Audio / Visual (AV)
Reporting Standards for Audio/Visual (AV).
Our AV metrics are central to our assurance services for online video and TV-like content.
The AV metric definitions and associated guidance are listed below, together with a link to the related Website/App Activity Standards.
View full Website/App Activity Standards( printable PDF )
Metrics and Guidance
AV Play
A file request by a valid browser for an AV playlist. This can be measured in either of the following ways:
- AV Play Event:
A client-side play event representing the start of data processing made by a valid
browser, which is not recorded concurrently with an event of the same type. - AV Request:
A server-side indicator of a media file successfully served to a valid browser.
(Success is defined as transfer of content, so where the bytes sent are greater than
zero).
Guidance: The media owner must be able to demonstrate in an auditable manner that content is included in the playlist as well as advertising. To record a valid AV Play the duration must equal greater than zero and a new AV Play should be recorded in the event of the content restarting automatically.
Automated AV Play
An AV Play started by a valid browser as a result of an automatic process
AV Content Play
A file request by a valid browser for AV content. This can be measured in either of the following ways:
- AV Content Play Event:
A client-side play event representing the start of data processing for AV content
made by a valid browser, which is not recorded concurrently with an event of the
same type. - AV Content Play Request:
A server-side indicator of an AV Content media file successfully served to a valid
browser. (Success is defined as transfer of content, so where the bytes sent are
greater than zero).
Guidance: Where the consumption of specific content items is to be reported, a unique content identifier must be logged.
Automated AV Content Play
An AV Content Play started by a valid browser as a result of an automatic process
Guidance: A new Automated AV Content Play should be recorded in the event of the content restarting automatically.
AV Starts
A browser-initiated logged event denoting the start of consumption of an identifiable AV content item by a valid browser.
Guidance: An AV Start for a given content item should be counted by sending a measurement call 3 seconds within the content being measured. If a content item is placed in a playlist in separate parts, the AV Start should be triggered 3 seconds into the first part.
AV Play Completion Rate
The percentage of AV Plays that consumed at least 95% of the on-demand AV content requested.
Guidance: For AV Play Events, the AV content item must have both a start and a corresponding end event, and the measured AV Play Duration between the two must equal the total duration of that content item. For AV Play Requests, the start of the request must be on or before the defined start time, and the duration of the request must equal or exceed the length of the defined content item (and so go beyond the content item’s defined end point). In both cases, the total length of the content item must therefore be known.
AV Unique User
A Unique User that has made at least one AV Play.
Interactive TV Unique User
A Unique User that has made at least one Interactive TV Impression
Interactive TV Impression
A file, or combination of files, intended for an Interactive TV device, sent to a valid browser as a result of that browser’s request being received by the server.
Guidance: In effect, one request by a valid browser should result in one Interactive TV Impression being claimed.
Certain Interactive TV traffic can be excluded on the basis of information derived from the server log files. The site must therefore ensure that any additional, non-requested files, such as graphics, audio files or frames, are excluded from the claimed Interactive TV Impression total. An Interactive TV Impression does not guarantee that a user actually viewed the page requested; it only measures the opportunity for the user to view such content. This means that an Interactive TV Impression recorded as valid by the server will be valid even if the content does not load to completion.
AV Play Duration
The number of seconds of content served to a valid browser in an AV Play.
Guidance: Client-side, this would be calculated by measuring “end” events terminating the AV Play Event (such as Pause, Fast Forward or Stop) and calculating the gap between the Play event and the “end” event. Hence, AV Duration can only be measured when there is such an “end” event.
Server-side, the Duration field should be used. Where this is not available, an approximation can be calculated from valid AV Requests by dividing the bytes sent
to the user by the average bit-rate per second.
Ideally, buffering time should be excluded from AV Play Duration calculations, but this may not always be practical.
Unique AV Play Duration
The total length of distinct content played by each AV Unique User. Note that “content” here means an AV playlist or any part thereof.
Total AV Play Duration
The aggregate total number of seconds of all plays of a content item in the period. Note that a “content item” here means an AV playlist or any part thereof.
Unique AV Play Percentage
The percentage of the total content of each content item played by each Unique User. Note that a “content item” here means an AV playlist or any part thereof.
Average Programme Streams
The sum total of all AV Play Durations to a content item divided by the content length (as specified by the broadcaster) for that content item.
Podcast Subscriber
A valid Unique User (measured by Cookie) that has requested a notification of podcast availability from the source site.
Completed Podcast
A Completed Audio or Video Download made by a valid browser following receipt of an automated notification of availability.
Guidance: These are assumed to be automatically requested (i.e. Automated) unless the site can provide auditable evidence to the contrary.
Completed Podcast Unique User
Any valid Unique User that has made a Completed Podcast.
Requested Podcast
A Requested Audio or Video Download made by a valid browser following receipt of an automated notification of availability.
Guidance: These are assumed to be automatically requested (i.e. Automated) unless the site can provide auditable evidence to the contrary.
Requested Podcast Unique User
Any valid Unique User that has made a Requested Podcast.
Latest updates
November 2023
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AV Standards highlighted in own page on this site.
Archived standards
If you require past versions of Reporting Standards please contact us.
