The following services APIs have been deprecated for a significant period of time and are now removed:

• services.uplynk.com/services/misc/servertime
• cms.uplynk.com/cmsservices/register/
• cms.uplynk.com/register/

Fixes:

• Fix frequent random deadlock when ingesting .umf files.

• Fix for AJA pts rollover.

• Fix sticky_blackout inconsistency between web API and SCTE interfaces.

• Fix log messages over 2048 characters being truncated.

• Include additional AWS CDI SDK v2.2.0 patches for CDI signal disconnect/recovery/shutdown deadlock.

Enables:

• Add CDI ingest support for timecodes in Ancillary data.

• Add AJA ingest support for timecodes in Ancillary data, pass Ancillary data to SCTE plugin.

• More AJA slicer feature parity with UDP slicer (no_signal_pad, etc…).

• Add support for advanced audio routing in liveslicer (incomplete, supports splitting input stereo track into two output tracks only).

• Add VOD config field to slicer GUI.

Other changes:

• Windows GUI updates for vod_config and username.

Prerequisites:

• Due to the slicer being built on CentOS 7 it picks up a new library dependency on libnl-3.200, which is not included in the base install of Ubuntu 18.04. You may need to pre-install it: sudo apt install libnl-3-200

• Nvidia driver 418 or later is required for HEVC 4K HDR/SDR.

• Due to CentOS 6 reaching EOL in November 2020 this slicer release requires CentOS 7 or newer.

The api endpoint that returns binary decryption keys in HLS manifests (/check2) will now have the more accurate Content-Type header "application/octet-stream". Previously responses from this endpoint had a Content-Type of "text/html".

There is a new API available for Slicer Failover which allows a Slicer in a Failover Group to be made active immediately. Auto-Failback must be disabled (when Priority Mode used) or Flat Mode used to prevent an immediate switch back to the original Slicer. Documentation available below: * Activate Live Slicer API

Contact Support or your Technical Account Manager with any questions.

Fixes:

• Resource leaks due to manual refcount management in libbeam, slicer (memleak fixes).

• SDI and UDP liveslicer feature parity regarding /list_breaks and /remove_break.

• Fix log spam of per-slice NVENC errors when no GPU is available.

• Fix -testnvenc deadlock.

• Fix a dangling pointer in WebSocketClient.

• Live Preview deadlock affecting 21061600-master slicer release.

Enables:

• Support for VOD slicer ingest of .mov TimedText (tx3g) subtitle tracks.

• Optional -hwenc, hwenc: yes slicer parameters to enable NVENC for the top ray if available, regardless of the profile.

• Optional -vod_config support for selecting an encoding configuration by name.

Other changes:

• Add more CLUT transforms and pixel transforms.

• Add enable_remote_config: option, deprecate remote: option.

• Make -testnvenc report time required to instantiate nvenc instances.

• Make -nv_min work with -testnvenc.

Prerequisites:

• Due to the slicer being built on CentOS 7 it picks up a new library dependency on libnl-3.200, which is not included in the base install of Ubuntu 18.04. You may need to pre-install it: sudo apt install libnl-3-200

• Nvidia driver 418 or later is required for HEVC 4K HDR/SDR.

• Due to CentOS 6 reaching EOL in November 2020 this slicer release requires CentOS 7 or newer.

Verizon Media Platform (VMP) is performing replacement profile migrations, which will result in the end of life (EOL) of a number of legacy encoding profiles (720p30 to 1080p60 h.264). Replacement profile migrations will be completed in phases beginning in Phase 1 with the 720p30 default encoding profile for Live and VoD. For Phase 1, all affected customers will be migrated to an updated 720p30 profile, which many customers have been using for the last several years. This replacement profile will become the default 720p30 profile in production. Please read the details below carefully.

What is new with the replacement 720p30 Profile? * B-frames have been added to the top rendition to enhance video quality

• Top rendition bitrate increased slightly
• Baseline Profile renditions are no longer supported and replaced with Main Profile
• Low-resolution baseline renditions have been removed for encoding efficiency

If you have any concerns with legacy player interoperability with B-frames, and with regard to the timelines set forth below, we recommend testing the replacement profile as soon as possible. We can also remove the B-frames upon request.

Timelines
Your legacy 720p30 profiles will be migrated automatically on July 15, 2021. For the profile to be active a Slicer restart is required. On July 30, 2021, if you have not restarted your slicers, we will automatically restart all Slicers to update to the new profile for all accounts that remain on the legacy 720p30 profile.

What happens after July 30, 2021?
The legacy default 720p30 profile will no longer be available for new asset encodes. However, all existing VoD assets encoded with the legacy 720p30 profile will still be able to playback content.

When is the next expected EOL profile migration?
Following the 720p30 update, we will be performing the Phase 2 migration to address the remaining 720p30 to 1080p60 h.264 encoding profiles that include Baseline Profile renditions. Please reach out to VMP support to take the necessary steps to update all your EOL profiles as soon as possible.

What action do I need to take?
It is important that you update your legacy 720p30 profiles by no later than July 14, 2021 by contacting Verizon support or your Account Manager. A minimum slicer version Slicer Release 18042500 (May 2018 release) is required to support B-frame profiles. Also, to ensure a smooth transition, please re-encode your custom slates with the new profile.

Will there be any impact to my traffic?
We do not expect any impact to your traffic if you timely update your profiles. However, if you do not do so, it is possible that you may experience Missing Content Slate (MCS) when we are performing the forced Slicer restart on July 30, 2021. To avoid this potential interruption, you are encouraged to initiate the profile update process as soon as possible by contacting Verizon Media support or your Account Manager.

Will I lose capabilities after migrating to the new replacement encoding profile?
No, the added B-frames will enhance video quality and the decrease in the number of renditions will increase encoding efficiencies and lower chances of MCS for live streams.

Do I need to change or update my sales contract?
No.

What are my next steps?
Please reach out to Verizon Media Platform Support or your Account Manager to update legacy profiles.

Where do I learn more about the encoding profile migration process?
If you have any questions, please contact your Account Manager or email us at [email protected]. You may also contact our Network Operations Center (NOC) at +1 (877) 334-3236.

Sincerely,
Verizon Media Platform Support Team

Hotfix of slicer version 21061600

Fixes:

• Critical live preview deadlock

Prerequisites:

• libnl-3.200 is a new library dependency that may need to be pre-installed manually on Ubuntu 18.04:
  sudo apt install libnl-3-200

• Nvidia driver 418 or later is required for HEVC 4K HDR/SDR.

• Due to Centos 6 reaching EOL in November 2020 this slicer release requires CentOS 7 or newer.

Verizon Media Platform (VMP) is performing replacement profile migrations, which will result in the end of life (EOL) of a number of legacy encoding profiles (720p30 to 1080p60 h.264). Replacement profile migrations will be completed in phases beginning in Phase 1 with the 720p30 default encoding profile for Live and VoD. For Phase 1, all affected customers will be migrated to an updated 720p30 profile, which many customers have been using for the last several years. This replacement profile will become the default 720p30 profile in production. Please read the details below carefully.

What is new with the replacement 720p30 Profile? * B-frames have been added to the top rendition to enhance video quality

• Top rendition bitrate increased slightly
• Baseline Profile renditions are no longer supported and replaced with Main Profile
• Low-resolution baseline renditions have been removed for encoding efficiency

If you have any concerns with legacy player interoperability with B-frames, and with regard to the timelines set forth below, we recommend testing the replacement profile as soon as possible. We can also remove the B-frames upon request.

Timelines
Your legacy 720p30 profiles will be migrated automatically on July 15, 2021. For the profile to be active a Slicer restart is required. On July 30, 2021, if you have not restarted your slicers, we will automatically restart all Slicers to update to the new profile for all accounts that remain on the legacy 720p30 profile.

What happens after July 30, 2021?
The legacy default 720p30 profile will no longer be available for new asset encodes. However, all existing VoD assets encoded with the legacy 720p30 profile will still be able to playback content.

When is the next expected EOL profile migration?
Following the 720p30 update, we will be performing the Phase 2 migration to address the remaining 720p30 to 1080p60 h.264 encoding profiles that include Baseline Profile renditions. Please reach out to VMP support to take the necessary steps to update all your EOL profiles as soon as possible.

What action do I need to take?
It is important that you update your legacy 720p30 profiles by no later than July 14, 2021 by contacting Verizon support or your Account Manager. A minimum slicer version Slicer Release 18042500 (May 2018 release) is required to support B-frame profiles. Also, to ensure a smooth transition, please re-encode your custom slates with the new profile.

Will there be any impact to my traffic?
We do not expect any impact to your traffic if you timely update your profiles. However, if you do not do so, it is possible that you may experience Missing Content Slate (MCS) when we are performing the forced Slicer restart on July 30, 2021. To avoid this potential interruption, you are encouraged to initiate the profile update process as soon as possible by contacting Verizon Media support or your Account Manager.

Will I lose capabilities after migrating to the new replacement encoding profile?
No, the added B-frames will enhance video quality and the decrease in the number of renditions will increase encoding efficiencies and lower chances of MCS for live streams.

Do I need to change or update my sales contract?
No.

What are my next steps?
Please reach out to Verizon Media Platform Support or your Account Manager to update legacy profiles.

Where do I learn more about the encoding profile migration process?
If you have any questions, please contact your Account Manager or email us at [email protected]. You may also contact our Network Operations Center (NOC) at +1 (877) 334-3236.

Sincerely,
Verizon Media Platform Support Team

Verizon Media Platform (VMP) is performing replacement profile migrations, which will result in the end of life (EOL) of a number of legacy encoding profiles (720p30 to 1080p60 h.264). Replacement profile migrations will be completed in phases beginning in Phase 1 with the 720p30 default encoding profile for Live and VoD. For Phase 1, all affected customers will be migrated to an updated 720p30 profile, which many customers have been using for the last several years. This replacement profile will become the default 720p30 profile in production. Please read the details below carefully.

What is new with the replacement 720p30 Profile? * B-frames have been added to the top rendition to enhance video quality

• Top rendition bitrate increased slightly
• Baseline Profile renditions are no longer supported and replaced with Main Profile
• Low-resolution baseline renditions have been removed for encoding efficiency

If you have any concerns with legacy player interoperability with B-frames, and with regard to the timelines set forth below, we recommend testing the replacement profile as soon as possible. We can also remove the B-frames upon request.

Timelines
Your legacy 720p30 profiles will be migrated automatically on July 15, 2021. For the profile to be active a Slicer restart is required. On July 30, 2021, if you have not restarted your slicers, we will automatically restart all Slicers to update to the new profile for all accounts that remain on the legacy 720p30 profile.

What happens after July 30, 2021?
The legacy default 720p30 profile will no longer be available for new asset encodes. However, all existing VoD assets encoded with the legacy 720p30 profile will still be able to playback content.

When is the next expected EOL profile migration?
Following the 720p30 update, we will be performing the Phase 2 migration to address the remaining 720p30 to 1080p60 h.264 encoding profiles that include Baseline Profile renditions. Please reach out to VMP support to take the necessary steps to update all your EOL profiles as soon as possible.

What action do I need to take?
It is important that you update your legacy 720p30 profiles by no later than July 14, 2021 by contacting Verizon support or your Account Manager. A minimum slicer version Slicer Release 18042500 (May 2018 release) is required to support B-frame profiles. Also, to ensure a smooth transition, please re-encode your custom slates with the new profile.

Will there be any impact to my traffic?
We do not expect any impact to your traffic if you timely update your profiles. However, if you do not do so, it is possible that you may experience Missing Content Slate (MCS) when we are performing the forced Slicer restart on July 30, 2021. To avoid this potential interruption, you are encouraged to initiate the profile update process as soon as possible by contacting Verizon Media support or your Account Manager.

Will I lose capabilities after migrating to the new replacement encoding profile?
No, the added B-frames will enhance video quality and the decrease in the number of renditions will increase encoding efficiencies and lower chances of MCS for live streams.

Do I need to change or update my sales contract?
No.

What are my next steps?
Please reach out to Verizon Media Platform Support or your Account Manager to update legacy profiles.

Where do I learn more about the encoding profile migration process?
If you have any questions, please contact your Account Manager or email us at [email protected]. You may also contact our Network Operations Center (NOC) at +1 (877) 334-3236.

Sincerely,
Verizon Media Platform Support Team

For offline playback of widevine protected content using ExoPlayer, a new url param has been introduced "dash_send_all_keys=1". This parameter is meant for ExoPlayer compatibility when requesting a Widevine rental license. As ExoPlayer can only cache a single license, this url param issues a license with all content keys, and generates a manifest with all the key ids included in every period of the dash manifest. This enables offline playback using a single cached Widevine rental license.