a different event or black screen in their stream.

Global settings

The Global Settings tab displays the URLs of the standard endpoint provider. For example:

Manifest Manipulator URL
Dynamic Ad Injection URL
Blackout URL

You can also create custom rules for other URLs.

Editing Global settings

Use this to change the URLs.

On the Global Settings tab, click EDIT GLOBAL SETTINGS.
Update the relevant URL(s) and click the SAVE CHANGES button.

Rule Sets

The Rule Sets tab displays currently configured rules.

Creating rule sets

Use this to create a new rule.

On the URL Builder page Rule Sets tab, click ADD RULE.
Enter a name for the ruleset.
Select the default URL to associate with the ruleset. To enter a custom URL, select Custom and enter the URL in the Custom URL field.
Select the parameters for the rule set.
Click the CREATE RULE SET button.

Editing rule sets

Use this to edit a ruleset.

Select Edit... from the relevant menu.
Update the parameters as required and click the SAVE RULE SET button.

Deleting rule sets

Use this to delete a rule set.

Select Delete Rule... from the relevant menu.
A confirmation message is displayed; click the DELETE button.