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:

  1. RealServer checks the Ad Insertion configuration settings in server.cfg for the directory in which that media file resides.
  2. 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.
  3. 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:

  1. The RealServer sends detailed information about the user to the third party software.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.