VOD (Video on Demand) allows users to search for and access the content they want to watch at any time from anywhere with an internet connection, instead of having to tune in to a specific channel at a particular time.

BlendVision One offers a one-stop platform for content encoding and content protection settings, as well as playback for content delivery. This guide details essential steps for creating and publishing your VOD content, including content protection settings, delivery methods, and performance analysis. 

Before we start

Ensure that you have a BlendVision One account/Business Organization to create/operate your VOD content.

• Account: Register for BlendVision One and Log in to the Web Console

Accessing the VOD module to managing your VODs

You can access the VOD List through the “VOD” item from the left sidebar on the BlendVision One web console.

In the VOD List, you can managed created content through the following options:

• Search for your VODs by the VOD Name.
• Press the “Add VOD” button to add a new VOD
• Click on individual VOD content in the list to access their settings page 
• Click the Publishing Tool icon to manage publishing methods
• Click the Menu icon to archive your VOD content

For further instructions on how to utilize the VOD module, refer to the following sections:

• Create and set up your VOD content from the VOD List
• Confirming encoding status and publishing VOD content
• Get analysis and performance reports from the Analysis module

Create and set up your VOD content from the VOD List

In BlendVision One, you will need to create and set up your VOD before the scheduled publishing date. We recommend creating and setting up your VOD at least 7 days in advance, to allow for sufficient time to complete setup, encoding, and content delivery preparation.

BlendVision One provides two ways to create a VOD:

• Through the web console:
  The easiest way to create a VOD is by using the BlendVision One web console. Please refer to:
  • Add a VOD for detailed steps on creating a new VOD. 
  • Supported Input Formats for VODs for the supported input formats of source files.

• Through the BlendVision API:
  You can also integrate our API with your own CMS/system to seamlessly leverage our platform's streaming capabilities within your services.
  Refer to our Developer Guide for detailed information.

You can also set up the following features to further customize and protect your content: 

• VOD ProfileSet:
  In BlendVision One, you need to define the VOD’s output resolution and bitrate by selecting the preferred ProfileSet during creation. You can easily customize your ProfileSets via the General Settings module or use the presets we provide. Refer to VOD ProfileSets for more details.
  • Per-Title-Encoding (PTE):
    PTE is a video encoding technique which aims to improve the overall video quality while minimizing file size and bandwidth requirements. To learn more on PTE and its limitations, refer to Per-Title-Encoding (PTE) Introduction. 
• Processing Speed:
  BlendVision One offers Standard and Faster queues that determine the resources that will be allocated and the time it will take for encoding to complete. You may choose the option that best suits your cost and time-to-market needs. Refer to Processing Speed for more information.
• Security:
  We provide DRM (FairPlay/Widevine), geo-region control, watermark, domain control, and visibility level options to protect your content. You can set up these security features to prevent unauthorized access and distribution of your VOD content.
  • Note: BlendVision One provides three methods to deliver your content to your audience. Depending on the publishing method used, most security features will be unavailable or require integration with BlendVision One API.

Once the VOD is created, some settings such as security features and ProfileSets can no longer be changed. We strongly advise you to double check your settings before clicking the save button. 

Confirming encoding status and publishing VOD content

After the VOD is created, you can check the status and manage all content from the VOD List and VOD editing page.

Encoding will start automatically and the VOD will be available for previewing and publishing after encoding is complete.

The following flowchart illustrates the status flow for VOD encoding: 

• The rectangles represent the status of the VOD content. 
• The hexagons represent the actions taken from the VOD List.
• The white arrows indicate the status transitions triggered by your actions.
• The black arrows indicate automatic status transitions that occur when certain conditions are met, such as the start of encoding or publishing.

This table describes each status in detail:

You can confirm the status of each VOD on its edit page.
Please refer to the following articles for details:

• Edit a VOD for steps on editing an existing VOD. 
• Confirm Encoding Status of VOD on how to check the encoding status.

Some features are only available for edit after encoding is complete:

• Cover image: You can set up a cover image that is shown during the unpublished period for each encoded VOD.
• Player: Allows you to set up a customized player style which is reflected to your showroom and embed iframe player. 
  • Chapter: You can set up the chapters shown on the embedded iframe player and showroom player, enabling quick navigation to specific sections within a piece of content.

After encoding is complete and setting up the desired features, you can publish your content.

BlendVision One provides three methods to deliver your event content to your audience.
Each has its own advantages and unique support features allowing you to choose the delivery method that best suits your needs.
Please refer to Share and Publish a VOD for further detailed information:

• Showroom: An easy way to deliver your content as a customized web page. It provides a highly customizable theme and viewer access that can be controlled. You can quickly set up your customized showroom and player before simply sharing the URL with your audience.
• iframe Player: You may want to integrate your content into your own website. BlendVision One provides auto-generated iframe player code and API for you to embed an iframe player with customized styles and content protection onto your website.
• Player SDK (Web/iOS/Android): If you need further customization and deep integration with your application/service, you may wish to utilize the BlendVision Player SDK on Web/iOS/Android. Please refer to our developer guide for more details.

Note: 

• You can customize your player UI/behavior by setting up the player template for the iframe player or showroom and save the settings as templates for use in different events.
• Player Template settings and chapter features on the BlendVision One web console only reflect on the showroom and embed iframe Player. If you use the Player SDK method, please refer to the developer guide for customizing your player UI.

Get analysis and performance reports from the Analysis module

After VOD encoding is complete, you can get performance reports via the Analysis module.

Please refer to the articles below to learn more:

• Analysis Module Introduction for the key features that the Analysis module provides.
• Overview Analysis for an overview of a VOD/Livestream with visualized graphics. 
• Individual VOD Analysis for the performance report of each VOD content.