Virtual Linear Playlists & Smartstart

Today the Edgecast Streaming platform released two new Smartplay capabilities - Virtual Linear Playlists and Smartstart APIs.

Virtual Linear Playlists enable the creation of linear, lean-back experiences by leveraging your existing VOD library.  Unlike channel scheduling, assets within a playlist are not bound by time, but are played back in sequence.  

Smartstart reduces lengthy start-up times associated with long-form ad-supported VOD assets.  Standard VOD playback fetches all ads upfront for an entire asset causing delays. Smartstart fetches ads for VOD before each ad break, similar to a live stream, improving startup times.

You will be able to view usage dimensions in the Analytics Dashboard for both Smartstart and Playlist streaming.

Additional information can be found below

• Virtual Linear Playlist & Smartstart User Guide

• Blog | How to Improve VOD Playback Performance Virtual Linear Playlists 

• Blog | How to Deliver Improved VOD Experiences with Verizon Media Smartstart