Clipping

The Clipping tool creates an excerpt from a live channel or Video on Demand (VOD) content. The resulting asset is known as a clip, which can be played back as VOD content.

Quick Start

Create a clip by performing the following steps:

1. From the CMS, select the desired live channel or VOD content.
2. Click Create Clip.
3. From the Title option, define the clip's title.
4. Define the video segment to clip by setting start and stop markers.
5. (Optional) Preview the video clip by clicking Preview.
6. Click Create clip.

Profiles

Profiles let you define a default configuration for each type of clip. Apply a default configuration to a clip by selecting the desired profile from the Clipping tool.

The following settings can be defined through profiles:

• Metadata: Define a default set of metadata keys. Additionally, determine whether an external ID can be assigned to new clips through the Show External ID option in the Clipping Tool.
• Third-Party Integrations: Automatically publish new clips to a third-party platform.
• Overlays: Define the set of image overlays available for selection and apply a default one to new clips.
• Default Intro/Outro Bumpers: Define a default intro and/or outro bumper.
• Signed Playback URLs: Determine whether a token is required by default for new clips through the Require a token for playback on all new clips option.

Set Up a Profile

1. Navigate to the Clipping page. From the main menu, navigate to Settings > Clipping.
2. Click + Profile.
3. (Optional) If a profile has been previously created, you can copy it by:
   • Clicking the Duplicate tab.
   • Selecting the desired profile from the Clipping Profile to duplicate option.
4. In the Clipping Profile Name option, assign a name to the clipping profile.
5. Click Create.
6. Define the desired default settings.
7. Click Save.

Start/Stop Markers

You can define the exact segment of the live channel or VOD content to clip through start and stop markers. These markers can be set by selecting a playhead position, a specific frame, or an exact time.

Playhead

A playhead is a vertical line on the timeline that identifies a specific position in the video. If the live channel or on-demand content is currently playing within the Clipping tool, the playhead updates continuously to reflect the current playback position.

Set a clip's start or stop position by playhead by clicking Set Start or Set Stop. The marker is set to the time associated with the playhead at that moment.

Frame

Live channel or VOD content consists of sequential video frames. The number of frames within a specific second is the frame rate (frames per second). You can set a clip's start or stop position to a specific frame.

Select a frame by setting the By Time option to the exact second where the frame exists, clicking Select Frame, and then selecting the desired frame from the available set.

Exact Time

The valid range for video frames varies according to the source video's frame rate. Standard frame rates are 24, 30, and 60 fps, with valid frame ranges of 0-23, 0-29, and 0-59, respectively.

You can define or fine-tune a clip's start or stop position by setting the By Time option to the exact desired time and frame.

Syntax: hh:mm:ss;vf

Example: This value represents the second frame at the thirty minute and 20 second mark: 00:30:20;01

Poster Image

A poster image is displayed by the media player until video playback begins. By default, a clip's poster image is set to a frame at its halfway point.

Set a clip's poster image through the Set Poster Image option. You can set it to an image within the clip by selecting a playhead position, frame, or exact time. Alternatively, upload a custom image by clicking Upload Image from the Set Poster Image option. To revert to the default, select "Use Default."

Once a poster image has been defined, a thumbnail preview appears directly above the Set Poster Image option. Enlarge this preview by clicking on it, or download it by clicking the download icon to the right of the Set Poster Image option.

Effects

Various optional effects can be applied to a clipped video segment. The order in which these effects are applied is outlined below.

Intro/Outro Bumpers

A video bumper typically consists of a brief announcement, logo, or branded message inserted before or after a clip. Bumpers inserted before a clip are intro bumpers, while those appended after are outro bumpers.

Define a clip's intro or outro bumper by navigating to the Effects tab, marking either the Intro bumper or the Outro bumper option, and then selecting the desired clip.

Image Overlays

An overlay displays a static image on top of a clip. The most common use for an image overlay is branding a video with a logo.

You must upload an image as an overlay before it can be applied to a clip. Note the following requirements before uploading:

• The image overlay must use the PNG file format.
• It is strongly recommended to use a transparent background.
• It is strongly recommended to use an image whose resolution (e.g., 1920x1080) matches the clip's resolution. This avoids distortion or degradation when the overlay is applied and makes positioning easier.
• If the image resolution matches the target clip's resolution, position the relevant portion (e.g., logo) at the desired relative position (e.g., lower right-hand corner). The system proportionally scales the image to match the video's resolution, maintaining the same relative position when applied.
• Multiple image overlays can be uploaded to accommodate varying resolution or branding requirements.

Upload an Image from the CMS

1. Navigate to the Clipping page. From the main menu, navigate to Settings > Clipping.
2. Select the desired profile or create a new one.
3. Click the Overlays tab.
4. Click + Overlay.
5. From the Overlay name option, assign a descriptive name to the image overlay.
6. Click Browse... to locate and select the desired image (PNG).
7. Click Upload.
8. Click Save. The newly uploaded image is now available for selection during clip creation.

Apply an Image Overlay to a Clip

1. From the Profile option, select a profile that contains the desired image overlay.
2. Click the Effects tab.
3. From the Overlay option, select the desired image overlay.
4. Check how the image overlay will be positioned on the clip by clicking on the thumbnail preview displayed directly below the Overlay option.

Fade In/Out

A fade in/out effect gradually transitions from a black background to the clip or vice versa. Define the duration, in seconds, of the fade effect from the Fade In or Fade Out options on the Effects tab.

Metadata

Metadata allows supplemental data to be associated with a clip. This metadata can then be forwarded to your website or custom player via the AssetInfo API.

By default, you can assign an external ID to a new clip through the External ID metadata key. This external ID can be used when generating a friendly playback URL for the clip. Hide this metadata key by clearing the Show External ID option in the Clipping Tool option from the desired profile.

Additional metadata can be associated with a clip by defining custom keys. A custom metadata key can be one of the following types:

• Text Field: By default, all metadata keys are text fields. This type stores metadata as a single line of text. A default value can be applied to all new clips through the Default Key Value option.

• Dropdown: A predefined list of values can be associated with a metadata key.

  • Add values to a dropdown field:

    1. Click + Key Value.
    2. Set the Key Value option to the value that will be passed via the AssetInfo API.
    3. Set the Display Name (optional) option to a user-friendly name.
    4. Click Add.

  • Reorder the values associated with a dropdown field by dragging and dropping a value to the desired position.

  • A dropdown field's default value varies according to whether the Include a 'No Value' option is marked:

    • Marked: No value is assigned by default. New clips display "----No Value----" for this key.

    • Cleared: All new clips are assigned the first value listed under the Key Values & Order section for this key.

• Allow users to set this key to a custom value by marking the Include a free form option. This adds the "(Other)" value to the dropdown field. Upon selecting this value, a text field appears below the dropdown where the user can enter a custom value.

• A value cannot be directly modified. However, it can be deleted and a new one added in its place. Delete a value by clicking the corresponding Delete label.

Add a Custom Metadata Key to a Profile

1. Navigate to the Clipping page. From the main menu, navigate to Settings > Clipping.
2. Select the desired profile or create a new one.
3. Click + Metadata key.
4. From the Key name option, define the name by which this metadata key will be identified.
5. Click Add. The new key appears in the Metadata section.
6. (Optional) Customize the metadata key by clicking on it and applying the desired changes. For example, set a default value or define a set of values that can be assigned to this key.
7. Click Save to save your changes.

Metadata key values can be defined during clip creation from the Details tab within the Clipping tool.

Clip Live Channels or In-Progress Assets

You can use the Clipping tool to clip from a live channel or from an asset that is still being sliced. However, the Clipping tool only contains the video that was already sliced when the tool was launched. Update the Clipping tool to include video sliced since it was opened by clicking Refresh Video. This refreshes the video without losing marker data, metadata, effects, or other settings.

Drafts

Drafts allow you to automate the identification of video segments that should be converted to clips. After a draft is created, use the Clipping tool to adjust the start/stop markers, apply the desired settings and effects, and then generate the clip.

Sample Scenario

You have a recurring news show that contains a 3 minute weather segment starting approximately 42 minutes into the show. The weather segment's consistent schedule and duration allows you to leverage the API to automatically generate a video clip draft for the weather segment from each news show. Automatically marking start and stop times reduces the time and effort required to generate a clip by making it easier to identify where it should start and stop.

Key information:

Use the Clip Draft API to generate a draft of a video clip from an asset in your library. A draft can define a title and the clip's start/stop time.
View an asset's video clip drafts from the Drafts tab of the Clipping tool.

Use the Clipping tool to generate a video clip from a draft.

Generate a Video Clip from a Draft

1. Navigate to the Clipping page. From the main menu, navigate to Settings > Clipping.
2. Find and select an asset for which one or more drafts have been generated via the Clip Draft API.
3. Click Create Clip.
4. Click the Drafts tab.
5. Click the desired video clip draft. The Clipping tool updates with the draft's start/stop marker and title.
6. Make the desired updates (e.g., fine-tune the start/stop markers).
7. Click Create clip to generate a video clip.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts facilitate setting start and stop markers. These shortcut keys, listed below, are only available when the timeline has focus.

Clip Playback

By default, creating a clip adds it to the library as VOD content. Like all other VOD content, this new asset can be:

• Played back using a custom player.
• Leveraged as replacement content.
• Scheduled in a linear channel.
• Prepended or appended to another video clip as an intro/outro bumper.

Key Information

• Full resolution Mp4 option: Found on the Export tab, this option controls whether a clipped video is added as an MP4 file in the library.
• Token option: Found on the Details tab, this option determines whether playback requires a signed playback URL.
• Studio DRM option: Found on the Details tab, this option determines whether a clip created from a Studio DRM-protected asset requires a Studio DRM license or cleartext key.
• Ad Breaks option: Found on the Details tab, this option determines whether ad breaks inserted into the source asset during the time period identified by the clip's start and stop markers are included in the clip.

Third-Party Platform Integration

The Clipping tool supports automatically publishing a clip to a third-party platform (e.g., YouTube or Facebook). Upon creating a clip, it is pushed to the third-party portal. This enables fast and easy integration with a custom video player.

Setup

Integration with a third-party platform consists of defining authentication information and then mapping key data to third-party platform fields. Once integration settings have been defined, new clips are automatically published to the third-party platform.

1. Navigate to the Clipping page. From the main menu, navigate to Settings > Clipping.
2. Select the desired profile or create a new one.
3. Click the Integrations tab.
4. Click + Integration.
5. From the Integrations section, mark the desired third-party platform and then click Add.
6. Under Integrations, click on the desired third-party platform to expand that section.
7. Under the Credentials section, provide the credentials required to authenticate to the third-party platform.
8. From the Metadata Mapping section, map third-party platform fields to metadata keys.
9. Click Save to save your changes.

Authentication

Uploading content to a third-party platform requires authorization. Typically, this involves defining a user name, password, and a key through which content is uploaded to the third-party platform.

Metadata Mapping

Clip-specific information can be leveraged when publishing content to a third-party platform. This facilitates content management and automated workflows by using relevant information to define critical properties for newly published content.

A prerequisite for metadata mapping is the creation of custom metadata keys. After creating the keys, assign them to third-party platform fields from within your third-party platform integration configuration.

Export Restrictions

Each platform enforces minimum requirements on the videos that can be uploaded to their service. Our service adheres to these platform-specific requirements and enforces them when exporting clips. Ensure that the requirements listed below are satisfied before exporting a video clip to the platform in question.