AWS Elemental MediaTailor introduces ad trickplay personalization and optimized DASH manifests

AWS Elemental MediaTailor has enhanced its streaming ad personalization capabilities by introducing support for trickplay features in both HLS and DASH formats. Alongside this, MediaTailor now offers compact DASH manifests to ensure more efficient delivery. Previously, these features required a custom transcode profile, but they are now seamlessly integrated through dynamic transcoding, removing the need for custom profiles.

MediaTailor provides server-side ad insertion (SSAI) to tailor ads within video streams. As streaming services increasingly incorporate trickplay navigation, it is crucial that advertisements are properly transcoded with trickplay variants and the necessary image streams to ensure a smooth viewing experience. These variants must adhere to the specifications of the original content. With this update, MediaTailor addresses this need effectively.

Ad Trickplay Personalization: The update ensures that trickplay personalization is fully supported for both HLS and DASH workflows through dynamic transcoding. MediaTailor guarantees that ads include trickplay variants and corresponding image streams that are consistent with the original content’s specifications. This feature provides a uniform experience when users fast-forward or rewind through content, and no longer requires a custom transcode profile.

Compact DASH Manifest Support: The introduction of compact DASH manifests through dynamic transcoding is another key enhancement. This optimization elevates the SegmentTemplate element from individual Representation elements to the AdaptationSet level, thereby reducing the overall manifest size. This results in more efficient manifest delivery and improved compatibility with players and workflows that depend on compact manifest structures. A custom transcode profile is no longer necessary to activate this feature.

AWS Elemental MediaTailor’s new features, including ad trickplay personalization and compact DASH manifest optimization, are now available in all AWS Regions where MediaTailor operates. These regions include US East (Ohio, N. Virginia), US West (Oregon), Africa (Cape Town), Asia Pacific (Hyderabad, Malaysia, Melbourne, Mumbai, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo), Canada (Central), Europe (Frankfurt, Ireland, London, Paris, Stockholm), Middle East (UAE), and South America (São Paulo). These features are offered at no additional cost. For further information, the AWS Elemental MediaTailor User Guide is available for reference.