Overview

This document explains how Serverside.ai uses SCTE-104 and SCTE-35 signals to manage ad breaks and enable dynamic ad insertion in live and VoD streams.

SCTE signals for dynamic ad insertion

SCTE-104 information is injected into an SDI signal during the playout of a TV program or live event. It marks cue-out and cue-in points to create room for ad breaks. Downstream, when transcoding or encoding into MPEG-TS, this information is converted into SCTE-35 signals and then further transformed during packaging as inline events in DASH and HLS manifests. 

These events allow an ad server to instruct Serverside.ai when to switch content and deliver an ad. If no monetization opportunities exist, Serverside.ai continues delivering content segments. 

Serverside.ai supports broadcast-standard SCTE-35 signals for dynamic ad insertion on live streams. You can use metadata from SCTE-35 markers to perform break-level ad targeting, for example, the first break in a live sports event.

For more information, see Ad-marker specification: SSAI live - SCTE35 and Ad-marker specification: SSAI VoD - AdCuePoints.