Videos: Configuring Options

Once video assets have been added, use the sub-menu areas of CONTENT > VIDEOS to add details and supplemental assets, configure access settings, and customize the landing page. Click on a video asset from the list to view the sub-menus, beginning with the General sub-menu.

Page Visibility and Video Playback Status
General: Video Details
Artwork
Video Assets
Security Settings
Display Options
Live Stream
Subscription Access
Analytics: Session Data
Voucher Access

1. Page Visibility and Video Playback status

When opening up a video asset to its sub-menu options, the right-hand sidebar contains this asset's visibility and playback setting options, as well as a stats overview. This sidebar remains persistent no matter which sub-menu is being viewed, so that these settings are always available to modify when working on a specific video.

With these settings, you control, separately, if/when the video's landing page is visible and if/when the video's playback is available. For more information please see this brief video on Visibility and Playback Status.

If you'd like to set multiple videos' page visibility and/or playback status' at once, please see this brief video on Bulk Actions.

If you'd like to preview a video's landing page, use the "Preview" button. For information please see this brief video on Previewing.

2. General: Video Details

This is the basic information about the video asset, including director, producer, year, languages, countries of origin, synopsis, and so on. This information can be manually entered, imported when the asset was initially added, or the content provider can enter it via the Video Request URL. These fields, if they contain data, will appear on the video's landing page with the exception of the Logline field. The Logline field is used on the browse page (for subscribers) and in Playlist descriptions. Please note the Logline field and the Short Summary field both support HTML.

At the bottom of the General sub-menu screen are three Private Custom Data fields. These fields are internal only and appear as columns of data in reports which can be used in innumerable ways to slice and dice report data.

DRAFT vs. VISIBLE: If a video's page visibility is "Visible", changes to the fields on this screen will update as drafts, and you'll see the number of unpublished draft changes in the right-hand sidebar. You and your team can continue editing the information without it being public until you are ready to apply your changes. For more information please see this brief video on Drafting.

3. Artwork

Upload image(s) to represent your video asset online. At minimum you will need the Regular Thumbnail, the others are all supplementary.

Artwork Specs:
1920 x 1080 pixels (Regular Thumbnail; Featured Thumbnail; Background Image)
600 x 900 pixels (Poster Image)

Files can be .jpg or .png and recommended to be less than 500k file size.

4. Video Assets

On the Video Assets sub-menu the Main Video and supplemental video assets like subtitles/captions, a trailer, pre-roll settings and bonus content video(s) can be uploaded. Click the dropdown arrow above the Main Video to view source file information or to delete the video in order to be able to upload a new version.

Pre-Roll Insertions: have one or more videos play prior to your main video. Common examples are a pre-recorded filmmaker introduction; a pre-recorded programmer introduction; a festival trailer; and/or a sponsor advertisement. Insertions are first uploaded to the INSERTIONS area (left-hand navigation) and can then be added to each video asset as desired. Select the Default insertion for a single, default video as pre-roll (or no pre-roll at all if no default insertion has been defined), or uncheck the Use Default Preroll Insertion box to select from a list of available insertions. Add them here in the preferred play order. Once they have been added, simply drag and drop to reorder them. For more information on Insertions.

Trailer: to provide patrons the option to view a trailer, upload one here. After successfully uploading, playback status can be managed from the right-hand sidebar. The trailer can also be uploaded by the content provider from the Video Request URL.

Bonus Content: content such as a pre-recorded Q&A, outtakes or other special videos can be uploaded here, and will appear on the asset's online landing page at the lower left side. Playback status can be managed from the right-hand sidebar. For more information on Bonus Content.

Timed Text Tracks: if the main video comes with separate subtitle or closed caption files, upload them here in VTT or SRT file formats. Timed text tracks can also be uploaded by the content provider when uploading the video from the Video Request URL. Known issue: You can set subtitles/captions to be on by default, however please note Apple devices do not recognize this setting. Patrons using Apple devices will need to turn the captions on from the player when they are viewing.

5. Security Settings

On the Security sub-menu the asset can be additionally protected with geoblocking and/or watermark overlays, if needed.

Geoblocking: To limit access by geographical location, enable geoblocking for the main video by country or by state/province. For the U.S. it can additionally be blocked by zip code. Please note, ISP providers aren't required to provide accurate subscriber location information beyond the country. Most do, but there can be a lag between when they make changes and when they report them, sometimes resulting in misreported subscriber locations. The more granular the geoblocking that is enabled, the more access issues some patrons may experience. To resolve issues such as these, geoblocking can be manually disabled on any individual voucher or subscriber record. If it is preferred to disallow viewing (rather than allow) then enable the "Use Blocklist?" option, and then settings will be for which specific countries cannot view the content.

Watermarks: add a watermark overlay for the video playback. There are several options of which data to use as the watermark overlay. Please contact support to inquire about the use of Forensic watermarks.

6. Display Options

On the Display Options sub-menu Call To Action links, a Title Logo image and/or a Presented By image can be added, plus the audience Rating option can be disabled.

Call To Action links: Creates buttons on the asset's landing page that link to an external URL. Can be used for many creative purposes, for example reviews or additional information about the video's topic. Please note: call to action links are not supported with the TVapps.
Title Logo: Replace the video's title on the landing page with an image instead.
Presented By Image: appears below the play button on the asset's landing page. Commonly used for sponsor or co-presenter recognition. Recommended specs 280w pixels with no height restrictions. Square or horizontal rectangle look best. There is a URL field below where the partner's URL can be added in order to make the presented by image a link to their website. Only one URL can be used. If there are multiple sponsors we recommend uploading one image that contains all of their names or logos without making use of the URL field, or have the URL field link to a page on your own website where your partners are all listed.
Rating option: If ratings are enabled for assets (from WATCH PORTAL > PORTAL SETTINGS) they can be disabled on an asset-by-asset basis here. Simply disable this setting and the rating option will not appear on this specific asset's landing page.

7. Live Stream

With Live Stream a live broadcast can be added to accompany the main video. Audience members can watch and even interact with the live stream, accessing directly from the asset's landing page. Common examples are live Q & As, post-film panel discussions, or even live performances that are in addition to the primary video. More information on how to setup a Live Stream can be found here. If the event is ONLY a live stream, with no video, that should be set up in the LIVE EVENTS area instead.

8. Subscription Access

If this video asset should be accessible by one or more subscriptions, those subscriptions can be selected here. In many instances, however, it is easier to do this process in the reverse, instead selecting which videos should be accessible by the subscription from the VIEWERS > SUBSCRIPTIONS screen. You have options, so go with whichever method works best for your workflow.

9. Analytics

All viewing sessions for the video will be listed here in reverse chronologic order, and are searchable by subscriber name or voucher number. This data can also be obtained by running a Video Sessions Report from the Reports area.

10. Voucher Access

New vouchers (aka tickets) for this video can be manually generated from this sub-menu, and previously issued vouchers can be viewed. Along with generating random nine digit vouchers, external vouchers can be imported by using the upload csv option, or type them in manually.