Glossary
Welcome to the Cloud Video Kit Glossary. This document provides definitions and explanations for key terms and concepts used in the Cloud Video Kit console and throughout the documentation. Whether you're new to video streaming technology or an experienced developer, this glossary will help you navigate the terminology specific to our platform.
The terms are organized into categories to help you quickly find related concepts. As you explore the Cloud Video Kit's features and capabilities, refer back to this glossary for clarification on any unfamiliar terms.
Video Streaming Concepts
Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Catchup | A feature allowing users to watch content that has already been broadcast. In Cloud Video Kit catchups are stored for 14 days. |
| DASH | Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP, a protocol for adaptive bitrate streaming. It is consumed primarily by Android and other Google platforms. |
| DRM | Digital Rights Management, a set of technologies used for restricting access to copyrighted works, such as video content or software. |
| HLS | HTTP Live Streaming, a protocol for delivering live and on-demand video. It is consumed primarily by Apple devices. |
| VAST | Video Ad Serving Template, A standard format for delivering and tracking video ads. It helps ensure that video players and ad systems work together correctly to show and report ads. |
| VOD | Video on Demand, a system that allows users to select and watch video content when they choose to. |
Content Management
Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Archive | Catchup of the live channel that is used as a source for transcoding. |
| Asset | A streaming ready video file managed by the Cloud Video Kit. |
| Channel | A live streaming entity in the Cloud Video Kit. |
| Event | A scheduled live streaming session created for a given channel. |
| Recording | A captured piece of a live stream. Recording can be understood as a Live2VOD asset. |
Technical Operations
Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Analytics impression | A single instance of content being displayed or played. One impression is used when a viewer sees at least one frame of a video. |
| API | Application Programming Interface, a set of protocols for building and integrating application software. |
| AWS | Amazon Web Services, a set of services delivered with the Amazon Computing Cloud. |
| Endpoint | A specific URL where an API or a file can be accessed. |
| Just-in-time Packaging (JITP) | A flow alternative to static packaging to storage. JITP gives more flexibility in case of changing the configuration of output. It usually has a lower upfront cost and origination cost, depending on the number of viewers. |
| KMS | Key Management Server, a service that delivers keys to the origin that handles the video content encryption. |
| License Acquisition URL (LA_URL) | A URL of the HTTP endpoint (exposed by the license server) that allows players to perform license acqusition. |
| License Server | A service that exposes the endpoint that allows players to perform a license acquisition. |
| Preset | A predefined set of encoding settings used for transcoding and packaging. |
| Transcoding | The process of converting a media file from one format to another. It also covers the packaging process in Cloud Video Kit. |
Security and Access Control
Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Access Token | A security feature used for authentication and authorization. Access token is generated using unique ClientID and ClientSecret credentials. |
| API key | A string passed in a header of API requests. An alternative authorization method for accessing Cloud Video Kit API. |
| CAP | Concurrent Access Protection, a security feature for controlling access to content. It limits the number of concurrent users consuming the content at the same time. Prevents password sharing. |
| CENC | Common Encryption Scheme, a standard that allows for using the same encrypted content with different DRM systems. Google Widevine and Microsoft PlayReady are CENC compliant. |
| ContentKey | A secret cryptographic key that is used for content encryption. |
| GUID | Globally Unique Identifier, is a 128-bit number used as a unique identifier for software, hardware, accounts, or other digital items. |
| KeyId | Key Identifier, a public identifier of encrypted content. KeyId is used by the license server for identifying which content key should be put into the license. |
| License | A message containing encrypted content key that allows for decryption and playback of a specified encrypted material on a particular player instance (device). Only the playback of the decrypted material is possible - the license does not allow for saving or copying the content. |
| License Acquisition Request | An HTTP request to the license server. It is executed by a player when the content playback starts and there is no valid license for the content. |
| License Profile | A set of configurations that describes the type of a DRM license. The profile defines properties such as: license duration, minimum security level, persistency, etc. |
| Member | A user of Cloud Video Kit. |
| OAuth | An authorization standard for Cloud Video Kit API. |
| Role | A set of permissions assigned to a member for a given tenant. |
| Tenant | An organization or project in the Cloud Video Kit system. |