How does VAST v3.0 indicate whether a linear advert is pre-roll, mid-roll or post-roll

Question

I'm checking VAST v3 specifications and they say:

linear adverts may play before the content video starts (pre-‐roll), at a break during the content video (mid-‐ oll), or after the content video (post-‐roll)

But I can't see the way it is specified in the VAST-formatted XML file. I've already checked V2 but I can't see it either.

Anyone does know?

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 07 '15 at 06:57

VAST specifies how the ad server should respond to an ad request from a video player, and how this video player should interpret this ad response (i.e. XML VAST ad response).

With pre/mid/post rolls, I assume you're referring to a VAST Inline Linear ad. It's up to the publisher to decide when the video player must make a video request to the advertiser ad server (using the ad tag), and when the video player must insert the ad (since the video player could request the ad before, to cache it).

VAST does not specify anything in regards to offsetting a VAST Inline Non-linear ad either (e.g. to have a Non-linear ad appear after 30 seconds into the publisher video).

Some video players and publisher ad servers support VMAP, which is used to define and schedule ad breaks in a video.

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 10 '15 at 23:05

It's not described in XML exactly. If your video player supports pre/mid/post rolls then you should give him instructions in code like this (I took the JWPlayer for example):

<script type="text/javascript">
jwplayer('container').setup({
  file: 'http://www.example.com/path/to/video.mp4',
  primary: 'flash',
  advertising: {
    client: 'vast',
    admessage: 'Ad: your video resumes in XX seconds...',
    schedule: {
      preroll: {
        offset: 'pre',
        tag: 'http://example.adserver.com/servlet/vast2/zone?zid=123'
      }
    }
  },
  width: 480,
  height: 270
});
</script>

I don't really care about the code itself, I'm more concerned about how the advertiser specifies that a concrete advert should play mid-roll or post-roll. — Lluís Suñol, Aug 16 '15 at 17:24

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 16 '21 at 02:45

VAST does not concern itself with position of the ad break (pod), that is outside its scope but i think recent specs mention VMAP as means for that.

VMAP is a very short spec that focuses on specifying multiple ad breaks (preroll, midrolls, postroll) and their positions in content - delegating the contents to VAST.

How does VAST v3.0 indicate whether a linear advert is pre-roll, mid-roll or post-roll

3 Answers3