Here’s a useful list of 10 definitions you should be familiar with when you are looking for a new Online Video Platform (OVP). It’s important to be prepared and knowledgeable when starting out or when switching from one video hosting solution to another. Aside from knowing your use case, get to know these Online Video definitions to ensure a comfortable experience when speaking with an OVP:
- Codec – (COmpressor/ DECompressor) -The technology used to compress an audio and/or video file for storage or transmission and then decompress for playback.
- Content Delivery Network (CDN) – Companies that deliver video streaming (and other data delivery) via a system of computers networked across the internet containing copies of data to maximize bandwidth for the purpose of delivering content to end users. Each individual system is composed of hundreds-to-thousands of computers allowing networking to be done on a massive scale. A client accesses a copy of the data near to the client, as opposed to all clients accessing the same central server, so as to avoid bottleneck near that server.
- Embed – Adding an element from one document to another document; in online video this refers to taking video from a online video provider and transplanting it elsewhere on the web (websites, social networking sites, etc.) through the use of HTML code.
- Encoding – The compression of a file through the use of a codec to make it easier and smaller to store and transmit.
- H.264 – Standard of video compression pioneered for the purpose of providing good quality video at half the bit rate allowing a larger market access to high quality video and other advertisements.
- Metadata – Digitized data of any type that can be used to improve a web video’s measurability, and indexing. Most sharing sites allow forms of metadata such as file descriptions consisting of keywords for web videos.
- Online Video Platform (OVP) – An OVP is typically a SaaS (software as a service) solution providing end-to-end tools to manage, publish and measure online video content for both on-demand and live delivery. Typical components of an OVPP include video hosting, encoding, custom players, syndication, analytics, as well as interactivity and monetization through a variety of online advertising options typically 3rd-party ad-servers/networks. Most OVPPs offer scalable product packages for both self-serve SMB publishers up to large media companies.
- Progressive Download – A technique for downloading Internet video and/or audio clips so that they can be viewed at the same time that they are being transferred to your computer. This provides some of the benefits of streaming media without requiring a special streaming server. Also known as Pseudo Streaming and HTTP Streaming.
- Streaming Media – Internet video and/or audio clips that can play directly over the Internet, without needing to be downloaded first onto a computer. Used to view and hear broadcasts, and to interactively play and seek in stored clips. Also known as Pure Streaming.
- Video Format – The file type of a video. Different video formats are used by different programs and/or operating systems. A few of the most popular formats for digital video are .avi (Microsoft), .mov (Quicktime), .wmv (Windows), and .flv (Flash)
