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  • Creative > Ads > Master Ads > [In-Stream Ads] > Creative Assets > Linear > Settings

Overview

Video Auto-Transcoding is an automatic process that runs on in-stream ads in Amazon Ad Server (AAS) when campaign managers attach ads to placements. It automatically converts your video assets to final serving variants according to the placement and publisher's requirements.

This process saves time as it eliminates the need to manually create multiple video files according to site specifications, and ensures the best quality according to the publisher's needs.

Important

Important: This feature is enabled by default on the account level and applies to all master ads once a creative manager contact is assigned. You can disable this feature for specific ads on the master ad level.

Assigning sites to specs

  • Admin > Sites > [Site_Name] > Assign to Specs button

Site account users can assign profiles to sites on the site level.

Important

IMPORTANT This feature is protected by the following permission:

  • Assign Site to Profile

Procedure

  1. On the Site level, select a site and click Assign to Profile.

    Sites2019.gif

  2. Select the profiles to be assigned to the site and click Assign.

    AssignToProfile2019.gif

In-stream transcoded variant sets

Depending on the target site on which the ad runs, AAS generates variants of the linear In-Stream asset on the placement ad level using the following variant sets types:

  • Dedicated Site Variant Sets: AAS has created dedicated site sets containing specific variants based on the target site requirements.

  • Default Variant Profile: Contains a default set that applies to all sites. This site profile is applied if for any reason transcoding fails or if the site has no preferred variant definitions.

    The default profile contains the following values:

    • Video Format: MP4

    • Video Codec: H.264

    • Supported Dimensions: 640x360 pixels or 640x480 pixels and others, depending on your original file and the aspect ratio.

    • Supported Bitrate: 500-700 kbps.

Note

Note: If the default variant profile does not match your site requirements, please contact Customer Success Manager for additional assistance.

How does it work?

The video auto-transcoding workflow operates as follows:

Doc_in-stream_transcoding.png

The following table describes the steps in the video auto-transcoding workflow.

Step

Description

1

A linear video asset is assigned to the master ad.

2

The ad is attached to the placement. During the attachment process, the relevant variant specs are applied to the newly created placement ads according to the publisher requirements:

  • A and C: Displays site specific variant sets tailored to meet publisher requirements.

  • B: Displays the basic default variant set applied to sites with no specific requirements.

Creating a transcoded in-stream ad

Prerequisite

Use a high quality in-stream asset for your linear asset. The following table describes the recommended In-Stream asset specifications.

Attribute

Recommended Values

Video Source

High quality video asset source files

Format

MP4 or MOV

Dimensions

1920x1080 pixels

Note

Note: Could vary depending on the ratio of your video. Common ratios are 16:9, 9:16, and 1:1.

Bitrate

1 Mbps minimum

20-30 Mbps

Frame Rate

30 FPS source files

For keyframes, use the same value as the frame rate.

Codec

H.264 Video, AAC Audio

Supported In-Stream File Types for Transcoding

  • MP4

  • MOV

  • WebM

  • F4V

Note

Note: Other file types are not supported.

Step 1: Assign a single linear asset to the master ad

Procedure

  1. On the Creative menu, click Ads > New Ad > Blank Ad, and create an ad.

  2. In the Ad Format list, select one of the following options:

    Note

    Note: in-stream video interactive built with Ad Builder and all other in-stream formats do not support auto-transcoding.

  3. In the Creative Assets > Linear tab, add a linear video/audio asset.

  4. Under Settings, validate that Video Auto-Transcoding is enabled.

    V-ATranscoding2019.gif

  5. Click Save when you have configured the ad.

If you are operating as a creative account, the procedure for auto-transcoding stops here. Make your ads available to your media agency/advertiser. For more information, see Share your ads.

Step 2: Attach the master ad to a placement

Note

Note: Only the campaign manager (Media Agency) can perform this step.

During the attachment process, video auto-transcoding generates the relevant variant specs to be applied to the placement ads. This can only be achieved if the ad is assigned to a campaign.

Procedure

Step 3: View the output variants in the placement ad

Note

Note: Only the campaign manager (media agency) can perform this step.

Important

Important: The source variant is displayed on the placement ad level for information purposes and is not served.

Procedure

  1. In your campaign, click Ads > Ads & Placements Attachment (in Simple Mode) or Ads > Placement Attachment (in Advanced Mode)

  2. In the Placement panel, click the placement name.

  3. In the Placement Ads tab, select the placement ad and click Edit.

  4. In the Creative Assets section, view the output variants on the Linear tab for a VAST ad, or on the Additional Assets tab for a VPAID ad.

    video-auto-transcoding-ad-level_variants.png

Frequently asked questions

Can I replace a linear asset on the master ad level?

Yes, you can replace a linear asset and the new asset will be transcoded again.

Can I disable auto-transcoding on the master ad level?

Yes, you can disable video auto-transcoding for a specific master ad in the Creative Assets section in the Linear tab. Click Settings. Disabling transcoding will cause the files, which have been assigned to the ad, to be used.

Can I disable auto-transcoding on a master ad that already contains transcoded placement ads?

Yes, you can disable video auto-transcoding for a specific master ad, even if it already has transcoded placement ads. In the Creative Assets section in the Linear tab, click Settings. Disabling transcoding will cause the files, which have been assigned to the ad, to be used.

What if I think my auto-transcode specs are incorrect or out-of-date?

If you think your auto-transcode specs for a specific site are incorrect or out-of-date, please contact PubCare team or see Auto-Transcoding & Video Specs.

Is auto-transcoding supported on dynamic In-Stream ads?

Auto-transcoding is not supported on dynamic In-Stream ads.

If the transcoding profile is updated, how do I apply this change to existing, attached placement ads?

To update the transcoded assets, due to an update in the transcoding profile, for a placement ad that is already attached: disable the Video Auto Transcoding setting on the master ad, save the master ad, and enable the Video Auto Transcoding setting again, and save the master ad again.

  1. Clear the Enable Video Auto-Transcoding check box on the master ad.

  2. Save the master ad.

  3. Select the Enable Video Auto-Transcoding check box again.

  4. Save the master ad again.

Can the bitrate set in the transcoding file be missed?

Yes. In some cases, minimum limits may be missed if the original video is already below the limit. For example, a low resolution, low bitrate source video will not be able to generate a high definition, high bitrate video. Maximum limits may be missed if there are large variances in quality and size. For example, low bitrates with large dimensions, or the video file is extremely simple, such as text on a solid background.

What do I do the minimum requirement bitrate is not met?

To fix this issue, please ensure the source video asset meets or exceeds minimum resolution requirements so that the AAS transcoder only has to downscale the video in order to meet site specs. To update both ads per publisher’s specs once the assets are replaced, re-save the master ads and reset auto-transcoding by following these instructions:

  • Clear the Enable Video Auto-Transcoding check box on the master ad

  • Save the master ad

  • Select the Enable Video Auto-Transcoding check box again

  • Save the master ad

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