Release notes for OpenTV Video Platform

Release summary 

This release contains several improvements around the Image Service, like support for locales and default image by sequence number. Around encoders integration, we are adding Harmonic Unified Channel URI support, as well as the geo-blocking functionality for Broadpeak encoders. 

We are also adding support for CDN token protection for SSP and NexGuard Quickmark to OPF, increasing our integration with other NAGRA products. 

Display indirect product relationships for content

From the Operator Console content detail screen, product relationships are now displayed when the association is via a node.

Image Service – default image by sequence number

This feature allows the operator to set a default image sequence number. This will be used to select an image when no specific image is selected for a specific piece of content. Where no preference is assigned the image will be returned based on the image name and sequence number set as the default. 

Image Service – MAS update management

Ensure MAS is calling the correct APIs for the management of images from ingest metadata (add/update/delete).

Image Service – locale support

The addition of support for locales in the image service enables OPF to support: 

• Operators to configure a list of locales and their priority via OpCon
• Requests from the client that specify a locale and return the image that matches the request, or matches the next most appropriate locale
• Requests with no locale specified, for backwards compatibility

Dynamic Content Groups – DCG OpCon management completion

The purpose of this feature is to extend the DCG capabilities to provide additional UI management via OpCon.

SSM session channel and group ID management from OPF

This feature allows group management of Technical Channels within the SSP/SSM session framework, allowing fine-grained control of channel accessibility for an account. Grouping of channels is managed via OPF ingest and control mechanisms, either via OpCon or operator-level API. These controls enable existing SSM GroupId policies for session accounting.

Usage rules – SSP technical usage rule profile integration

This feature enables the OPF Platform to set SSP content auth token usage rule profiles in auth tokens opaquely when a Client requests playout. The allocated usage rule profile ID is predefined by operator configuration based on technical channel mappings.

FSK / parental controls – operator delete parental rating threshold

This feature provides an additional operator API to delete a parental rating threshold from a specified account.

Regional source preference – phase 2

This feature provides UX and backend enhancements to the regional source preference configuration.

Simplified metadata enhancements – catchup inc. deeplinks

This feature enhances the simplified metadata APIs with support for the retrieval of catchup for an event, by event ID. Catchup returned includes STCU, LTCU, and deeplinks (where deeplinks are supplemented with appropriate metadata).

Device properties – custom attributes

This feature adds the capability for an operator to add custom attributes to specific devices, that are viewable only to the operator.

Harmonic Unified Channel URI

This feature provides initial backend changes to support the Harmonic single-channel URI format.

Nexguard – Quickmark

This feature allows an operator to set the need for Quickmark watermarking on a per-content basis, either through ingest, APIs, or from OpCon.

Note: appropriate application, Player, SSP platform, and Nexguard Quickmark products are necessary for a complete end-to-end deployment. 

CDN token protection with SSP

This feature allows an operator to set the need for CDN token access for OTT video playback on a per-content basis, either through ingest, APIs, or from OpCon.

In order to generate the CDN access token, OPF is integrated with SSP, allowing the use of SSP advanced security solutions (ASP) features (i.e., CDN content access control and account revocation) to be used in deployments.

Additional ADM device parameters  to CRM-GW APIs and OpCon

Additional device parameters of the ADM device object (regionId and rolloutId) have been added to CRM-GW device APIs, and the fields are visible in OpCon.

Search Facade enhancements – category/rating/suggestions

Provide enhancements to Search Facade to support the following (identified as gaps between current SOLR offering and Search Facade):

• Search suggestions
• Parental ratings as query parameter
• Category, genre, and sub-genre as query parameters

Blocking and filtering – location group overrides

Previously, Operator Console only allowed a whole location group to be assigned to a content item, channel or event. Individual content-level changes could not be made without creating and assigning a new location group. This feature allows the location group functionality to be overridden so that locations can be edited directly on a per-content item basis.

Image Service – delivering promo images

Promo image support allows operators to set and use promo images against content. 

A promo image will be returned when an image is requested from the Image Service, taking priority over any other images related to the content when configured.

This promo image will be managed via OpCon, delivered in the Rails response and shown in OpCon when configuring rails. 

Image Service – image selection and delivering images more often

We are finding that the data available from operators for images is not consistent – image types and formats are often not available in the range the operator and client expect. 

To address these issues, we will broaden the search scope of the image service. The service will now attempt to reduce the search constraints until a relevant image is found for the specified content.

Ability to set default values for custom fields

Some customers need to have some custom fields set with a default value to avoid certain error conditions and export issues. This feature provides this capability.

Preferred image solution 

Previously, once a preferred image was set, it could not be changed via ingest or OpCon it could only be changed via a support ticket. This feature resolves that issue. Now when a new promo image is ingested it will override any existing promo images.

OPF and SSP public APIs metrics exposed to customer through API

This feature exposes the state of health of OPF and SSP deployment programmatically so customers that require it can integrate that information in their existing management systems.

Note that this feature replaces the former "Solution Dashboard" feature.

Compatibility matrix

STD0

STD3

STD5

Deprecated APIs