Ad Insertion Process
Flow
There are two methods for inserting ads into a media stream. You can
use an ad list to incorporate specific ads from
a rotating list on RealServer, or you can send user information to third party ad software to select an ad for insertion.
The process flows for each of these methods are discussed in the following
sections.
Process Flow Using
a RealServer Ad List
The following diagram portrays the scenario for Ad Insertion with on-demand
(pre-recorded) content, using an ad list on the RealServer.

When a visitor clicks a RealAudio or RealVideo link on your Web site:
- RealServer checks the Ad Insertion configuration settings in server.cfg
for the directory in which that media file resides.
- If the link points to a content clip in a directory that is configured
o play a lead ad (Content Directory1 in this example), the first ad in
the ad list file (ads.txt) of that directory is played and then
the content clip is played.
- If the link points to a content clip in a directory that is configured
for in-line ads (Content DirectoryA in this example),the server opens the
.rad file for that content clip, and reads the timestamp(s) and ad(s) to
insert. If the server encounters an AdInsert variable in the .rad
file, it plays the next ad listed in ads.txt.
- The content clip and ad clip stream plays with no break, no time delay,
and no rebuffering between clips. All transitions between advertising clips
and the content clip are seamless.
- For RealVideo ads and content, users can click a video map on the screen
to have their Web browsers display another URL. The media continues to
stream to the user's RealPlayer.
A directory containing live content does not actually contain a live
content file at all-a file name for the live content is specified by the
RealEncoder or RealPublisher, and it points to the directory where ads.txt
or the .rad file and the .rm ad files are located, but the file name is
a virtual name and is not actually placed in the directory. The live content
file does not actually exist, unless it is also archived as it is broadcast.
However, the RealServer uses the ads.txt or .rad file located in
that directory and plays the lead ads just as if a live content file were
there.
Process Flow Using
Third Party Software
The following diagram portrays the scenario for Ad Insertion using decision-making
software on a third party ad server.
When the user clicks a RealAudio or RealVideo link on your Web site:
- The RealServer sends detailed information about the user to the third
party software.
- The third party targeting software selects an appropriate ad based
on the data and sends the name of that ad file back to the RealServer.
- The RealPlayer begins to play either the ad or content clip based on
the instruction received from the third party ad software.
In the example, ad1.rm will be displayed. As the content clip plays,
RealServer checks with the third party database application to obtain the
timestamp and filename of the next ad.The content clip and ad clip play
with no break, no time delay, and no rebuffering between clips. Transitions
between advertising clips and the content clip are seamless.
- For RealVideo ads and content, users can click a video map on the screen
to have their Web browsers display another URL. The media continues to
stream to the user's RealPlayer.
RealPlayer Interaction with Ad Insertion
RealPlayer Seek Bar Performance
RealPlayer displays the time for the sum of all the content and ad lengths.
They appear to the user as a single clip, making it difficult for the user
to skip past advertisements.
Title, Author & Copyright
Whether a content clip or an ad clip is playing, RealPlayer shows the
appropriate title, author, and copyright information for that clip.
Clickthrough URLs
Like video banner ads, you can apply media map coordinates (a clickthrough
URL) to any streaming ad. If the user clicks anywhere in the RealPlayer
display during an ad, the user's Browser displays the underlying Web page
without interruption to the RealPlayer.
For more information about clickthrough URLs, refer to the RealAudio
and RealVideo Content Creation Guide.
© 1997 RealNetworks, Inc.