This month Zype released several new product updates including improved tvOS templates and enhanced dynamic parameter options.

Level Up Your App with the Updated Zype tvOS Template

Zype Apple TV applications are programmed in Swift, allowing you the most modern features available to tvOS apps. As part of our commitment to ensure our templates meet the highest quality market standards, we’ve updated our template application to be Swift 5 based, the most recent iteration of the Swift programming language. Enjoy a sleek new top menu design as well as better performance and compatibility with the latest XCode versions. Learn more about the update and review our FAQs here.

Deeper Connectivity for Ad Servers through New Ad Macros on Self-Hosted Content

If you have self-hosted content in your library, you may have leveraged Zype’s ability to generate dynamic URL parameters against self-hosted manifest requests to connect your ad server stack. For example, you may have imported an HLS stream from your existing hosting provider or SSAI server, which might require dynamic information about the user in order to optimize ad fill. 

Now we are offering even more dynamic parameter options that can be used as URL replacements for self-hosted manifests. We’ve added support for app_bundle along with app_domain and device_model, to name a few. View the entire list of supported dynamic manifest parameters and their uses here.

Want to check out more of Zype's latest product updates? Read more here.

Level Up Your Apple TV Apps With Zype's Updated Template

2020 was a year of unprecedented change and challenge. At Zype, we found ourselves in a unique position. As the world went virtual, millions of people and businesses turned to video. This year, especially, brought forth our mission to connect the world's streaming video and viewers. In the most critical of times, our team worked extremely hard to make our video infrastructure more connected, more powerful, and more secure for our customers. 

Here are our top 10 product updates and milestone from 2020:

#1 Launched Our New Brand and Updated Dashboard Features

In July, we introduced our new brand  to better represent our mission and an updated Dashboard to match. This update included the addition of a "Favorite" feature that allows customers to save frequently used pages so they can access them directly from the navigation menu when needed.

#2 Reached 15 Billion Video API Calls per month and 10 Million Playout Requests Per Hour

We reached record milestones in both Video API Calls and Playout Requests Per Hour, and with this increased volume of traffic, we maintained our high standard of excellence, offering the fastest stream start times and best user experience possible.

In 2020, we expanded our connectors suite to include over 50 video distribution, payment processing, advertising, and marketing connectors and integrations. We added many new distribution connectors this year including: The Roku Channel, Google Ad Manager MRSS, Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, RTMP, HLS, and MRSS, as well as new social connectors: Youtube Live, Facebook Live, Twitch, and Periscope. 

#4 EU Playout Distribution and Improved Stream Quality

We released a Playout service enhancement that allows customers to create Playout channels that originate from the European Union. This means that audiences in the EU will enjoy fast stream start times, and publishers will have a regional data lake for data compliance and segmentation purposes. 

We also optimized playout channel delivery 4-second HLS segmenting to reduce latency on syndicated HLS channels and increase compatibility with additional downstream syndication partners. 

We added domain-level protection on embeds with the web player referrer protection feature by allowing customers to prevent their players from serving content when embedded on unauthorized websites. 

We also shipped an update to protect paywalled videos against password sharing using login limits, which allow customers to specify a maximum number of simultaneous logins available to any individual viewer account. 

We enhanced stream hours analytics with granular time interval views, allowing teams to view stream hour data in as small as 15-minute increments to pinpoint when viewers are streaming most. This new reporting capability allows insights on the breakdown of viewer consumption by time slice, to help identify peak periods and make content and user experience decisions.

We rolled out an enhancement to our Stripe connector that allows customers to offer subscription pauses to their viewers, increasing retention and staving off unnecessary cancellations. 

#8 Playlist Curation Made Easy with Include & Exclude Category Tags  

We released an update to help teams create more granular, personalized curation systems by leveraging our include and exclude rules. These category tags save time by automating content curation.

We added redemption code paywalls to our embeddables to allows customers to embed a video on their site with “redemption code required” enabled, without the need to embed a separate redemption code widget. Viewers can access the redeem flow and enter the code entirely from the video player - and are never redirected to an alternative widget or page - all as part of the typical authentication flow. 

#10 Enhanced Flexibility to Customize In-Player Messaging 

We’ve enhanced our player messaging support with additional custom options, allowing you to update default player error messages. These new customization options help ensure your player messages are in line with your product messaging and allows for better control over communication with your viewers. Learn more about player and video embed customization here.

There are many exciting innovations on the map for 2021 and we can't wait to share them. Stay tuned for what's ahead!

2020 Highlights: Zypes Top 10 Product Updates and Milestones

Zypes Top 10 Product Updates and Milestones

Zype has added a new global region for our Playout service and improvements to our streaming analytics that can provide insights for smarter programming decisions.

Faster Streaming for Global Viewers with European Union Playout Service Availability

Zype has released a Playout service enhancement this month that allows customers to create Playout channels that originate from different geographic regions, starting with the European Union. This means that audiences in the EU will enjoy fast stream start times, and publishers will have a regional data lake for data compliance and segmentation purposes. 

When customers encode video with Zype and have EU-enabled services, they can now synchronize content into the Zype EU Cloud Zone for fast stream start times and low latency for all viewers in the region. There are no additional charges to store content with Zype in the Zype EU Cloud Zone - as we don’t ever charge for storage. This new optimization is being made first for linear Playout content but will soon be made available for VOD and other formats. 

With the new EU region, teams can now scale regionally focused channels independently of each other. For example, channels running in Europe can leverage different advertising campaigns than those based in North America while maintaining the same underlying content. Zype’s EU Region Playout service also complies with regulatory data and consumer protection laws set forth from the European Union. 

Program Smarter Using Interval Views on Stream Hours Analytics 

Zype now supports granular time interview views on stream hours reports so publishers can make better informed programming decisions. Stream hour data can be viewed in increments as small as 15-minutes to pinpoint when viewers are streaming most. Stream hour views are available by daily, hourly, 30 minute, or 15 minute increments:

The new reporting capability allows insights on the breakdown of viewer consumption by time slice, to help identify peak periods and make content and user experience decisions. For example, below you can see midnight was the highest trafficked stream hours time: 

You can learn more about time interval views on stream hours reports here and review our API documentation here.

As this year comes to a close, we're celebrating all of our teams product wins from 2020, and we're excited to continue to announce new features and improvements in 2021.

Zype Releases Playout Enhancement for Faster Stream Start Times for EU Viewers and Improved Streaming Analytics for Smarter Programming

In the past couple of months, Zype has added new Video CMS and Connectors features that can help video teams deliver an even better viewing experience with improved Roku UX and added player messaging flexibility. 

Keep Viewers Engaged With Improved Roku UX With Trick Mode 

Trick mode is a new user experience that provides visual feedback during playback operations such as seek, forward, and rewind, showing the timestamp and preview thumbnail of the video content while seeking along the player bar. Both time-based and scene-based trick mode are supported for Zype hosted content, as shown below: 

Trick mode allows the viewer to find or rewatch specific parts of videos with ease, making for a more convenient and enjoyable viewing experience. 

If you'd like to learn more about building Connected TV apps with Zype, you can read more here.

Customize In-Player Messaging to Align With Your Brand

We’ve enhanced our player messaging support with additional custom options, allowing you to update default player error messages. For example, these messages may appear if a playback attempt is made on an unauthorized device or on an unauthorized domain, or if a subscription is required to watch. 

Here you can see the default player messaging that appears when a video is accessed from an unauthorized domain:

Here you can see a custom player message is set:

These new customization options help ensure your player messages are in line with your product messaging and allows for better control over communication with your viewers. 

Zype provides many ways for teams to own their branding. Learn more about player and video embed customization here.

Improve Web Streaming Security with Domain Whitelisting

Protect your videos and increase security by enforcing domain-level protection on your web player embeds. Enabling the “web player referrer protection” feature allows you to whitelist the exact domains your embeds will be able to render on. Using domain-level protection, you can prevent your players from serving content when embedded on unauthorized websites. Read about how to better protect your content using web player referrer protection here.

Zype Introduces New Video CMS and Connector Updates to Help Teams Customize Their Viewer Experience and Improve Streaming Security

Zype has added new Video CMS and Connectors features that can help video teams deliver an even better viewing experience with improved Roku UX and added player messaging flexibility. 

In the past couple of months, Zype has added several new CRM and Connectors features that can help video teams improve viewer experience and extend audience reach.  

Offer Promotional Access to Viewers With Redemption Code Paywalls

Offering redemption codes to viewers can be an excellent way to provide one-time promotional or lifetime access to video content without requiring a credit card transaction or manual configuration. Zype has supported the use of redemption codes for quite some time, however the method of redemption was limited to a redemption code widget that had to be specifically embedded into a website. 

Now, with redemption code paywalls, videos can be embedded on a website with “redemption code required” enabled, which will allows for utilization of redemption codes without the need to embed a separate redemption code widget. Viewers can access the redeem flow and enter the code entirely from the video player - and are never redirected to an alternative widget or page - all as part of the typical authentication flow. To understand more about how to enable redemption code paywalls and what the viewer experience is, read more here.

Increase Distribution Reach with The Roku Channel Connector

Gain access to The Roku Channel audience by publishing content directly to The Roku Channel. Zype has made improvements to this connector to simplify distribution to The Roku Channel by following a frictionless workflow, available right in the Zype Admin. Once vetted and distributed by Roku, you’ll stream alongside popular shows, 24/7 live news, and hundreds of movies available on The Roku Channel today. Learn more about distributing to vMVPDs with Zype here.

Leverage Self-service “Restart from Beginning” Feature for Playout Channel Scheduling

Zype Playout allows you to easily program 24/7 linear live channels using playlists of videos already available in your library. Now you can schedule your own predictable programming updates when trying to broadcast playlists at specific start times. Using the "Restart from beginning" feature toggle, enable a restart of the broadcast from the beginning of the source playlist at any given time. You can learn more about Zype Playout here.

Zype Rolls Out New CRM and Connector Features to Simplify vMVPD Distribution and Improve Viewer Experience

Zype is excited to announce the next step in our partnership with Google Cloud: full availability via the Google Cloud Marketplace.

Google Cloud customers will now have access to Zype’s award-winning OTT Video Platform; including Video CMS, Video CRM, Encoding, Playout, Content Delivery, and Video Connectors.

At Zype, we’ve recognized that companies are increasingly searching for a flexible, scalable, and future-proof video platform in the cloud. As the need for more agile, integrated products tailored to enterprise and media & entertainment ecosystems grow, we want to make it as seamless and turnkey as possible for clients to leverage the power of Zype.

Google Cloud customers now have access to the following benefits through the Zype platform:

Build marketplace-ready OTT apps, distributing to mMVPD and FAST platforms across all major platforms including Roku and Apple TV

Program, schedule, and deliver VOD to Live Linear HLS or RTMP, using Zype Playout

Experiment with monetization models, with full support for SVOD, TVOD, and AVOD

Optimize and automate workflows from content ingestion all the way through publishing

Create customized metadata structures using zObjects

Easily manage native marketplace transactions with Zype Marketplace Connect

Generate MRSS feeds ready for third party syndication 

Leverage robust analytics dashboards for insight across revenue and engagement 

“At Google Cloud, we strive to make it as easy as possible for customers to deploy, purchase and manage leading solutions in the cloud,” said Amy Bray, Head of GTM Strategy, Google Cloud Marketplace, Google. “With availability on Marketplace, Zype brings its expertise in enterprise video content management, allowing customers to easily deploy solutions and to focus efforts on building a successful business."

Organizations that want to try out the Zype platform can take advantage of the On Demand Plan that enables users to quickly and easily deploy on-demand transcoding with no commitment. 

“We’re excited to build this partnership with Google Cloud and to provide Google Cloud customers with immediate access to our award-winning video infrastructure,” said Ed Laczynski, Zype CEO. “Our goal is to empower them to  focus on innovation and delivering high-performance, high-quality video products to their own viewers.” 

Zype, Now Available via Google Cloud Marketplace

Free Ad Supported Streaming: Tap Into the Massive Audience Behind the Free TV Movement

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Level Up Your Apple TV Apps With Zype's Updated Template

2020 Highlights: Zypes Top 10 Product Updates and Milestones

Zype Releases Playout Enhancement for Faster Stream Start Times for EU Viewers and Improved Streaming Analytics for Smarter Programming

Zype Introduces New Video CMS and Connector Updates to Help Teams Customize Their Viewer Experience and Improve Streaming Security

Zype Rolls Out New CRM and Connector Features to Simplify vMVPD Distribution and Improve Viewer Experience

Zype, Now Available via Google Cloud Marketplace

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