SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku has launched Roku Ads API, a fully open, self-serve developer platform for connected TV (CTV) advertising. The Roku Ads API gives developers direct access to Roku’s first-party ad capabilities, enabling them to build new and more integrated performance solutions that help advertisers launch, optimize, and measure campaigns, the company said.

Unlike closed or permission-gated CTV platforms, the Roku Ads API allows developers to register applications, obtain credentials, and build integrations without manual approvals. At launch, available endpoints include reporting, audiences, and conversions, with campaign management and creative APIs coming soon.

Each endpoint will empower partners and their advertisers to drive the most performant CTV ad campaigns on Roku:

• Reporting: Roku Ads API enables partners to pull reporting into their preferred business intelligence tools.
• Audiences: Partners are now able to push custom audiences to Roku for targeting use cases.
• Conversions: Partner signals will unlock in-platform attribution, audience creation, and real-time optimization.

“Advertisers increasingly expect CTV to integrate seamlessly with the tools they already use,” said Peter Hamilton, head of ad innovation at Roku. “The Roku Ads API makes that possible by giving developers an open platform to build new functionality and deeper integrations across the ecosystem.”

“Tealium enables advertisers to maximize Roku’s API-driven CTV capabilities by securely unifying and activating high-quality proprietary data in real time, ultimately fueling better targeting, measurement, and business outcomes,” said Matthew Gray, senior vice president of global partnerships at Tealium. “With direct API access to Roku’s powerful first-party ad capabilities, advertisers can now extend the partners they already rely on for social into CTV, with a sharp focus on driving better business outcomes. We're proud to partner with Roku in charting new territory—bringing the API-driven ease and scale that advertisers and partners expect from social platforms into the world of CTV.”

“Measuring the true impact of CTV has historically been tough. Roku’s Ads API lets measurement partners sync aggregate platform delivery data in real time and power advanced measurement—enabling advertisers to understand what’s working, optimize with confidence, and tie budgets to business outcomes,” said Olivia Kory, chief strategy officer at Haus.

Developers can obtain credentials through Roku Ads Manager, allowing for secure access to the Roku Ads API suite. These tools allow developers to retrieve campaign performance data, build custom audiences and plug into internal systems or third-party platforms. Additional end points for campaign and creative management will launch later this year, completing the full Roku API suite.

To learn more about the Roku Ads API, visit https://go.roku.com/adsapi.

STAMFORD, Conn.—Charter Communications and CableLabs have announced the launch of Bryte IQ, a Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) platform for Charter’s wired and wireless networks.

Leveraging the power of Charter’s network and CableLabs’ federated approach to developer services across operators, Bryte IQ is a Business to Business (B2B) platform that benefits developers by enabling the seamless, consistent deployment of services across communications networks and by speeding up the development and adoption of those services. The platform includes support for developer registration, joint secure authentication of end consumers, and scalable CAMARA-based APIs.

More specifically, Bryte IQ is an application programming interface (API) framework that is based on the Linux Foundation’s CAMARA project, a global open-source community built to address communications industry API interoperability.

"Bryte IQ represents a significant leap forward in how we collaborate with other companies on behalf of the customer," said Danny Bowman, Executive Vice President of Product, Charter Communications. "The standardized approach ensures interoperability and simplifies the process for developers, fostering a vibrant ecosystem of innovative services and applications to run on our network."

Bowman introduced Bryte IQ on stage at SCTE TechExpo 24 in Atlanta, Georgia, joined by representatives from across the industry, where they discussed the platform’s innovative capabilities and the enhanced customer experience it will foster.

“As one of the first partners to leverage Bryte IQ, we will use Charter’s NaaS platform to enhance and streamline our operations,” said Justin Donohoo, CTO of Onboard. “This technology will enable us to provide a better tech amenity support experience to residents across the multi-family properties we serve, while accelerating value delivery to property owners and driving operational efficiencies for the service provider."

With Bryte IQ, developers from across industries will have access to:

• APIs that unlock access to capabilities on Charter’s networks, enable visibility into connected devices and enhance CPE management and support of home networks.
• Tools to develop, test and deploy services across millions of customers and homes.
• Collaboration with Charter experts to learn about the platform, its capabilities and how it can help businesses solve problems and enable innovation.

More information about Bryte IQ is available at BryteIQ.com.

Across the media landscape, from storage, to metadata, to transcoding and editing, post-production workflows need to be connected together. But as the industry transitions to the cloud, broadcast services and infrastructure are becoming increasingly fragmented. 

Many large media companies are choosing a mix and match approach, selecting the tools and solutions that best fit the needs of different departments. This makes sense of course. With no two workflows the same, organizations need technology to be tailored to specific business requirements. 

Historically the only way to achieve this level of customization was through bespoke development. But now as trends lean towards productization, Software as a Service, and Infrastructure as a Service, it’s possible to mix out-of-the-box solutions with custom elements. 

The challenges come, however, when sections of the chain don’t fit together well. Without the right connections, there is no synergy within media infrastructure and APIs won't mesh properly. This results in a lot of miscommunication. Users can request what they need, but workflows won't be able to deliver. Which inevitably results in workarounds, that will ultimately compromise the system.

Language Comprehension
The media and broadcast chain is defined by complexity. In an ecosystem where solutions are developed by multiple vendors, APIs are the connections that hold everything together. Occasionally described as a "contract" between a provider and a user, an API is an agreement for developing and integrating software and infrastructure. 

APIs establish the technical detail needed for systems to interact appropriately in different circumstances. They enable systems to retrieve asset information from media archives, perform editing and content processing functions, as well as effectively monetize content and manage costs. 

When integrating systems, APIs also help to maintain security, and implement user authentication across multiple sites. Large media companies need to support both on-premise, and cloud-based workstations, switching seamlessly between environments. 

Comprehensive integration means multiple elements can be configured and managed through a centralized platform; this helps keep valuable content safe and traceable. A successful integration means that systems understand each other, and as a result they can fulfill the needs of different operators. But to do this effectively they must speak the same language.

Assessing Fluency
API implementations and their quality can vary significantly, so it is important for organizations to assess API fluency when selecting tools or working with systems integrators. I could tell you that I speak French, but in reality, my language skills might only extend to asking where the cinema is. Knowing individual adjectives isn’t enough to be proficient in a language. Unless you understand the myriad of ways that words can be stitched together, you can’t have a real conversation. 

Language proficiency is determined by levels of expertise. Starting with elementary proficiency, moving through professional working proficiency, right through to native or bilingual proficiency—it’s therefore important to ascertain the level someone is working at. The same is true of technical integration. 

When implementing multiple APIs, media companies need to be confident in a level of fluency from a product or systems integrator. For application-based solutions, companies should have access to comprehensive documentation, for a range of use cases. Often, this fluency level isn’t fully put to the test until it’s too late and companies are committed. So asking for detailed information upfront is crucial.

Preventing Misunderstandings
In some cases, companies may have invested in a partnership or selected a specific technology because, for example, it claims to have AWS S3 API compatibility. But it is only once the integration process starts, that stakeholders realize the fluency level isn’t high enough for their professional ambitions to be realized. There are two sides to a conversation. There is asking a question, but there is also understanding the response. It requires extensive experience, and a deep technical understanding, to tell a system what it wants to hear in various situations.

Companies need to know the right questions to ask from the start and be clear on the details needed to troubleshoot challenges. This is the difference between vague conversation and using specific terminology to resolve problems. In some situations, workarounds might have been put in place to connect solutions together. 

But the integration process is more than a series of features and functionality to tick off. It’s not enough to say that a solution will allow for ‘X’ integration, or a service provider can build ‘X’ plug-in. Solutions must be adapted to accommodate the many nuances that occur, when workflows are spread across large operational structures.

When ‘Yes’ Translates to ‘Not Really’
Diversity of solutions, processes, and vendors is an inevitability within the media and broadcast industry. Companies could have one partner for metadata, one partner for playout, and another for VOD packaging. With multiple parties at the table, organizations need a service-orientated translator, who can do more than just procure solutions. But they also need transparency. Solutions and integrations need to be clearly defined, and those integrating systems need to offer non-proprietary options that best fit the brief.  

All too often when asked a direct question around a specific piece of functionality the response is ‘yes, you could build that with our API’. Half the stakeholders hear a positive response and the box is ticked. The other half hear that they’ll need to custom build it themselves, then integrate with a vendor’s API where it fits in. The reality is somewhere between the two.

What’s required is the necessary level of fluency in the API language, to make it happen. The right translator supports the integration process from start to finish, they understand how to phrase technical solutions in a way the system can comprehend. Even with a mix and match approach to products and services, everyone should be able to participate in the broader conversation of a media workflow.

Media production is currently undergoing an enormous transformation. Technology is advancing, and cables and connectors are rapidly being replaced by cloud-based solutions. While some media organizations prefer an end-to-end approach, many are instead choosing to use separate vendor solutions for each segment of the workflow. 

Increasingly, companies need flexibility, rather than solutions or services that are proprietary or place rigid definitions on how assets are processed. The availability of solutions that focus on very specific parts of the content supply chain, offer more choice and control over how companies operate. However, if media workflows are compartmentalized in this way, it is critical that solutions do not move into silos, and that all component parts of the workflow interconnect seamlessly. 

Many Parts Make a Whole
We’re living in an age of optimization. So, it is incredibly important that each stage of the media workflow, from production, to ingest, to post-production, and right through to distribution, all operate effectively. This is why many organizations are now choosing to move away from end-to-end solutions, in favor of customizable workflows made up of component parts that are best suited to a specific task. 

Alongside the crucial requirement for each link in the chain to be operating as well as it can be, there is also an overriding need for integration. It is great to take an à la carte approach, but that cannot be at the expense of interoperability – no part of the workflow should be isolated. 

The ingest process is a prime example of how an individual workflow segment significantly impacts the subsequent stages. Ingest is a core component of the media workflow, without it, content does not get from camera to consumer. An effective ingest process makes it quick and easy to ingest raw footage, ready for editing and distribution. It is critical that the quality of the content is preserved and that the content is ingested in full, with no gaps. 

The role of ingest does not end there. A good ingest process can help the rest of the workflow run smoothly and efficiently. For example, if during production the footage can be recorded directly to shared storage, editors can gain access immediately. This prevents subsequent delays to the post-production schedule, as each workflow follows on seamlessly from the next. This way of working enables both master camera record and proxy record, to be undertaken concurrently, so users can access whichever file suits their requirements.

When best practice for content ingest is followed, all of the required media is captured and stored with the appropriate metadata. If the proxies are created at the same time as the master camera record, the files can be tagged with consistent metadata, which avoids confusion. 

This makes it easier for media companies to manage and quickly locate assets later on. A good ingest process will also ensure that assets are organized well from the start. Doing this prevents media businesses from having to structure assets retrospectively, which is time consuming and inefficient. 

API is the Language of Interoperability
When taking an à la carte approach, all components of a media workflow need to connect together seamlessly, through an Application Programming Interface (API). The API enables interaction between solutions, so they can communicate and understand specific requests. 

An API also enables resources and information to be shared, without compromising security, control, and authentication. However, not all APIs are the same. Some may seem comprehensive on the surface, but actually, when you look closer, they are incomplete or incompatible. Other APIs may be complete but not have the required documentation. The difference in quality between APIs can be significant.

For a solution to be fully interoperable and easy to integrate, the API needs to be high-quality, customizable, fully comprehensive, and come with all the right documentation. A flexible API will allow media organizations to deploy a solution in a way that suits them. 

So, how can media organizations ensure they implement a solution with a great API? For effective integration, solutions need a well-constructed RESTful API.  For an API to qualify as a RESTful, it must meet specific architectural requirements. This makes RESTful APIs scalable, faster, more lightweight, and easier to use than a prescribed protocol with restrictive requirements.   

With media organizations increasingly moving operations to the cloud, interoperability is only going to become more important. An issue with API quality has the potential to make or break a workflow. We’re now at the point where companies need to be able to drop a product into their ecosystem, knowing that it will meet their requirements, with minimum effort. 

To achieve this, solutions need to excel at the job they are designed for, and at the same time, offer a fully customizable RESTful API for simple integration. No media solution is an island, so we need interoperability across production and post-production workflows to future-proof our industry.

WUPPERTAL, Germany—After previewing its new technology at the 2019 NAB Show, Riedel is officially rolling out a new API for its 1200 Series SmartPanel. Based on open NMOS standards, the new API enables the SmartPanel to be used as a user interface for controlling, monitoring and automating by third parties.

Now with the 1200 Series SmartPanel Control Panel App, users can trigger actions in control/automation systems and then provide visual feedback on status and configuration changes using the colors, labels and symbols already in the panel.

“The Control Panel App offers several advantages to a proprietary control solution. Most importantly, its NMOS underpinnings allow a third-party system to automatically discover all of the panel’s control elements, like its lever keys or touch screens, and assign any desired functionality,” said Marco Muckenhaupt, Riedel Communications’ senior product manager.

Riedel partnered with different control and automation vendors for the development of this technology, including ATOS BNCS, Axon Cerebrum, Broadcast Solutions hi, Lawo VSM, Pebble Beach Systems and Skyline DataMiner.