This glossary defines common spec-related terms.
Aspect ratio The number of distinct pixels in each dimension, expressed as a number of horizontal pixels (width) times the number of vertical pixels (height)
Bitrate Amount of digital information (video or audio) transmitted per second.
Codec (also known as coder-decoder) A technology that compresses and decompresses digital audio and video files, enabling efficient storage and transmission. It works by encoding (compressing) the media for smaller file sizes and then decoding (decompressing) it for playback.
Frame rate The number of unique frames or images that are projected or displayed per unit of time.
Host-initiated subload (also known as polite load) A common requirement websites have for the ads displaying on them. Permits ads to wait for the website to load completely before all the assets of the ad loads completely, ensuring a better user experience.
Interlaced video A method of “painting” an image on the screen using a technique for doubling the perceived frame rate of a video display without consuming extra bandwidth. This means it utilizes two video fields to create one frame. Interlaced video was introduced due to technical limitations in early television standards; progressive video is now the preferred standard.
Long-form video Includes pre-roll and mid-roll units that play within full episode content across all screens and all platforms.
Mid-roll ad Video or audio advertisement that plays during the middle of a video or other streamed content, typically at natural breaks or transitions, to minimize disruption to the viewer's experience.
Pre-roll ad Video advertisement that plays before the main video content a user wants to watch.
Progressive video A method of “painting” an image on the screen using a process of displaying, storing or transmitting videos where all the lines of every frame are given in sequence. It demonstrates a detailed image on the screen, is clutter-free, and has higher bandwidth requirements. It’s preferred over interlaced video.
Rendition A specific version or variation of an advertisement, often created to optimize for different devices, platforms, or user segments.
Scan type In progressive scanning, all the lines of each frame are drawn in sequence. Whereas in interlaced scanning, all the odd-numbered lines in the entire frame are scanned first, and then the even numbered lines.
Short-form video A pre-roll video ad unit that plays prior to and in-between shorter content clips such as highlights, news, movie trailers, etc.
Site-served Ads served directly by the publisher's own ad server.
Stitched creative Multiple ads joined (i.e., stitched) together to create one larger duration. An example of stitched creative is two 30-second ads joined together to form a 60-second ad.
VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) A standard protocol that facilitates the communication between ad servers and video players, ensuring smooth ad playback across various platforms.
VPAID (Video Player-Ad Interface Definition) is an IAB standard that allows a video ad and a video player to communicate with each other.
Z-index value The CSS property that controls the stacking order of overlapping elements on a page. An element with a higher z-index value appears in front of an element with a lower z-index value.