Prisma

Prisma is a suite of software components designed to manage applications such as:

• SCTE-35 placement control
• Blackout and alternate control management
• Advertising (linear ad and dynamic ad insertion)

Components

Prisma has been designed around the following components:

• Viewing Policy Manager: This service is aimed at providing ingest of program event data (ESNI-I02, SCTE-224, .CSV file etc.) and normalize them using SCTE-224 data model. Other Prisma modules like Stream Conditioning can then fetch the list of (SCTE-224) events and map corresponding control at the audio/video headend level (encoder control using ESAM for instance).
• Stream Conditioning: This service is aimed at mapping SCTE-224 program event data (so called media points) into video head-end control, mainly using ESAM and SCTE-104/30 protocols towards downstream devices (such as encoders, TS splicers, packager, manifest manipulator etc.). Stream conditioning also manages SCTE-35 rewrite/delete.
• Manifest Conditioning: Prisma acts as a POIS for use cases where the ESAM-based communication is required for manifest conditioning.
• Stream Personalization: This service is aimed at enabling audience-based manifest manipulation for the main streaming protocols, namely Apple HLS, Microsoft Smooth Streaming (HSS) and MPEG-DASH.
• Content Decisioning: This service is an alternate Content Decision Server that supports placement requests in SCTE-130-3 format.

An illustration of above-mentioned building blocks is given below:

Bridging the gap between content providers and services providers

When it comes to managing contractual and legal obligations such as blackout/alternate content and legally mandated program substitution, delivering content has become increasingly complex for operators especially given the increasing rise of IP consumption. Coupling such restrictions with linear advertising or server-side ad insertion (SSAI) adds even more complexity. Prisma has been designed to provide MVPD/operators with a modular, and convergent solution, enabling such viewing restrictions enforcement, as well as ad insertion in support of spot-based and impressions-based advertising business models.

Unifying advertising & linear rights across broadcast & IP

Prisma has been designed for Content Owners, Programmers & TV Services Providers with the following objectives in mind:

• Provide a flexible interface to provision content restrictions and ad schedule, leveraging SCTE-224.
• Map ingested schedule over control and commands towards your video head-end, leveraging industry standard.

Prisma overlays your video head-end to enable a variety of applications such as:

• Blackout & alternate content management for broadcast and IP/OTT delivery.
• Placement control via SCTE-35 insertion, rewriting, and manifest conditioning for advertising, alternate content & blackout events signaling.
• Linear ad replacement with combined Ad server and TS splicing functionalities.
• Server-side ad insertion for HLS/DASH and HSS for the monetization of Live, Near & Non-Live TV inventory across all IP enabled Audiences, down to the user.

Prisma has been designed to address those challenges, leveraging industry-standards such as SCTE-224 (ESNI), SCTE-35, CableLabs ESAM to normalize the exchange of program event data, the way events are triggered and downstream video head-end control. But not only !

Applications targeted by Prisma are not limited to blackout and alternate content management. Prisma acts as a POIS (Placement Opportunity Information Service), leveraging ingested rules to manage SCTE-35 (rewrite, delete) and manifest conditioning for either DAI (Dynamic ad insertion) or alternate content switching.

When combined withMediaKind Live Encoder, Prisma core enables linear ad replacement (ingesting ad schedule in CCMS, or .CSV for instance), as well as advanced media composing functionalities like logo insertion, image overlay, animation to name a few.

Standards and references

• [SCTE-224 ESNI] SCTE Standard, SCTE 224 2015: Event Scheduling and Notification Interface
• [ESAM] OpenCableTM Specifications Alternate Content: Event Signaling and Management API, October 21st, 2016
• [SCTE-35] SCTE Standard, SCTE-35 2017: Digital Program Insertion Cueing Message for Cable
• [BXF] SMPTE Standard, ST 2021-1:2017: Broadcast Exchange File Format (BXF)
• [SCTE-30] SCTE Standard, SCTE 30 2017: Digital Program Insertion Splicing API
• [SCTE-104] ANSI/SCTE 104 2012: Automation System to Compression System Communications Applications Program Interface (API)